Onsite Consults Provide Direction and Bring Change

I had the absolute pleasure of spending three days with The Nellis Group in Burke, Virginia, outside of Washington DC. This was an onsite consult, to evaluate the effectiveness of their team, their structure, and their systems.

Many people ask how they would know if they needed an onsite consult. One of the benefits of an onsite consult is that the consultant can look at your business from a "helicopter view" - as a part of that team yourself, you often are unable to have an unbiased perspective on what's going on and how to improve it.

Another benefit of an onsite consult is reorganizing roles and job descriptions on the team. In Jim Collins' book, Good to Great, he talks about having "the right people on the bus" and then having those people "in the right seats on the bus." A great consultant will be able to identify if you have the right people, and whether they're in the roles that give the team the most efficiency and the individuals the most personal satisfaction.

I took the time while at The Nellis Group to share the DISC profile of individual team members, and elaborated on how the personality types are different and what that means in terms of daily interaction. Most people are operating off the Golden Rule: do unto others as you would have done unto you. If you're ready to take that to the next level, practice the Platinum Rule: treat others as they want to be treated.

Recommendations follow the consult, in all areas that were agreed upon to discuss. It's up to you to choose what you'll implement. In one case, a team I consulted only did one item on the multi-page list of recommendations within the first thirty days, and it was one of the most minor of suggestions. In another case, the team took my recommendations to heart and had implemented every item on the list within 90 days of my visit.

I've always heard that change won't happen until the pain of staying the same outweighs the pain of change. If you're willing to invest in having a consultant, be willing to do what it takes to make the changes.

Coping with Chaos

“I work long days and never seem to catch up. I’m constantly distracted by thousands of things running through my head that need to get done. I’m full of anxiety. Help!”

Many of the clients I coach have experienced this. Let me share a three-step process to bring order to your personal chaos.

Step One: CLARITY. Ask questions that help you become clear on what you want; go deeper into not only your business but also a personal understanding of what’s driving the surface issue. In business you have learned the ‘three-deep’ process for helping clients get to the issue beyond the issue. How about going three deep with yourself? Example: you don’t have the energy to get it all done. What’s impacting the energy? Are you getting enough sleep? How are your eating habits? What sort of physical activity are you engaging in?

Step Two: ALIGNMENT. Focus in on what you’ve gotten clarity on. What resources are available to you to support a change? Identify what your action steps will be as you design a plan of action. Continuing with the same example, you might dedicate one hour, three days a week, to working out (plan of action), and hire a personal trainer (gather resource). You might do 30 minutes of cardio and 30 minutes of strength training each session (action steps).

Step Three: ACTION. In the words of Nike, just do it. Make sure you have accountability. Set benchmarks for progress. Check out a great book on The Power of Personal Accountability written by Mark Samuel.

Finding someone to partner with - be it a paid coach, a peer partner, or even your significant other - in this process will help you reach your goals faster, with adjustments being made along the way as life continues to unfold. Your “coach” will hold you accountable and help you make significant changes.

Book Review of Presentation Mastery

When I think of who some of the all-around, most successful businesspeople in the real estate industry, I think of Linda & Jim McKissack. Not only have they built an incredibly successful real estate team, but they also built it to run without them involved in the day-to-day business. They have created many other sources of revenue in their lives so that they are no longer reliant on the real estate sales income. And they've succeeded at partnering in business with people who are also lifelong friends.

How did they do it? First and foremost, they walk their talk. Spend a few minutes with either one of them, and you'll witness first hand their passion for leading a quality life and encouraging others to do the same. They're smart businesspeople, and they're full of integrity.

Their book, Presentation Mastery for REALTORS, does a great job of laying out what they've focused on in order to create a sustainable, ongoing successful real estate practice. If you're a new agent, it's a great blueprint. If you're a seasoned agent, you'll find yourself saying, "Oh yeah, I'd forgotten about that," or even, "I'd heard that before and I'm ready to do it now."

I recommend you pick up a copy and read it.

Team Planning Retreats Support Growth

I had the distinct honor of facilitating the Sanders and Associates Team Planning Retreat on Thursday, January 25.

Talk about a motivated team! Chris and Christine skyrocketed from just over 60 transactions in 2006, their first year in Colorado real estate, to 220 transactions in 2007, and they are setting an ambitious goal for 400 transactions in 2008!

To set the stage, everyone on the team and I read The Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni. Only a strong team will survive this reading! It's truly a gut check for people looking to embody true team function.

We spent time identifying core values of the team, established categories for standards, and then jumped into systems creation. We packed more into five hours than most would believe possible.

To ensure implementation, and to outline the next phase in the growth plan, we'll be meeting again the third week of March. Check back for an update on their amazing progress!