WHAT IS YOUR TEAM LOOKING FOR? ASK

By
Education & Training with Performance Development Strategies

What is going on today? What is the Great Resignation all about? I have seen many people switching their brokerages too.  I know some owners that think they know all the answers. Nothing could be farther from the truth. If you really want to find out the answers to the start by asking your team. Don’t stop there. Ask your customers what they want and need.

What is your value proposition to customers? What is your (team) employee value proposition (EVP)? Ask your team and customers questions and listen closely for the answers. You are never going to learn the truth about your value proposition if you don’t ask.

There are some organizations that never ask their customers or staff how the company is doing. Fear of hearing bad news will not make the bad news go away. However, it appears that many companies are just not comfortable asking the ultimate question, “How are we doing?”

The reason that we know that companies are not interested in knowing how they are doing can be found in a Gallup survey. According to Gallup around 30% of team members are engaged at work. That means that 70% are not engaged in their jobs work. What would you do if you learned that about your company?

Gallup continually surveys employee engagement. Here is what we can learn from their results. We can’t make a universal supposition of what engages people. Likewise, we can’t make a universal statement about the Great Resignation. Instead, we need to understand the diversity of our workforce which includes gender, culture and the different generations. Engagement factors are dynamic.

Now, regarding customers, it is easier to think all is well because there are not a growing number of customer complaints. What if the customers are not coming back?

What action would you take if your employees were to give a negative answer to the statement, “At work, I have the opportunity to do what I do best every day?” Meaningful work means different things to the different generations in the workplace. Consider not only generational differences but also cultural differences. Get to know your team and what is important to them. A baby boomer’s wants and needs are different from Generation X and the Millennial Generation is different from the other two generations. The engagement solution does not involve pushing a round peg fit into a square hole but rather to match each person to a position where he or she can be the best.

Hiring and retention is a challenge. This can be costly. When you consider recruiting and training, lost customer service, lost productivity, and lost morale in others who are left, the cost is at least two times the employee’s salary.  There might be a different measure for independent agents but it costs.    Engaged team members become more valuable as they grow. Engagement and retention is important because high-performing companies have loyal customers because they have loyal team members.

Highly Effective Leaders

You need to have an engagement strategy. This should be a line item on your P&L. The strategy should include careful selection to see that each new person is in a position where he or she has a chance to excel, an assessment plan to identify key strengths, and a development plan to leverage those strengths.

Is it time to have a strategic assessment and development plan in place?  For a similar post on our website see IF YOU WANT TO FIND OUT ASK YOUR EMPLOYEES.

Would you like to start a DIALOG with your team so that everyone is on the same page?

Contact us to learn more

or call 914-953-4458.

 

 
Posted by


PDStrategies.net

Armonk, NY
Port Saint Lucie, FL

(914) 953-4458
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Grant Schneider,
CBC, SPHR, SHRM-SCP*

*Certified Business Coach,
Senior Professional in Human Resources

President, Founder
& Leadership Coach

About Me

 

Comments (36)

Aura Alex
Seattle, WA
Retired Real Estate Pro

I enjoyed being a leader more than being a boss! My team members wouldn't tell me the truth if I approached them like a boss. But they'll come to me when they believe I can lead them! 

Apr 11, 2022 11:17 PM
Endre Barath, Jr.
Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties - Beverly Hills, CA
Realtor - Los Angeles Home Sales 310.486.1002

Grant in my 27 years of being a Realtor I switched companies twice, worked for Fred Sands Realtors a boutique Real Estate Co in Los Angeles.... Fred sold the business to Coldwell Banker before the crash he saw it coming... my new manager I loved...she got promoted... the jack ass who took over after her.... well I moved to Prudential... who changed their name to Berkshire Hathaway... you get it... it is all about how the Management treats the staff/employees/contractors...Endre

Apr 11, 2022 11:48 PM
Kat Palmiotti
406-270-3667, kat@thehousekat.com, Broker/REALTOR® - Kalispell, MT
Helping your Montana dreams take root

This is so true. I was just having a conversation with a family member who was hired at a company for certain days/hours to do a certain job and they've been making all sorts of changes and making promises they haven't been keeping. He could (and would love to) tell his company what they are doing wrong. In fact, he specifically said, "And they wonder why they can't keep help." Companies really do need to ask the question and accept the answer and fix things.

Apr 12, 2022 04:57 AM
Carla Freund
Keller Williams Preferred Realty - Raleigh, NC
Carolina Life RealEstate & Relocation 919-602-8489

Great reminders here Grant. It's easy to think someone is happy (employee/client) if they don't express their unhappiness. I think people are restless not necessarily happy. They may not even know what will make them happy. I'm very surprised with the people who are quitting their job without another job or a plan. Maybe its my generation but that is a little concerning.

Apr 12, 2022 05:12 AM
Roy Kelley
Retired - Gaithersburg, MD

Good Tuesday morning, Grant.

Have a great day and a very productive week.

Apr 12, 2022 05:28 AM
Dr. Paula McDonald
Beam & Branch Realty - Granbury, TX
Granbury, TX 936-203-0279

Hi Grant. Another excellent post. Your statement, "Hiring and retention is a challenge." is spot on!

