Archive for Real Estate
Do You Have a Group or a Team?
Posted by: | CommentsThis January and February, 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 recorded webinar for leadership. See more below, too.
A Group is Not a Team
So, you’ve got a group of people together in an office. They’re a team, right? Wrong. Until the leader orchestrates teaming, the group is just a group. Can’t associates start teams without the support of the manager? Sure, but the leader (who, I assume thinks he/she is the leader) can’t be assured that the team is going in the direction that’s best for everyone. (Prima donnas, anyone?) Reminds me of the saying, “Where are they going? How many of them were there? I must find them. I’m their leader….”
When a group of musicians gathers to play together, we first have to decide where we’re going–the tune we’ll play. We must decide what key it will be in, and what rhythm we’ll use. To make these decisions, we find ourselves starting to cooperate and compromise, to share the talents of each player. I’ve played in musical groups that obviously weren’t teaming–just getting through the tune. That’s no fun, and actually takes more energy than it’s worth. I’ve played in other groups that were so attuned to each other, that it the joy in creating became so infectious that we all played better than we knew we could. That’s when a team starts happening.
Creating Team Synergy
Without the synergy of the team feeling in an office, agents (and manager) spend too much energy just fighting to stay in business. Managers spend too much time with crisis management, constantly handling internal and external conflict. Working together toward common, inspiring goals, crisis management shrinks, while inspiring leadership blossoms. With teaming, agents and manager perform to higher standards than they thought they could. With consumer expectations so high today, it’s much safer, and a better way to reduce risk, to orchestrate methods where agents are working together for the best interests of the consumer. That takes teaming.
Taking another look at ‘teams’ in the real estate office. There are three reasons why the industry should redefine teams–and use them:
1. The public is pressuring real estate companies to be accountable to them. When they call a manager, they want to know “who is supervising that agent?” Risks could be reduced greatly by agents working more closely together for the good of the consumer–and much more return business, at low cost, could be generated.
2. The industry is changing too quickly for managers or agents to keep up ‘on their own’. Too much information too fast– on our own, we simply can’t process and prioritize this information sufficiently well to compete in the future. Agents who have been extremely independent are finding out that the isolation they thought they treasured is leaving them behind the learning curve.
3. The business world internationally is using new combinations of teams to manage their new work force–the values of Generation X and Y. With more workers staying home to work, or working in a ‘mobile office, the most successful businesses in the world are finding that innovative teams solve the problems of ‘culturizing’ and sharing vision. As real estate offices hire more of these people, they must change their management strategies to fit the style of the Generation X and Yers, who value education, information, and teamwork.
Translating teams to the real estate office. One of the biggest concerns of real estate companies today is raising the productivity of their agents. Those of us in performance fields know that raising performance comes from associating–working with–the best. Creatively orchestrating people working together is the best way to enhance performance.
What’s your take on teamwork and the real estate industry? Have you had success creating a team?
Turning your Leadership Style Upside Down for more Effectiveness
Posted by: | CommentsThis January and February, 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 recorded webinar for leadership. See more below, too.
Is your leadership style ‘tell them what to do and expect them to do it’? It seems so easy. You’re the chairperson or manager. Just take charge, tell people what to do, and they’ll do it. NOT. It’s just not that simple. At least, it’s not that simple unless systems are already in place and people on the committee know what their tasks are.
Seven Truisms about Effective Participative Leadership
It’s not enough today to be good at a traditional leadershp style. In fact, you have to really ‘turn your leadership style’ upside down to become effective. You must become a ‘participative’ leader. Here are seven truisms to help you flex your natural style toward more participation from your team members.
Truism #1: New chairpeople don’t know what’s expected of them
Just because people accept the title it doesn’t mean they know how to proceed with the job. Most people have never chaired a committee, so they don’t have the skills. It’s especially challenging when it’s a new task. They need to have clear direction, a job description, job responsibilities, and exactly who to go to when the job doesn’t get done.
Truism #2: People don’t know HOW to get it done
Even when people know what to do, they don’t usually have checklists, systems, deadlines, and assignments to get it done; it doesn’t work to leave it to a person (95% of the time, the other 5% will figure it out on their own) to decide how to get the job done.
