Are you a Manager or a Leader?
By · CommentsThis January, I’m featuring the topic ‘leadership’. Why? Because it’s one of the biggest real estate industry trends (and probably world trends) of 2012 and beyond. Look for leadership strategies and trends (not just in the real estate industry), plus ready-to-use documents to go from ‘maintenance management’ to leadership. And, check out my complimentary webinar on Jan. 30 on leadership, trends, and what you should do about it! See more at the end of this blog.
Are you a manager or a leader?
In truth, if you’re managing day to day, you hopefully are both. Why? Because there are normal, repetitive things you need to do as a manager, and there are those bold, new, innovative steps you need to take to move your office forward. Here’s my quick definition of management:
Management: Managing the day-to-day tasks of a real estate office
Leadership: Creating the vision, values, and strategic ‘moves’ that move an organization from maintenance to vision-attainment
To further define the differences, let’s look at what I call ‘maintenace’ management:
Maintenance Management: Doing the day-to-day tasks that keep an organization operational; a tactical approach; a somewhat defensive approach
How do you know if you’re a maintenance manager or, if you’re doing some leadership actions?
It’s not easy. Everyone talks about leadership, but has trouble identifying leaders. In fact, one company owner I worked for has been called a ‘visionary leader’. From working closely with him for many years, I know him to be a very tactical thinker. There’s nothing wrong with tactical thinking, when it’s appropriate. But, without a strong vision, and the true leadership activities that relate to and move the organization to that vision, you’re just maintaining the stability of the company.
Why Visionary Leadership is Important
When I worked for this tactical owner, I could see he didn’t have a real core reason for what he was doing. He just copied other owners in his brain-storming group. So, we were constantly changing course, trying new things without logic, and wasting money and talent going down too many paths at once. In addition, we would start a new project seemingly every week, and none got defined, refined, measured, and retooled. It was very frustrating to see some good ideas not developed! To compound the errors, people let him to believe that all these disparate, poorly-developed tactics were effective (just feeding his ego.)
Does this ring some bells with you?
In my next blog, I’ll show you a contrast between the activities a maintenance manager does and what a leader does.
Exercise: Write down 3 ‘moves’ you made last year that were new to you, that took you out of your comfort zone and moved your company ahead. My question: Were these strategies related to fulfilling your vision, or, were they done just because you wanted to do them or heard someone else had success with them?
Complimentary Leadership/Management Webinar
Join me on Jan. 30, from 1-2 PM PST for Leverage the Top Trends for Profits in 2012. We will explore the top real estate business trends for 2012 and beyond–and I will provide you specific strategies to not only manage to those trends, but to thrive because of them. This is a complimentary webinar. Space is limited, so register today.
Jan. 30
Time: 1-2 PM PST
To register: https://www3.gotomeeting.com/register/306755846
The Changing Face of Real Estate Leadership
By · CommentsThis January, I’m featuring the topic ‘leadership’. Why? Because it’s one of the biggest real estate industry trends (and probably world trends) of 2012 and beyond. Look for leadership strategies and trends (not just in the real estate industry), plus ready-to-use documents to go from ‘maintenance management’ to leadership. And, check out my complimentary webinar on Jan. 30 on leadership, trends, and what you should do about it! See more at the end of this blog.
Check at the end of these blogs for those ready-to-use documents and checklists to put these ideas to work.
The guidelines of effective leadership have changed dramatically in the last thirty years. Top-down decision-making is out; participative leadership is in. Having no standards is out; standards-driven leadership is in. Everyone doing their own thing is out; mutual accountability and teamwork is in. Yet, as I look at real estate offices nationally, I see most leaders still leading as though it was 1970—or earlier.
In fact, a new book by Morris and Murray, Game Plan: How Real Estate Professionals Can Thrive in Uncertain Times, names Need for Leadership as one of the trends for 2012 and beyond. Get this book. You’ll find some trends predictable–but some are not.
