Empowering Sales Teams: The Power of Shared Governance
Imagine a sales team where every rep—from the newest hire to the most seasoned veteran—has a real voice in shaping the tools, processes, and strategies that impact their daily work.
Picture the level of ownership, motivation, and performance that would ignite.
This is the power of shared governance: a decision-making model where the people closest to the work, this case, your frontline sales reps—are empowered to influence the decisions that impact their daily roles.
Why does this matter?
Here’s a number that should grab your attention: Companies with highly engaged teams see 21% higher profitability than those with disengaged teams, according to Gallup.
When sales reps feel heard, valued, and empowered, they don’t just punch the clock. They bring their best to every customer interaction, every deal, and every strategic decision. It’s a sense of shared ownership.
When I ask top sales reps why they loves sales, they often tell me they love the sense of running their own businesses, and bringing in shared governance is one way that we can give them an ever greater sense of ownership.
Real-World Impact: Shared Governance in Action
Let’s break this down with a concrete example.
Imagine your company is rolling out a new CRM system. Instead of simply mandating the switch from the top, leadership takes a different approach. They gather input from the reps who will use it daily: what features matter most? What pain points need fixing? Which workflows need streamlining?
A small group of reps is even involved in testing the system, offering real-world feedback before launch.
The result?
The CRM fits their needs, adoption rates are higher, and reps feel invested in the outcome because their insights shaped it. Companies who are great at this tend to involve these passionate user groups ongoing to prioritize the back log, so the operational folk continue to deliver what matters.
This level of buy-in isn’t just about smoother transitions; it drives measurable results. Companies that involve employees in decision-making see 33% higher revenue per employee, according to research from the Great Place to Work Institute.
But despite the clear benefits, shared governance doesn’t always get the traction it deserves. Why?
Where the Wheels Fall Off: Common Roadblocks to Shared Governance
Even in companies committed to collaboration, shared governance often falters due to structural or cultural issues. Here’s how it can go wrong:
Top-Down Control: Even when sales teams are consulted, their feedback is sometimes overridden by senior executives who feel the need to retain decision-rights. This can break the trust needed for genuine collaboration. Research shows that 58% of employees believe their company’s leadership only considers their input occasionally—or never at all. That kills morale.
Performative Feedback Loops: Some organizations create the illusion of involvement, asking for feedback but failing to act on it. According to McKinsey, 80% of employees say they want more involvement in company decisions, but only 30% feel their ideas lead to action.
Dominant Voices in the Room: Often, a senior leader or influential stakeholder will dominate the conversation, drowning out other perspectives. When the loudest voice wins, the feedback loop gets skewed, and the broader user base suffers. Sales teams, who thrive on autonomy, feel disempowered when this happens, impacting performance.
Time and Resource Pressures: Agile and Human-Centered Design (HCD) frameworks thrive on iteration and feedback. But in reality, organizations facing tight deadlines often skip steps in the name of speed. 27% of Agile practitioners report that their organizations struggle with balancing Agile principles against the demands of fast delivery, leading to poorly executed decisions that fail to consider all user needs.
Cross-Department Conflict: Without alignment across departments—whether it’s sales, marketing, or IT—design decisions that work for one team can create friction for another. Lack of coordination can cause competing agendas, which derails collaboration.
So, while frameworks like HCD and Agile are powerful, they only work when the organization truly commits to listening and acting on input from those on the front lines.
Why Shared Governance Matters for Sales Teams
Sales teams are the lifeblood of any company. They’re out there interacting with prospects, handling objections, and closing deals. And yet, despite being closest to the customer, sales reps are often excluded from major strategic decisions.
Here’s the paradox: Sales leadership develops strategies, quotas, and tools, but it’s the reps who know what’s working on the ground. Excluding them from the decision-making process is like asking a sports team to play a game without involving the players in the game plan.
The numbers back this up. A Salesforce survey found that 57% of sales reps expect to miss their quota if they’re using tools that aren’t designed with their input.
How Shared Governance Drives Results
Smarter Sales Strategy: Sales reps have first-hand knowledge of customer pain points, buying behaviors, and what’s happening in the market. By involving them in decision-making, companies can create more effective sales strategies. This kind of insight drives better outcomes: Companies with inclusive decision-making processes are 1.7 times more likely to be leaders in innovation, according to Harvard Business Review.
Higher Tool Adoption Rates: We’ve all seen it happen: A company invests in a new CRM or sales tool, but adoption flops. When reps have a say in selecting or shaping these tools, they’re far more likely to use them effectively. Research from CSO Insights shows that companies with high CRM adoption see 18% higher win rates than those with poor adoption.
Agility in a Changing Market: The sales landscape changes constantly. Customer preferences shift, competitors enter the market, and new trends emerge. Sales reps are the first to spot these changes. When they’re part of shared governance, they can offer real-time feedback, allowing the company to pivot faster. According to Bain & Company, companies that are highly agile and responsive grow revenue 37% faster than their less agile counterparts.
Improved Cross-Department Collaboration: Sales teams often work in silos, but shared governance breaks these barriers. By encouraging collaboration across departments, you get more aligned decision-making and smoother execution. A study by Clear Company found that 86% of employees and executives cite the lack of collaboration as the top reason for failures in business.
Higher Retention and Job Satisfaction: When sales reps feel heard and valued, they’re more engaged and less likely to leave. Gallup data shows that companies with high employee engagement see 59% less turnover. Retaining top sales talent is crucial, especially since the cost of losing a single sales rep can be as high as 200% of their annual salary, according to the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM).
Breaking Down Barriers in Traditional Sales Organizations
Most sales organizations are built around a strict hierarchy. Sales managers set the strategy, while individual contributors execute. But this top-down model is outdated.
It’s like running a sports team where the coach makes all the decisions but ignores feedback from the players on the field.
If sales reps aren’t involved in the strategy, you’re missing out on the practical insights they gain from daily interactions with customers. And the numbers prove that involvement pays off: 64% of employees say that having a voice in company decisions improves their productivity.
How to Foster Shared Governance in Sales
Start Small: Don’t overhaul the whole system at once. Begin by involving sales reps in tactical decisions—like choosing a tool or refining a process. Show them their feedback matters by taking action and giving credit where it’s due.
Structured Feedback Channels: Create consistent, structured ways for reps to provide input. Whether through regular meetings, surveys, or cross-functional committees, make it easy for reps to contribute and feel heard.
Provide Context and Education: For sales reps to give meaningful input, they need context. Provide training on broader company goals, financials, and market strategy so their insights align with the big picture.
Celebrate Wins: When feedback leads to a positive change, make sure it’s recognized publicly. This reinforces the value of shared governance and motivates others to get involved.
Hold Leadership Accountable: Ensure that sales leaders are committed to the process. If leadership ignores feedback or fails to act on it, the whole process falls apart.
The Bottom Line: The ROI of Listening to Your Sales Team
Shared governance doesn’t just create a happier, more engaged sales force—it drives tangible business results.
Salespeople who feel empowered close more deals, stay longer, and adapt more readily to change. And they perform better: 41% of employees at companies that promote collaborative decision-making say they’re more likely to innovate, according to the Institute for Corporate Productivity.
In today’s market, where agility, innovation, and adaptability are key, companies that involve their sales teams in decision-making will be the ones that thrive.
Can you afford not to?