Truism #3: Myth: “Leaders are the “idea people” and aren’t supposed to get into implementation (someone else will figure out how to get the work done)
When leaders say that, they immediately put others into the “secretary” mode. Their mentality is, someone else beneath them should be able to figure out how to get that done. That’s a secretarial or assistant’s job, isn’t it? But, your committee members don’t work for you. They work with you. You can’t expect someone to raise his hand and offer to be your assistant because you came up with the idea.
Truism #4: Verbal-type people resist processes and systems
There is a natural resistance in us (maybe especially in we verbal-type people) to organizing processes and systems. We love to talk about the idea. We don’t like to clarify exactly how that idea gets into process.
Truism #5: We ‘big idea’ people think we can delegate systemization to an assistant
Having worked with assistants for over 15 years, I have found that not true. Assistants need help in systemizing any process that YOU want done. They are good at systemizing their own processes–but not good at all at systemizing ours!
Truism #6: Leaders know committees take most of their time REPORTING to the larger group, not deciding on issues or processes
A mistake that committees make is to try to design processes within the large committee meeting. Instead, create task forces to report back quickly to you.
Truism #7: When accountability factors aren’t built in, things don’t get done.
This is a dicey issue, because you’re working with volunteers. Or, in the case of a real estate company, with independent contractors. At the same time, your association or business also expects the services and programs you promised. There’s a great difference between “do it the way you want” and expecting results and “do it the way you want” and let’s check how it’s going regularly.
Sharpening Your Participative Leadership Skills
What truisms do you want to add from your experiences in leadership? What do you see of yourself in these truisms? How can these help you lead? What needs to be done in your leadership position to gain greater skills? These skills are learned over time, and the pay-off is an association or business that is ‘owned’ by all those involved, with empowerment assured.
Leadership Strategies By the Month
Do you want to step into a better leadership style? Be more effecctive? Recruit more and better? I’ve created a very special, unique program for managers and owners: Once a month I share a specific leadershp strategy to recruit, choose, train, coach, and retain winners. These are proven strategies to get you out of a rut, take you past crisis management, and energize and inspire your team. See more at 365 Leadership. This new series closes for enrollment March 15. Find out more here.
What Leaders Do Differently from Managers
Posted 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.
In my last post, we talked about the differences in management–specifically maintenance management–and leadership. Now, let’s look at the specific things leaders do to move offices ahead. After I list them, ask yourself, “Would I describe myself as a leader–or a manager?”
What Leaders Do
It’s easy to say you are a leader. But, how do you know you really are? Here are several actions leaders take. After all, we can’t judge people from what they say. We must judge them from what they do.
1. Leaders initiate new programs that move them closer to their vision.
2. Leaders enlist others prior to starting a new program, to assure the whole team has input, judgement, and ‘buy in’.
3. Leaders look at their planners, and evaluate whether they started something new that week or month. Did they start something that was innovative, creative, fun, and team-enlisting? Was it connected to their vision and goals?
4. Leaders do specific actions that solve problems. For example, in my new series, 365 Leadership, I will provide specific strategies, with all the guidance and documents to implement them–one strategy per month. One of these strategies is the Listing Presentation Play-offs. What problem does this solve? The problem of unskilled agents taking over-priced listings. It also changes the culture of the company from ‘we take anything’ to ‘we are professionals who act in the best interests of sellers’.
5. Leaders don’t rest on their laurels. They don’t believe they ever ‘have it made’.
Look at 365 Leadership to see the topics that we address. There’s still time to become a part of this group. I’m excited to provide 12 new, immediately doable strategies for you. It’s low-cost (both the series and the strategies) and it will move you into leadership and toward profitability.
What do you think the difference between management and leadership is? How do you know you’re a leader?
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 Manager or a Leader?
Posted 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
Posted 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.
Are You a ‘Change’ Leader?
Posted 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?
Posted 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.
Is the Real Estate Business an ‘Independent’ or Dependent Business?
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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.
Managers: How to Build Action Plans into that Business Plan
Posted by: | CommentsIn 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?
Your Business Plan: A Checklist for the Systems You Need in 2012
Posted by: | CommentsIn 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?