Compare and contrast. Let’s look at four principles of effective leadership today. These principles have been proven effective again and again by huge companies internationally. They should be embraced by the real estate industry, which badly needs effective leadership in this challenging time:
- Vision-lead: Few companies have an articulated vision that’s shared by all in the company. Fewer yet have leaders who have the fortitude to ‘do the right thing’ (as stated in their vision), even if it means turning down a deal.
Example: When is the last time you saw a manager fire a top producer who acted unethically? How do managers treat customer complaints—especially if it’s against a top producer? (Ask agents if they feel managers unfairly favor the top producers. Boy, will you get an earful!) In too many cases, the ‘leader’ isn’t leading. The big loser long term: The company, because agents are de-motivated when they feel there is not a level playing field, and consumers will seek out new companies if they feel their complaints are not handled seriously. (read Built to Last: Successful Habits of Visionary Companies, Porras and Collins, for stunning examples of vision-integrated companies.)
- Everyone is involved in the decisions: This is participative leadership, and it’s the leadership style that is best suited to our real estate industry. After all, with independent contractors, we need strong organizational structures to pull people together. What percent of real estate companies have effective leadership councils, one of the attributes of participative leadership? In my teaching, I’ve found about 2%. What this means it that the vast majority of agents don’t feel it’s ‘their company’, they don’t feel empowered, and they aren’t very loyal. I will be writing blogs about participative leadership in January, so watch for them.
Leaders will be those who empower others. Empowering leadership means
bringing out the energy and capabilities people have and getting them to work
together in a way they wouldn’t do otherwise.
—Bill Gates, fellow Washingtonian, founder of Microsoft
As you read articles and books on leadership, you will find every successful company today has turned its hierarchical leadership upside down and/or flattened it to become inclusive, participative, and as some people term it– ‘spiderweb’. (read The Female Advantage, Sally Helgesen).
3. Standards-driven: During my presentation at a recent National Association of Realtors’ Convention, I asked attendees if they had productivity standards (minimum expectations) in their companies. Out of 200 attendees, three raised their hands. No wonder agents don’t believe they must be ‘on the team’, pulling their own weight in production.
In a recent study by The Ripple Effective of Negativity Leadership IQ, 87% of the 70,305 executives, managers, and employees interviewed said working with a slacker actually made them want to change jobs; 93% said it hampered their development or decreased their productivity. So, without standards, real estate leaders are de-motivating their good performers!
Here’s what Roy Disney says about effective leadership, from the New Leadership Paradigm:
Leadership is the ability to establish standards and manage a creative climate where people are self-motivated toward the mastery of long-term constructive goals in a participatory environment of mutual respect compatible with personal values.
4. Mutual accountability: Creating a participative environment suggests that everyone must be accountable to their goals. It’s just amazing that managers are frustrated by agents’ lack of business plans and accountability. Yet, as I coach managers, I find that many in each organization don’t feel they need to be accountable to their recruiting goals. (In fact, only about 2% have written recruiting plans!). In addition, owners have not hired and coached them to standards, so the managers just want to ‘leave that part out’!
What is the result of this leadership paradigm switch? A real team, a team with a common goal. Why is it in the real estate industry’s best interests to adapt to this participative leadership style? To preserve the industry, maintain commissions, add ‘pride in belonging’ back to the real estate company, and, most important of all, put the consumer first, where he belongs!
Do you have the attributes of a ‘change leader’? Click here.
In an earlier post, I talked about the 3 things change leaders do to impact the industry. See how you stack up here.
Complimentary Leadership/Management Webinar
Join me on Jan. 30, from 1-2 PM PST for Leverage the Top Trends for Profits in 2012. We will explore the top real estate business trends for 2012 and beyond–and I will provide you specific strategies to not only manage to those trends, but to thrive because of them. This is a complimentary webinar. Space is limited, so register today.
Jan. 30
Time: 1-2 PM PST
To register: https://www3.gotomeeting.com/register/306755846
Leading with these 4 ‘change leadership’ attributes assures a future, thriving business.
This January, I’m featuring the topic ‘leadership’. Why? Because it’s one of the biggest real estate industry trends (and probably world trends) of 2012 and beyond. Look for leadership strategies and trends (not just in the real estate industry), plus ready-to-use documents to go from ‘maintenance management’ to leadership. And, check out my complimentary webinar on Jan. 30 on leadership, trends, and what you should do about it! See more at the end of this blog.
