"Consult The Coach" Archives
Stuart Kaufman, MS, MBA
“The Real Estate Coach”

January 2008 - Volume 8, Issue 2

Q. Dear Coach:

I am a successful agent with a team of three employees. There are 4 of us all together - myself, a buyer’s agent, an administrator/transaction coordinator and a marketing manager. I am having trouble getting things done the way I want them, and on time. How do I get my team on track?

Signed,

Management Challenged

A. Dear “Management Challenged”,

I currently work with several Real Estate agents who manage teams, like yours. Your issue, which is how to effectively hold people accountable, is quite common. Fortunately, you can acquire management skills that can be learned with practice and patience. In addition, it typically requires a shift in our thinking so as to separate people’s personalities from the needs of our Real Estate business. Here are some ideas.

Set Clear Expectations – the first step in getting what you want from your employees is for you to know what you want from your employees. Dedicate time to clearly writing out what you want and expect from each person on your team. Then clearly communicate it to your employees both verbally and in writing. A clear job description is a good place to start. One of the most common reasons people don’t do what is expected, is that they don’t know what is expected.

Hold People Accountable – Once you have clearly communicated what you want the people on your team to do, and when you want it done by, it is time to follow-up. Weekly meetings help everyone stay focused and accountable on the work that is most important. For example, when I was a manager, I expected my employees to notify me ahead of time if they would not be meeting a deadline, rather than let the deadline pass and say nothing. This helps people develop their own internal accountability.

Delegate Effectively – The art of delegation combines providing clear expectations with holding people accountable. I have developed a worksheet titled “How to Effectively Delegate Work”. It is a step-by-step systematic process, that when followed, helps insure that you get the results you want, when you want them. For a complimentary copy of this Delegation worksheet, go to www.stuartkaufman.com/delegate.html. The key to delegation is knowing what you want, trusting others, and letting go of things having to be done your way.

Be Willing to Confront – In order to get the results you want, at some point, you will need to confront people in a firm, yet respectful, way. This can be difficult if we have family or friends that are part of our team. Here we separate personalities from business needs since the work that is required is based on creating/maintaining a healthy business. In some instances, my clients have to choose what they want – a viable and profitable business or a friendship with an underperforming employee. The choice is theirs to make.

Be a Mentor – Finally, be a positive role model for your employees. Model the behaviors and attitudes that you want the people on your team to have. If you show up disorganized, missing your own deadlines, and unclear of your goals, it will impact their ability to do their job. On the other hand, when you show up with a plan and priorities, and are clear on what you expect of your team, they will meet, or even exceed, your expectations.

Being a Real Estate agent who manages a team is challenging. Your team is looking to you for direction, inspiration, support and trust in their ability to do their jobs. Spend the time it takes to be an effective team manager.

P.S. In my last column, I referenced the www.GetYourSphereInGear.com website to get ideas on what to say when you personally connect to people in your Sphere of Influence. If you would like additional or more specific ideas, send me an e-mail at coach@StuartKaufman.com.

About the Author:
Stuart Kaufman, MS, MBA, is a Real Estate Business Coach who has coached, trained, and inspired over 1,000 Real Estate Professionals to take their business to the next level while taking time to enjoy themselves and their families. He is a regular contributor to numerous Real Estate publications nationwide and is the head administrator of the Puget Sound School of Real Estate in Seattle, WA. Got a question for the coach? Contact Stuart at coach@stuartkaufman.com or 206-725-1584.

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