The Week of November 28th in Review

Your goals are getting in your way...

This is the time of year when there is a big push for you to set goals and write your business plan for the New Year.

You have been programmed and conditioned to believe how important it is to set goals and put your plan in writing.

I am also sure you have heard the following quote before - "If you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans."

So let's take a very honest look at goals and planning.

My thoughts on this subject have evolved greatly over time. I now firmly believe we have NO ability to control what happens in life. What we do control... is how we experience what happens. The idea that we can set a goal, develop and execute a plan... and make the goal happen is absurd. If you have no control over the weather... what makes you think you can control life or get life to bend to your wishes?

And if we go even deeper... most people set goals with the idea that achieving the goal is what is going to give them happiness. And conversely... not achieving the goal will lead to some form of negative emotion. I would challenge you to find one time in your life where you achieved something or hit a goal and the result was true and lasting happiness. 

Results are always temporary. They come and they go. Results are never final. And I would add... when you focus on a result... it limits your ability to produce at a higher level because results distract you from staying focused on the process. And remember... the process is a big part of achieving anything in life.

When you set a goal... lots of things have to line up in a certain way in order for that goal to happen. And most of the things that have to line up in a certain way are out of your control. You being ready and willing to do the "right thing" is only one small factor in the bigger equation of life.

So where am I going with all this???

Let go of "what if" and embrace "what is".

Life is not about goals and results. Yes... you have been programmed and conditioned to believe this your entire life. And that is why you are so frustrated so often. You are trying to control something you no ability to control.

If you want a better and richer experience of life...

Accept "what is" with open arms and give your highest and best to what is unfolding in front of you at any given moment.

As a real estate professional, your job is help people buy and sell homes. To be able to do this in the best way possible... I have identified 6 things you need to do and master every day in this business.

You read about these 6 things each week in The 2 Minute Drill:

1. The Mind-Set of Harmony
2. Time Blocking
3. CRM
4. Process Management
5. Tactical Empathy
6. Knowing Your Numbers

When you mind is set on being in harmony with "what is"... you are now setting the foundation for giving your highest and best.

Time blocking is what enables you to prioritize what is most important in your business.

CRM gives you the ability to systematically cultivate and nurture individual and personal relationships on a daily basis.

Building process into everything you do saves you countless time and energy and provides a superior client experience in addition to improving your quality of life.

Tactical empathy allows you to connect and communicate in the most authentic, honest and impactful way possible.

You can't know your business until you know your numbers. And you can't leverage what you don't know.

When you structure your day around these 6 core building blocks... you are giving yourself the greatest chance for success. 

The result is going to be whatever the result is. However your success is not conditional on achieving any result. The "goal" every day is simple... be willing to be smarter today than yesterday... and work hard to give a better effort today than yesterday. The result will take care of itself.

Do yourself a big favor...

Throw all your goals and plans out the window.

Focus on the 6 core building blocks... let go of everything else... and enjoy every day going forward no matter what happens.

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Hiring and Firing...

I want to start by saying... everything I am about to share is easier said than done.

I want to acknowledge this right up front.

The hardest part to building a winning team is hiring the right people and then firing people who are not working out.

Real estate is not a team sport by nature. This is why the talent part of the team building equation is so challenging.

First you have to get your expectations in line. You are not hiring YOU. If you can find people who consistently sell 10 to 15+ homes per year with a great attitude... you want to hire them all day long.

Someone being a culture-fit is what is most important.

You cannot coach smarts...

You cannot coach desire...

You cannot coach attitude...

You cannot coach work ethic.

These are the qualities you recruit to. Everything else you can coach.

Make sure you re-read the section above on Coachability.

THIS IS A MUST!!

You need to establish a process for hiring.

It starts with developing a formalized team agreement which spells out every aspect of being on the team. This is not optional. You can consult with an HR person to get guidance.

Be clear about your ideal team member.

Always be recruiting.

It is never the wrong time to hire the "right person" and it is never the right time to hire the "wrong person".

Keep refining your recruiting ads.

Indeed, Linkedin, Wize-Hire... there is no perfect place to run your ads.

Always request a cover letter from anyone responding to your ad. Make them jump through at least one small hoop up front.

Get references and check references. It is mind blowing how this is rarely done.

Always pay attention to the post interview follow up on the part of a candidate.

When you are interviewing... you are not selling. You are finding out to the best of your ability... Is this person going to be a good team fit?

Again, be very clear what you are looking for going into the process.

The most you can hope for out of the interview process is... eliminating people you definitely don't want.

You won't know what you really have until you put someone to work.

Pay attention to how they show up to the interview process. Are they more interested in what they will be getting or what they can contribute?

Be clear about your splits. If they keep asking about how they can get more... say goodbye.

It typically doesn't take more than 30 to 60 days to identify who is a good fit and who isn't.

In addition to a hiring process...

You need an onboarding process...

You need a training and accountability process.

You have to keep new people on a short leash. They need guidance, structure and accountability.

You can't just throw someone into the pool and hope they can swim.

You must set people up for success.

Every new team member is going to take a lot more time than you expect. Be prepared. 

One thing you need to stress and be able to provide is clear direction. You cannot expect people to do what you want when you leave them alone.

Things don't tend to get better over time.

Like hiring, onboarding, training...

You need a process when it is time to terminate someone.

Again, consult with a HR person to find out what you need to do to limit your liabilities when you fire someone.

Most agents have a difficult time letting go of people because they don't have a process including performance standards.

Culture misfits and non-productive people will impact your team in a very negative way.

Be very clear... any person you want to let go... will suddenly have a "big deal" that is about to pop!! Terminate anyway!!

You will need to take the time to think through all of this prior to bringing someone on your team.

You have to define each step of the hiring and firing process, document all of it and keep refining on a continuous basis.

You are going to make mistakes. It is part of the learning curve. Don't feel discouraged. Learn from every mistake.

People will fool you. Don't get down on yourself. Keep improving your process instead!!

If you are truly committed to being a successful team leader... email support@performancecoaching.com and request Session #1 of the 6 Week Ultimate Team Playbook Coaching Program. Please put Session #1 in the subject line.

There is a new special on HBO Max where Howard Stern is interviewing Bruce Springsteen. I highly, highly recommend it. It is 2 hours and 15 minutes. Watch all of it.

Bruce Springsteen has been at the top of his industry for 50+ years. You can take all the wisdom he shares in this interview and apply it to your real estate sales business.

Here are 2 great Small Group Coaching Calls from the past week...

*Thursday 7AM Small Group Coaching Call
*Thursday 7:30AM Small Group Coaching Call

As always... I highly recommend the Tuesday Mindset call at 6am PST.

Your CRM is your 2023 Business Plan.

Your goal for 2023 = To become fluent in CRM.

Your plan for 2023 =  Work your CRM consistently every day.

If you do not currently feel in control of your CRM or if it is a place you avoid coming to each day out of fear and being overwhelmed- we highly recommend you sign up for our final Business Planning Made Simple class of the year!

You still have time to get your CRM working for you before the the end of the year.

Sign Up Today!