Check at the end of these blogs for those ready-to-use documents and checklists to put these ideas to work.
Look Outside our Industry for Leadership Examples
No one in the real estate industry would argue that we’re in turbulent, changing times. In this climate, many real estate owners and managers are looking to others inside the industry for the “answers”. Unfortunately, in times of great change, this may not be the best place to look for smart business moves that ensure a bright future. Instead, it may be more valuable to look outside our industry for adaptable strategies. Not only must we look for these strategies, we must identify the kind of leaders who have the personal initiative, commitment, and courage to lead the change–and, perhaps in some cases, the charge.
The leaders, the strategies, and the real estate examples. I decided to do just that–look outside the industry for leadership examples. I found several commonalities. Then, I related these leadership actions to real estate and found examples of that leadership in the industry.
Proven ‘Change Leadership’ Strategies
Here are three of the most important strategies that are assuring long-term profitability–and stability–in businesses. These strategies solve many of the critical problems in our industry, including low customer satisfaction levels, management disillusionment, and lack of common focus. Bottom line, these strategies have been proven to deliver long-term, unassailable profits through change:
1. Leading from your vision.Businesses today have found that It’s not enough to strive only for profits. Today, to be profitable, the values of the firm and its real purpose must guide business decisions. According to a recent study, firms who had a firmly company-held vision earned twelve times the profits of other companies! (Nordstrom was one). This means, for many real estate companies, it’s time to look at the behaviors of the “team” members and ask whether these behaviors reflect the values the firm says it has.
Disparities? If there’s a difference between stated values and real behaviors, change leaders must have the fortitude (that’s guts, in real language) to do something about it. Why? Leading with your values allows a company to project the kind of image the consumer trusts–and the agent values most highly. That’s money in the bank for recruitment and customer retention.
The new book, Game Plan: How Real Estate Professionals Can Thrive in Uncertain Times , names leadership as one of the huge trends for 2012 and beyond. The authors, Ian Morris and Steve Murray, urge real estate leadership to lead from vision–from their recruiting to their retention practices.
2. Getting everyone in the firm “into management.” Businesses internationally are switching their management styles from autocratic to participative. They know that, with the radically-different profile of today’s worker, the old “my way or the highway” just doesn’t work (and neither does the ‘leave them alone’ school). The most successful businesses have created structures to share accountability and rewards. Real estate companies have been struggling with adversarial relationships which result in a tug-a-war on commission dollars. The answer lies in mutual accountability and sharing the management decisions. When all involved are focused on mutual goals, everyone profits. Change leaders must be willing to go through the challenging process of a management paradigm switch–from autocratic to participative. The pay-offs are in the ability to recruit real winners, and retain proven producers.
3. Marketing paradigm switch: From getting new business to keeping old business. Businesses internationally have discovered that chasing new business is a way to spend money they don’t have. To maximize marketing dollars, they’ve developed programs to keep the customer enthusiastically happy for a long-term, mutually-productive relationships. Real estate agencies need to switch their emphasis from getting, getting, getting, to keeping, keeping, keeping. This means more mutual profits, better customer satisfaction, and a more pleasant consumer-agent relationship.
We Realtors wish our theme song were “On A Clear Day, You Can See Forever”. In truth, our approach today must be closer to “Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On”. Applying change leadership in this turbulent, “shakin’” climate while adapting proven innovative strategies to our business assures we lead the industry through change with confidence and success.
Want to know more about change leadership? See this blog.
Do you have the attributes and actions of a ‘change leader’? Take the questionnaire I created for you. Click here.
Complimentary Leadership/Management Webinar
Join me on Jan. 30, from 1-2 PM PST for Leverage the Top Trends for Profits in 2012. We will explore the top real estate business trends for 2012 and beyond–and I will provide you specific strategies to not only manage to those trends, but to thrive because of them. This is a complimentary webinar. Space is limited, so register today.
