Shine the Spotlight on Your Team!

Most of my life, I've had the "sometimes uncomfortable" role of being the head of something.  Sometimes it has been in business, and sometimes it has been in volunteer events.   I've always told those who have worked with me that the only problem with being out front is that you get shot first, but the truth is, I've loved most of those opportunities.  I rarely do anything I'm not passionate about.

Along the way, I've learned something about being out front.  The person in the front tends to get all the praise, but he also gets all the criticism.  Of course, my goal is to always do a great job at whatever I'm doing.   So, praise has been the most common outcome, and that brings me to my topic.

Ronald Reagan had a plaque that hung in his office which stated, "There is no limit to what you can accomplish if you don't care who gets the credit."  I learned long ago that when your staff shines, you shine.  If you can teach a colleague something that causes him to succeed, you share in the success.  It might or might not be financial, but it's still a corporate success.

My wife has always been a huge support in whatever I've done.  She has been a critical element in nearly everything.  That has typically put her behind the scenes, and when recognition has been handed out it normally gets handed to me.  So, when she was elected as the president of the VA Horticulture Society Women's Auxiliary, I was elated.  Suddenly, it was no longer, Buffy, Mike's wife.  Now it was Mike, Buffy's husband, and I loved it.  She shined!

Whether you're a broker, or a team leader, let me encourage you to let your team shine.  Help develop them for success and then turn them lose.  Offer praise when it's appropriate, and privately offer correction when it's necessary.  But, most of all, share the spotlight.  Better yet, turn the spotlight on a team-mate. 

Develop some type of inner-office kudos system that highlights team and individual success.  It might as simple as a gift certificate to Starbucks, but even that becomes a coveted prize.  Recognize performers.  Recoginze newbies when the accomplish things.  That can be as simple as taking a class in a niche area.  It's hard to be the new kid in town. 

Recognize, highlight, share success stories, give kudos awards, but most of all, share the spotlight.  There is a motivational poster that has been around for many years that says, "TEAM - Together Everyone Achieves More!"  It is so true.  When one team member wins, everybody wins.  Share the spotlight, and you'll never be in the shadows.

 

 

 

********************************************************************************

Give me a call for all your real estate needs, and let's make something amazing happen. 

Mike Cooper @ Cornerstone Business Group, Inc., 888-722-6029

Real Estate Sales and Property Management

 

(Disclaimer:  All grammatical mistakes, punctuation breakdowns and misspellings are purely for your amusement and entertainment.  Feel free to cackle.)