Apr 12, 2022 05:34 AM
Grant Schneider
Performance Development Strategies - Armonk, NY
Your Coach Helping You Create Successful Outcomes

Kathy - so important an this applies to losing a good agent to another real estate company.  People wonder.

Sheri - that is why I love working with Millennials.  I also learn from them.

Anna -  absolutely a true stat.  Today's team members will not stay where there are not shared values.

Paul - I would add proper two way communication.

Laura - yes, that is very true.

Aura - I don't think the two are mutually exclusive.  You have to be both.

Endre - that is exactly correct.

Kat - I hear you and I hear this comment many times.

Carla - not knowing is part of mentoring and putting the right person in the right job.  Too many thing if you raise the financial reward people will do anything.

Roy - thank you very much.

Apr 12, 2022 05:55 AM
Grant Schneider
Performance Development Strategies - Armonk, NY
Your Coach Helping You Create Successful Outcomes

Hi Paula - for sure.  If anything thinks this is easy they are probably making hiring mistakes.

Apr 12, 2022 07:28 AM
Diana Dahlberg
1 Month Realty - Pleasant Prairie, WI
Real Estate in Kenosha, WI since 1994 262-308-3563

We are now a Team of TWO *(used to have a Team of 14) ... Communication is key to a successful team as well as encouraging and building up rather than tearing down.

Apr 12, 2022 07:46 AM
Will Hamm
Hamm Homes - Aurora, CO
"Where There's a Will, There's a Way!"

Hello Grant, I would always say it takes a long time to get new people to buy into the company and have the experience what it takes.

 

Apr 12, 2022 10:02 AM
Mary Hutchison, SRES, ABR
Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate-Kansas City Homes - Kansas City, MO
Experienced Agent in Kansas City Metro area

We've had several agents leave our office to join another group--this is an insightful blog, as a business you have to ask and listen to staff, customers constantly

Apr 12, 2022 02:00 PM
Wanda Kubat-Nerdin - Wanda Can!
Red Rock Real Estate (435) 632-9374 - St. George, UT
St. George Utah Area Residential Sales Agent

Agents leaving a brokerage that depends on a quantity-based business model is very costly in many ways. It can put an owner out of business and leave them asking questions too late. Fantastic post Grant!

Apr 12, 2022 03:29 PM
Laura Cerrano
Feng Shui Manhattan Long Island - Locust Valley, NY
Certified Feng Shui Expert, Speaker & Researcher

There’s so much that we will never know unless we ask. I’m pretty sure it’s just that simple flat out

Apr 12, 2022 10:12 PM
Ed (Edward) Silva, 203-206-0754
Mapleridge Realty, CT 203-206-0754 - Waterbury, CT
Central CT Real Estate Broker Serving all equally

Getting a response from a customer or client on their experience is so important yet so few people even bother to ask.  Growth depends on the good and the bad and hopefully the bad is corrected

Apr 13, 2022 08:44 AM
Grant Schneider
Performance Development Strategies - Armonk, NY
Your Coach Helping You Create Successful Outcomes

Diana - that positive communication is essential for team leadership.

Will - that is why a strong onboard program is essential.

Mary - thank you.  I am glad that I was able to be insightful.

Wanda - you are right.  Some of them have realized too late.

Laura - yes, it is so wrong to assume.

Ed - we all make mistakes.  That is part challenging leadership but produces personal growth.

Apr 14, 2022 03:18 AM
Joan Cox
House to Home, Inc. - Denver Real Estate - 720-231-6373 - Denver, CO
Denver Real Estate - Selling One Home at a Time

Grant, always nice to be transparent, and know what everyone thinks of their job.

Apr 14, 2022 06:53 AM
Dorie Dillard Austin TX
Coldwell Banker Realty ~ 512.750.6899 - Austin, TX
NW Austin ~ Canyon Creek and Spicewood/Balcones

Hi Grant Schneider ,

I too was surprised with the statistics you quoted! Management has to treat their agents as their clients. Meaningful work means different things to the different generations in the workplace and management needs to understand this and address it.

Apr 14, 2022 02:35 PM
Jeff Dowler, CRS
eXp Realty of California, Inc. - Carlsbad, CA
The Southern California Relocation Dude

Hi Grant:

It's one thing to ask "how are we doing" but quite another to take the information to heart and do something with. Employees learn pretty quickly that an employer fundamentally doesn't care as it shows in their actions.

I was a little surprised by the stats you quoted but perhaps I shouldn't be. The last couple of years have substantially changed the work world, and it keeps evolving.

Jeff

Apr 14, 2022 05:18 PM
Grant Schneider
Performance Development Strategies - Armonk, NY
Your Coach Helping You Create Successful Outcomes

Joan - there was a Mayor Koch in NY in the 80's that asked at every news conference, "How am I doing?"

Dorie - the biggest problem is the attitude of a manager or owner that they know why instead of understanding the complexities.

Jeff - to your point companies that conduct surveys and say we heard you and we doing X are similar to what you are saying.  I urge meeting to going over the results and talk through solutions.  Always listen for more.

Apr 15, 2022 06:38 AM
Laura Cerrano
Feng Shui Manhattan Long Island - Locust Valley, NY
Certified Feng Shui Expert, Speaker & Researcher

   I really love that aspect of it and I can accommodate so many different things and not in the perpendicular way

Sep 12, 2022 11:29 PM