Jan. 30
Time: 1-2 PM PST
To register: https://www3.gotomeeting.com/register/306755846
Are You a ‘Change’ Leader?
By · CommentsThis January, I’m featuring the topic ‘leadership’. Why? Because it’s one of the biggest real estate industry trends (and probably world trends) of 2012 and beyond. Look for leadership strategies and trends (not just in the real estate industry), plus ready-to-use documents to go from ‘maintenance management’ to leadership. And, check out my complimentary webinar on Jan. 30 on leadership, trends, and what you should do about it! See more at the end of this blog.
Check at the end of these blogs for those ready-to-use documents and checklists to put these ideas to work.
Leadership: It’s REALLY Big for 2012
According to authors Ian Morris and Steve Murray, leadership is one of the big trends of 2012 and beyond. In fact, to read their take on 10 big trends, grab Game Plan: How Real Estate Professionals Can Thrive in Uncertain Times . In fact, I think leadership is in such a crisis state (think companies, politics, families, etc.) that I created a 12-part subscription series for real estate owners, managers, and team builders. In 365 Leadership, I provide one new leadership strategy per month, with everything subscribers need to put that strategy right to work (low or no cost and workable for the 5 person or the 500 person office). I know how difficult it is to go from maintenance to leadership (and especially so, because the majority of managers and owners now also sell!). So, I want to make it as easy as possible to step into effective leadership.
Needed today: A Special Kind of Leader
I think we would all agree that leadership is desperately needed in the real estate industry. I read a book several years ago titled Sacred Cows Make the Best Burgers (I also highly recommend it). In it, authors Kriegel and Brandt show why people resist change, and the kind of leadership it takes to move people off dead-center into new actions. Isn’t that what’s needed in business today? Not ‘maintenance management’ but leadership. (I’ll write more about the differences in another blog). The authors introduced the concept of a ‘change leader’. So, what’s a ‘change leader’?
An individual who leads initiatives that influence others to perform differently–and better.
If you’re an owner or general manager, you need this ‘change manager’ in your organization. If you’re an agent, you’ll want to look for a ‘change leader’ to help you adjust to the rapidly changing real estate industry. How would you identify one? Find a leader who leads the way great leaders of businesses internationally today are leading.
Change Leader Attributes
Commitment to a better way
Personal initiative to go beyond defined boundaries
Stay undercover (stay close to the everyday business)
Sense of humor
Courage to challenge existing power bases
Motivate themselves and others
Care about how people are treated and enabled to perform
Change leaders believe in:
Tough standards of performance
Joint accountability
Democratic principles to tap creative power
Even though the real estate industry cries for ingenuity and creativity, compared to other businesses, it has been slow to change the way it does business. Allowing ‘change leaders’ to come forward and thrive is vital for the very existence of our industry–and, of course, vital for a bright future.
In my next blogs, I’ll be talking about how to implement these attributes of change leadership.
Do you have the attributes and actions of a ‘change leader’? Take the questionnaire I created for you. Click here.
Complimentary Leadership/Management Webinar
join me on Jan. 30, from 1-2 PM PST for Leverage the Top Trends for Profits in 2012. We will explore the top real estate business trends for 2012 and beyond–and I will provide you specific strategies to not only manage to those trends, but to thrive because of them. This is a complimentary webinar. Space is limited, so register today.
Jan. 30
Time: 1-2 PM PST
To register: https://www3.gotomeeting.com/register/306755846
Do You Have a Job Description for your Agents?
By · Comments 
Do you have a job description for your agents? Most agents tell me they did not receive a job description when they started in the business (or in the interview). If not, why not? In my last blog, I discussed the fallacy that agents should start out as ‘independent’ business people. Now, I don’t mean they shouldn’t take responsibility for their actions and success. I mean that we shouldn’t abdicate our responsibility to teach, train, and coach them so they become great salespeople (so they can become independnet). Besides not having skills they need to succeed, they usually don’t even know what the job is!
Poor Job Descriptions Abound
As I teach management courses nationally, and speak nationally, I see many examples of poorly thought-out job descriptions and activity plans. What do you think is a poor job description? Take a look here. 
( a preview is to the right).
