I should start calling this George’s TLDR for the month…this is a long one, but I promise it has some solid business practices for you to incorporate.
I recently came across a quote by the CEO of Google that deeply resonated with me, and I believe it reflects the kind of leadership and work environment we strive to foster within our team.
Sundar Pichai, in addressing his massive team of 140,000 individuals, stated,
"Every day, you all choose where to put your time. My goal is to give you the information to make the best decisions."
This mission to empower individuals to make informed choices and provide them with autonomy to decide where to best put their time truly struck a chord with me.
In our organization, we understand that people do not want to be micromanaged or constrained. Instead, they desire autonomy and a voice within the company they align with.
My sincere hope is that each and every one of you feels this way. We acknowledge that we are not perfect, and as a company we are still growing and learning, always striving for excellence.
Aka; Pursuit of Excellence
To ensure that you have the information necessary to make the best decisions, I believe it should be presented to you during your team meetings and coaching sessions with your Team Leaders.
These sessions serve as a dedicated time for you to share your goals, strategies, and tactics openly. They allow for a deeper discussion on the three or four pillars of your business.
Coaching, for me, has always been and will continue to be a crucial investment. I encourage you to attach the same value to your coaching sessions. Come prepared and ready to discuss your wins and what might be getting in the way of achieving your goals.
In early 2007, I hired my first business coach, Bill Hart w/ Building Champions. On those early coaching calls, I remember Bill consistently encouraging me to stay focused.
When once again I was distracted by the next shiny object, he asked me to complete a time tracking sheet over a 2 week period. This involved writing down what I did throughout the day in 15 minute increments. I remember thinking: Good Lord, who has time for that?
This exercise felt like micromanagement, but I later realized it was more an exercise of awareness.
The process encouraged a self-reflection period that helped me recognize inefficiencies and distractions after only a couple of days of study. By the end of the two weeks my schedule was much more focused, and Bill assisted me with auditing the log to identify the areas that were “the highest and best use of my time”
If you are finding yourself in a rut or feeling distracted, get with your team leader and complete a time audit. It’s a brutal task, but trust me when I say it will lead to great self-discovery! I still go back to this exercise when I feel a lack of clarity or caught in the minutiae.
I want to emphasize that our commitment to empowering each of you with autonomy and the tools to make informed decisions remains steadfast. Let's continue to support one another, invest in our coaching sessions and pursue excellence as we navigate the ever-evolving real estate landscape together.
Here's to a future filled with growth, achievement, and collective success!
Looking Forward: The Next 30 Days
Every month of the year has a focused activity that falls outside of the normal revenue generating tasks. As June approaches-the halfway point of the year-it is time to reassess the strategies we chose for the year and determine if we are on track or off track.
Should we shift strategies or allocate more resources? We can make this decision with the help of After Action Reviews (AAR). An After Action Review (AAR) is a structured review or debriefing process for analyzing what happened, why it happened, and how it can be done better by the participants and those responsible for the project or event.
AARs originated in the U.S. military and are now used by many organizations and industries to improve performance and effectiveness. They are a key component of a continuous improvement strategy and are designed to help teams learn quickly from their successes and failures and then to adapt and apply those lessons to improve future performance.
The AAR process generally involves the following key steps:
1. **Plan**: Determine the objectives, scope, participants, and schedule of the AAR.
2. **Execute**: Conduct the AAR meeting, which typically involves four main questions:
What was expected to happen?
What actually happened?
Why were there differences between the expected and actual results?
What can we learn or do differently next time?
3. **Report**: Document the insights, recommendations, and commitments made during the AAR.
4. **Follow-Up**: Ensure that the lessons learned are integrated into the organization's processes and that any agreed-upon actions are carried out.
The AAR is not meant to be a critique or to assign blame, but rather an open, honest learning exercise. The goal is to improve future performance through iterative learning and feedback.
I encourage you to consider doing an AAR with the pillars of your business. Rather than viewing these pillars as mere lead sources for generating business, consider them as touchstones that guide your priorities when external forces inevitably come into play.
These pillars represent the strategies where you choose to invest your time and resources. For instance, if you determine your three(or four, depending on your agent level) pillars as Flex, Social Media, and Repeat/Referral, your focus and measurement of success lie within these areas, allowing you to refine your tactics without succumbing to distractions or chasing after shiny objects.
Think of the "peanut butter spread" analogy: When we spread a thin layer of our time and energy across multiple channels, we dilute our focus and fail to achieve significant results. Instead, envision your pillars as horizons of growth, each representing a distinct area where you concentrate your efforts.
By embracing the concept of the three(or four) pillars of your business, we aim to foster focus, clarity, and strategic growth within our team. Remember, these pillars are not just lead sources but the foundations of your success, guiding your priorities and allowing you to measure your progress effectively.
Must-Read Book
This book offered a great frame of mind when Jen and I were building our repeat/referral campaigns. How and why should you create a sense of community for your past clients?
Must-See Video
Amy Cuddy's TED talk discusses the concept of "power posing" and how our body language can influence our own thoughts and feelings. She proposes that by adopting postures associated with confidence and power, we can actually feel more confident and powerful ourselves, even in situations where we may not naturally feel that way. Try striking the Wonder Woman pose before your next listing appointment!
My first business coach Bill Hart! His message in this video serves as a great reminder to listen to your shoulder taps. A revolving question I have for my boys as I lay them down at night is, “Did you do anything today to help someone else or to make someone else smile?”
Pickleball is now a field in the MLS! Billy and I are pretty addicted to PB. If anyone is up for a LT tournament let me know!
Must-Use Tools
Crystal Knows is a software tool that uses artificial intelligence to provide personality insights about individuals, much like a DISC profile, which can help improve communication and interactions with clients and team members.
It can analyze public data to provide personality reports, suggesting how a person might prefer to communicate. It can be used as a chrome extension to provide how best to craft your emails to your client.
Here’s how Crystal Knows recommends I “sell” to Billy
Ready or not here we come!!
Quote of the Month
“Lack of direction, not lack of time, is the problem. We all have twenty-four hour days.” ― Zig Ziglar
~GL
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