It’s been a frustrating summer for me. The exasperation I’ve felt didn’t come at home…or at work…or at church. I’m sure frustration in any of those areas would have been easier to accept. No, my frustration came on the golf course.
You might read this and think to yourself, “Oh, David must be a
terrible golfer or perhaps he is a beginner—it only makes sense that he’d
experience some frustration trying to learn a difficult game like golf.” But,
that’s not the case.
I've been golfing since I was 11-years-old, and I became proficient enough as a teenager to play on my high school golf team. I continued to play golf over the years, and I’m able to compete well against most weekend golfers. I used to find golf relaxing and enjoyable. So why all the frustration?
The golfing frustration I’m experiencing is a direct result of change. Change is hard, especially when you've done something the same way for so long, and you’ve done it relatively well.
My problem dates back to 1971 when I first began to golf. I learned to play under the direction of my grandfather. He was a decent golfer, but not a great teacher of proper technique. As a result, I developed some bad habits while establishing my swing.
One of my bad habits is cocking my left wrist back at the top of my backswing instead of keeping it straight. This fault forces me to make corrections later in my swing in order to make solid contact with the ball.
While this technique is not correct, it does work well 95% of the time (that’s why I’ve sustained this habit). Granted, sometimes the 5% of “not working” can ruin an afternoon of golf, but I generally accepted the idea of being a good enough golfer.
But over time, being good enough was getting a little old. So early this year, I decided to get better at golf, and I knew that playing one round every two weeks (and working on changes while playing) was not enough repetitions to see any changes materialize. I had to commit to practicing on the practice range and work diligently at correcting my swing.
I can't even begin to describe how uncomfortable it is to swing in a new way. Everything feels off and it’s not an enjoyable experience. Although I committed to working through the form issues, I longed to be back on the course where things felt normal and more comfortable.
As you suspect, I then did what I was told not to do. I went out and shot a round of golf before I was ready. While I attempting to focus on applying what I had learned on the range, I got seven holes into my round and lost my resolve. When I started scoring poorly, I quickly reverted back to my old habits so as not to humiliate myself. I began doing what I had always done.
In hindsight, I realized my mistake. I’ve now made my way back on the practice range and recommitted myself to the process of changing my swing for the better. While it is still uncomfortable, I know I’ll be susceptible to reverting back to my old ways if the new habits are not fully formed during practice.
So what does this have to do with recruiting?
Many recruiting techniques in the real estate industry have been used for many years. At some point in the past, each of these techniques was successful; otherwise it would not have been developed and used.
But, times change. While some of these old techniques remain effective, many of them have either lost their usefulness or have needed modifications to remain relevant. From a third party perspective, the recruiting methodologies in many real estate companies look like golf swings that need some work.
Does the swing need to be reconstructed completely? No. In my case, I’m only trying to learn how to not cock my wrist at the top of my backswing! The same is true in recruiting—even small tweaks can be difficult and all humans tend to resist change.
So, how do you get started on the path to making improvements to your recruiting techniques and methodologies? Take Harry Beckwork’s advice from the blog I wrote a couple of weeks ago:
"Assume your service is bad. It can't hurt and will force you to improve."
I started the process assuming that that my swing was bad, and then made a commitment to make it better.
As you start down this path, here are some questions you may want to consider:
- What recruiting practices have you been using for the longest period of time?
- What recruiting techniques have become less effective in recent years?
- When is the last time you learned / tried something new?
- When is the last time you asked an expert recruiter (someone in your network that you respect) what they do and what they have stopped doing?
Once a picture starts to emerge of the changes you need to make in order to improve, know that you’ll have to make a commitment to practice these changes. Forcing yourself to try new things and then practicing is always the hardest part of learning.
See you at the practice range….
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Editor's Note: This article was written by Dr. David Mashburn. Dave is a Clinical and Consulting Psychologist, a Partner at Tidemark, Inc. and a regular contributor to WorkPuzzle.
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