Why do you think I regard it as a poor job description? It’s not:
Prioritized
Some of the activities don’t result in success
My conclusion: This job description was written by an academic who had never been successful in real estate!
Abdicating our Leadership Responsibilities
Part of that abdication of management responsibility, I believe, is not providing a prioritized job description to your agents. Notice I said ‘prioritized’. Which activities should the agent start with? Which are important to be successful? Which are less important?
Before I share my job description with you, please write the job description you believe is the one you expect agents to follow.
When do you share that job description? In the interview? I hope so.
My Prioritized Job Description
Now, take a look at the prioritized job description I developed as a foundation for the new agent’s start-up plan, Up and Running in 30 Days. How does yours differ? What does your job description say about what you think is important? Are you gaining as much success for your new agents as you should? What does your job description and start-up plan have to do with those results?
For a printable copy, click here.
Get that job description refined. Talk to some of your agents to assure it’s the job description that reflects how you hire, train, and retain. Start using it in your interviews. Now, you’re getting much more effective and efficient.
If you’re a busy owner or manager, you’re probably wondering how you possibly implement the leadership you know it takes today to move your company forward. I’ve got the answer. Once a month, I’ll share a new leadership strategy–a strategy you can instantly implement in your company to motivate, energize, and help your agents be more productive (plus, these are great recruiting tools). Take a look at 365 Leadership.
For just $39.95 per month, you’ll get that strategy/action plan, an instructional webinar, a coaching tele-conference call, and all the ready-to-use documents you need to make that strategy a reality. Our new session starts in January, 2012. Don’t worry: You can join through March and get any sessions you may have missed. And, you will have access to all the completed sessions any time you want to view or review them. Check out 365 Leadership today. Let me share with you the specific, creative strategies I used to rebuild 2 real estate offices into exceptional profits.
Perhaps you went into real estate because you wanted to be independent. You wanted to be your own boss–name your own hours–work at your own speed. You’re probably hiring agents right now with the same reasons for going into real estate. Not so fast! Even though real estate is considered to be a career where ‘you’re in business for yourself”, taking that thought too far can result in failure: Failure for both you as a manager and your agents.
Why? Because there are many skills required in this business that people new to it just don’t have. Yet, we help them believe that all they have to do is to start in this business and go to our training. They will be successful. Then, when they start failing, they can’t figure out why. In this blog I’ll name 3 qualities and skills your agents need to develop fast. My question to you is: How are you going to help them develop them?
Skill # 1; Time management
Most people go into real estate from a field that required them to show up on time, do specific work, and work for at least eight hours. If they didn’t fulfil the minimum requirements of the job, they were fired. Understandably, many people don’t like to work under those strictures. So, they go into real estate where they can name their own hours, work at their own speed, etc. etc. The problem is, with many, that they don’t understand that working at their own speed many be working at a failure speed.
My question: What program do you have to teach them time management skills, monitor their development, and hold them accountable to a good schedule?
Skill # 2; Being accountable to a plan
When I was regional director for a very large international franchise company, I found, as I screened them, most potential owners and managers had never had anyone hold them accountable. In fact, there was a negative feeling about being held accountable. When you have a ‘boss’, you are accountable to that work plan and to your boss. In real estate, we’re so careful not to step over the boundaries of the independent contractor concept, we rarely hold anyone accountable to anything. The result: Most people never know what the job really is, and whether they are on track to attain their goals.
My question to you is: How are you going to help someone be accountable for their own success and be willing to be coached?
Skill #3: Implement a plan of action.
It is just amazing to me the kablooey plans of action out there. In another blog, I’ll show you why most of them lead to an agent’s failure. Most of the time, in fact, an agent isn’t provided a plan of action. He/she is just told suggestions or 50 ways to do something. The result: The agent has no idea how to prioritize activities and proceed. He has no idea whether what he is doing every day actually is leading him toward a goal.
My question to you is: Do you provide a prioritized plan of action, introduced in the interview, and use that plan of action to coach your agent in executing a successful real estate business?
