Céline has been regional sales director for five months at a 250-employee tech company. A former star salesperson, promoted on the strength of exceptional individual results, she now manages a team of 12 salespeople. At a quarterly meeting, leadership announces the next quarter's target: 40% revenue growth for her region, set without any consultation of the field teams.

Céline knows her market is mature and that a competitor has just launched a rival product, but she says nothing, unsure how to challenge a target with leadership without looking like she lacks ambition. The next day, she passes the target on to her team with visible discomfort: "I know it's high, but that's what leadership wants. Do your best." No strategy, no additional resources, no co-built plan.

By the end of the quarter, the team hits 22% growth — a remarkable result in a tough market, but well short of the target. Céline is called in and held responsible for the "failure," unable to explain why she never pushed back on the original target. Three salespeople who exceeded their individual targets consider leaving, concluding their effort isn't recognized.

💬 The Eskalon moment

Right after the leadership meeting, Céline could have asked Eskalon: "I've just been given a 40% growth target. I think it's very ambitious given my market, but I don't know how to challenge this target without looking like I lack ambition. How do I prepare for this conversation?" The answer first helps her build a feasibility analysis from data she already has: historical growth, competitive intelligence, current pipeline — presented as an objective basis for discussion rather than personal resistance.

Whether the target stays as is or gets renegotiated, Eskalon then gives her a template to co-build a quarterly plan with her team: growth opportunities by territory, monthly milestones, resources needed identified together with the team itself.

The impact of this approach is twofold. With her leadership, Céline shows up with data instead of silence followed by underperformance. With her team, the target — realistic or ambitious — becomes a shared project instead of an order passed down without conviction. The three salespeople who were considering leaving stay, not because the target changed, but because they finally feel involved in how to reach it.