So how much can you learn as a new sales manager and how much can you teach/coach/help your team? The answer is it depend. Though probably more than you realise.

It all starts with human physiology and the good old human brain. It is a known fact that the brain has countless cells. A few comparisons to what lives on our planet:

-a mouse has about 5 million
-a monkey 10 billion
-we have in excess of 100 billion cells

Though, when you add in all the connections. A conservative estimate is around the 10 to the 800th power. More than in the whole universe.

As we get older, believe it or not the plasticity of the brain increases. Moscow University studied the brains capacity for many years and said that "we can show that each of the 10 billion neurons in the human brain has a possibility of connections of one with twenty-eight noughts (zeros) after it"

So if one neuron has this what exactly does the whole brain have?

This explains to some extent the genius of Mozart, the fact Leonardo created drawings ideas and predictions that are still valid 400 + years later.

Ok you might say so what does that mean for you as sales managers with to much to do and a team that never seems to get things right? Well I think it shows that we have been vastly under-estimating the capacity of anybody and everybody to learn.

Our expectation of ourselves and other people is far to low. People rise to what is expected of them.

It does start with belief. Looking at the facts like this does make you appreciate just what is possible. A few years ago I taught a friend of mine how to attach a document to an email. She now designs websites as a hobby.

It all starts with the first step.

So what can you do with this information?

First expect more of yourself. So you might not get it spot on the first time. It took you a while to master many things in your life that are now habits like riding a bike, swimming, you name it.

Managing is no different. It to starts with taking the first step. So what about your teams. Encourage them. Give them opportunities to learn and grow.

The Human animal is a success creature that is made to seek more in life and develop. With 100 billion brain cells that is probably the reason why.

As the famous Milton Erikson once said; "whatever you think you are you are always more than that."