So, after I’ve given you 3 skills agents need to succeed, what do you think? Is real estate an ‘independent’ or dependent business? I believe it needs to be a ‘dependent’ business at the beginning. That is, I coach the new agent as he/she starts his/her business. I am the leader. The new agent is the follower (or the struggling agent). There is the dependence. Once the agent ‘has it’, I step back, and become more of a consultant.
If you haven’t read the great book, Outliers, get it and read it now. One of the great lessons in the book is that no one succeeds alone. In later blogs, we’ll talk about the ‘community’ it takes to help someone be successful today.
Give me your feedback on the ‘independent’ or ‘dependent’ concept. What do you think?
Why not let me support you with your agents? Take a look at my blog for agents, Up and Running in 30 Days. I’ll motivate them, inform them, and support your point of view. Sign them up today.
If you’re a busy owner or manager, you’re probably wondering how you possibly implement the leadership you know it takes today to move your company forward. I’ve got the answer. Once a month, I’ll share a new leadership strategy–a strategy you can instantly implement in your company to motivate, energize, and help your agents be more productive (plus, these are great recruiting tools). Take a look at 365 Leadership.
For just $39.95 per month, you’ll get that strategy/action plan, an instructional webinar, a coaching tele-conference call, and all the ready-to-use documents you need to make that strategy a reality. Our new session starts in January, 2012. Don’t worry: You can join through March and get any sessions you may have missed. And, you will have access to all the completed sessions any time you want to view or review them. Check out 365 Leadership today. Let me share with you the specific, creative strategies I used to rebuild 2 real estate offices into exceptional profits.
Why Your New Agents Shouldn’t Make Business Plans
By · CommentsI once coached a manager who proudly told me that she helped all her new agents plan out 5 years. Unfortunately, though, 90% of those new agents failed in their first 6 months in the business! I started wondering why she was so fixated in helping them do long-term planning, when they couldn’t make it through their first days in the business?
Don’t Take Your New Agents Through the ‘Full-Blown’ Business Planning Process
Your new agents’ problem isn’t that they don’t know where they’ll be in five years. Their problem is that they don’t know where they’ll be–and why they’ll be there–in 5 minutes…….
Instead of spending hours in dreamland with your new agents on that vision and mission, do what needs to be done and help them craft a business start-up plan. In other words, start at the beginning of their career, and help them build a step-by-step action plan to get a sale fast. At the same time, show them how this plan fits into the bigger picture.
Failure Isn’t Predicated on Lack of the ‘Seasoned’ Business Plan
New agents come into the business, excited because they are ‘in business now for themselves’. They don’t have a “boss”. They can organize their time. They look forward to lots of ‘free time’. What a dream world! Worse yet, they don’t know how to start the business! (Who would?) So, they fill the time with what comes easily. Most of us are afraid of rejection, and fear what will happen if we talk to human beings and ask them to buy real estate from us. So, we stay away from those activities that invite rejection. We gravitate toward ‘safe’ activities, such as:
- get organized–all day
- attend classes–all day
- preview properties–all week
- observe others–all week
- do research and follow-up
A friend of mine observes that they seem to be “getting ready to get ready”.
The very dangerous thing about agents creating a daily plan without good business-start-up principles, is that they create habits of failure. In effect, they created their own start-up plan—one that assures low production.
Evaluate Your Plan for your New Agents
Why not rate your plan now to see which path you are putting your new agents on? Simply add up the number of hours you’re having them spend in the activities above. Now, add up the sales producing activities (lead generation, showings, listing presentations, sales, and listings gained). Which of the categories has the larger time block? What does that tell you about the job description you have created? Is it a job description that leads to sales?
Attributes of an Effective Business Start-up System
So, then, what is an effective business start-up plan? And, what else do you need? An effective business start-up plan has these attributes:
1. An organized activity schedule that has certain activities prioritized first, so agents can manage your time effectively—throughout your career
2. A schedule that has certain activities scheduled secondarily—and why—so they don’t teach themselves to be failed agents
3. A road-map for a continuing plan, so you can continue growing your business to the next level. (These are all attributes of Up and Running in 30 Days, the new agent’s business start-up plan).
The plan must be integrated with training and coaching. But, that’s not all you need. You need integrated programs with a skilled coaching professional to help agents implement. You need a cohesive system of development.
When are agents ready to ‘graduate’ to the whole ‘seasoned’ business planning process? Generally, when they have completed 8-12 transactions in a year. Until that time, they don’t have the steady work habits, and the history to review their businesses and make decisions about changes or additions in their careers.
New Business Planning Program for Managers
Do you find it difficult to get your agents to plan? Do you put off doing your office plan? Here’s your solution. This all-new program does several things for you:
2 webinars teach your agents how to plan using Carla’s strategic planning system
14 planning documents are included to guide your agents right through the planning process
3 webinars for you:
1. How to Create a Great Office Plan
Included: 22 office planning documents to make it easy for you to stay on track and create a great plan
2. How to Convince your Agents to Plan
3. How to Integrate your Office and Agents’ Plans
Also: Hundreds of dollars of bonuses included. See more at Come See 2012: Beyond the Basics of Business Planning. Why not build a great office plan and get every agent a real strategic plan–one that’s inspirational all year?
In December, I’m doing business planning in this blog and my blog for agents, Up and Running in 30 Days. Check back for free processes, checklists, and guidance.
Do you have action plans for each of your specific action areas built into your business plan?
So often, our business plans are ‘big picture’. It’s lovely, it’s inspirational–and it’s utterly not useful to our everyday practice! For a business plan to work, it has to have the ‘big picture’ parts (vision, review, mission, objectives) AND the action plan parts–those things you really intend to do each day and week. These are the actions that result in reaching your monthly and yearly goals.
What Action Plans do Leaders Need?
Here’s a graphic from Business Planning for the Owner, Manager, and Team Leader. You can see the specific action areas I think you need in your business plan. I made these divisions so that you actually could create action plans that had relevance to what you do every day. And, accomplishing actions in these areas assures you are taking daily steps to reach your goals.
Action Plans Must Relate to Your Goals
Too often, when we get to the weekly and daily tasks, the actions that effect our bottom line just don’t happen.
For example: You’ll see that recruiting plans are one area of our action plans. But, life gets in the way and we just don’t recruit. So, to assure you do the actions you KNOW will result in greater productivity and profits, use these divisions and make your specific plans. In my business planning systems, I’ve made detailed, fill-in forms that assure you think through and make action plans for each of these areas–action plans you can rely on. Otherwise, my experience shows that brokers just don’t get to the details of action planning.
Click here to get a copy of these action plan areas.
New Business Planning Program for Managers
Do you find it difficult to get your agents to plan? Do you put off doing your office plan? Here’s your solution. This all-new program does several things for you:
2 webinars teach your agents how to plan using Carla’s strategic planning system
14 planning documents are included to guide your agents right through the planning process
3 webinars for you:
1. How to Create a Great Office Plan
Included: 22 office planning documents to make it easy for you to stay on track and create a great plan
2. How to Convince your Agents to Plan
3. How to Integrate your Office and Agents’ Plans
Also: Hundreds of dollars of bonuses included. See more at Come See 2012: Beyond the Basics of Business Planning. Why not build a great office plan and get every agent a real strategic plan–one that’s inspirational all year?
In December, I’m doing business planning in this blog and my blog for agents, Up and Running in 30 Days. Check back for free processes, checklists, and guidance.
Do you have systems needs built into your business plan?
I am just finishing the 4th edition of Up and Running in 30 Days, the new agent’s business start-up plan. I wanted to update it with the systems and technology I thought the new agent needed. After spending many hours researching and talking to tech ‘gurus’ and thinking through the systems agents need in their first month, my head is spinning! I know you have the same concerns as a broker. So, you need a systems plan in your business plan, just as I put a technology and social media planner in my8 4th edition of Up and Running in 30 Days (4th edition will be out about April).
People Systems are as Important as Software Systems
One of the mistakes we brokers make is to think all our problems will be solved if we just get everything ‘automated’ with technology. Well, let me tell you, it’s hard to automate people! Yet, we need people systems so we can be sure no one falls through the cracks. We need to assess our systems to assure each agent, at each stage of his/her development, is worked with. Otherwise, we fail to meet our segmented agents’ needs.
For example: We may have wonderful seasoned agent training. But, we hire new agents with no orientation and no detailed, high accountability training and coaching. So, we have a huge failure rate with our new agents. Sound familiar?
Click here to get your copy of my systems survey and planner.
Use the planner to access your needs and then create an action plan for those needs in your 2012 business plan. Now, you’re on your way to saving time, money, and having systems you can delegate to free up your time.
New Business Planning Program for Managers
Do you find it difficult to get your agents to plan? Do you put off doing your office plan? Here’s your solution. This all-new program does several things for you:
2 webinars teach your agents how to plan using Carla’s strategic planning system
14 planning documents are included to guide your agents right through the planning process
3 webinars for you:
1. How to Create a Great Office Plan
Included: 22 office planning documents to make it easy for you to stay on track and create a great plan
2. How to Convince your Agents to Plan
3. How to Integrate your Office and Agents’ Plans
Also: Hundreds of dollars of bonuses included. See more at Come See 2012: Beyond the Basics of Business Planning. Why not build a great office plan and get every agent a real strategic plan–one that’s inspirational all year?
The Rest of those Critical Parts of your Business Plan
By · CommentsIn December, I’m doing blogs on business planning. Check often for complimentary forms and training.
Do you have a business plan for next year? Is it in a format that I could actually follow if you delegated running the company to me? I doubt over 5% of the brokers could answer that question ‘yes’. Yet, we all talk about the importance of a business plan. In my earlier blog, I discussed points 1-5. Here are next five of ten critical points you must have in your business plan to make it a plan that actually works for you, not just a thesis that looks important on the shelf!
6. Create a robust recruiting plan.
Create a recruiting plan that you can actually follow! I mentioned having a plan for each of the focused areas above, and I mention recruiting again because so few managers have defined, easy to follow recruiting plans. No wonder they put off recruiting because they’re ‘too busy’! Yet, consistent, tenacious recruiting is the basis for profitability.
7. Don’t stop at the goals; get to the activities.
Break down the goals into activities and measure the activities. For example, break down recruiting results to numbers of recruiting calls, appointments, and hires. Then, you can analyze your time management and optimize your time.
Click here for a checklist of what you need in your recruiting strategy.
8. Put deadlines to all your action plans to hold yourself accountable.
Put deadline dates in your activities and put them on your calendar. It’s what you do every day that has a relationship to the results you said you wanted. A mistake brokers make is that their daily schedules have no relationship to their stated goals! They’re too busy in ‘crisis management’ to do the things critical to their success: recruiting, selecting, and training.
9. Assign people to carry out your plan.
Put the names of the people who will carry out the activities, so you know to whom you will delegate. For example, a recruiting postcard campaign can be delegated to a company, a member of your staff, or a mail outsource. Put down who these entities will be, so you can actually use this plan to delegate the activities. It will save you so much time and clarify to your staff exactly what you want.
10. Use a proven system to write your plan.
Use an organized process and system to write your plan. The ‘plans’ I have seen aren’t really ‘plans’—they’re just a small portion of a plan. The most important part of planning is the thinking part. Find a great system that teaches you how to think through your plan. There’s nothing more important to your business than profitability—and thinking through your plan before you launch your actions assures profits.
As Dwight D. Eisenhower said,
Planning is everything. The plan is nothing.
Do you find it difficult to get your agents to plan? Do you put off doing your office plan? Here’s your solution. This all-new program does several things for you:
2 webinars teach your agents how to plan using Carla’s strategic planning system
14 planning documents are included to guide your agents right through the planning process
3 webinars for you:
1. How to Create a Great Office Plan
Included: 22 office planning documents to make it easy for you to stay on track and create a great plan
2. How to Convince your Agents to Plan
3. How to Integrate your Office and Agents’ Plans
Also: Hundreds of dollars of bonuses included. See more at Come See 2012: Beyond the Basics of Business Planning. Why not build a great office plan and get every agent a real strategic plan–one that’s inspirational all year?