WorkPuzzle

Lessons From An Expert Recruiter: Part 2

As I mentioned in part 1 of this series, Andy Nazaroff of Guarantee Realty has consistently posted remarkable numbers when it comes to converting candidates into interviews, and interviews into hires.  It is a ratio that is difficult to match.  (Some of our clients and readers post equally impressive numbers and perhaps we can profile their philosophies and practices in the near future...)

One of Andy's primary principles is summed up in the philosophy "buy instead of sell."  Most of you have heard this phrase and practice it in most of your training for sales agents, but have you considered practicing this when it comes to recruiting?  In my experience, people have the tendency to either negative sell or to sell.  Andy does neither.  He conveys an attitude close to absolute reverence around this principle.  In listening to him describe his practices, it was this central under-riding principle that was clearly leading every question, discussion, call, or material dispensed.

Andy says that to genuinely come across as buying instead of selling, you must lead with questions.  He realizes that only the most desperate people will respond when you attempt to sell them on real estate.  By not selling, Andy unconsciously places on the candidate the responsibility to sell to him.

Here are the first few steps of his process as it relates to this principle:

1. He makes ALL the calls to the candidates and initiates each first interview.  He sets aside ample time to do both well.  (We understand that this may be unrealistic for many of our larger clients who source more candidates.)
2. Before the interview, he hands out a packet of information that answers the most common questions he has been asked before. (Keep track of most questions asked and do the same.)
3. He begins the interview with the question:  "It's been awhile since we talked and you have had a chance to research the real estate business.  What are your thoughts so far?"  He gets them talking.  Recruiting anyone worthwhile is rarely accomplished if he doesn't know what problem he is solving for the person he is speaking to.  (More on this in a future edition...)
4. By the end of the interview, he asks:  "Obviously being in real estate isn't for everyone, and it often takes 6-9 months before you see much cash flow; How are you prepared to bridge the gap?"  After asking this there is often a very long pause.  He has learned over time to let that pause linger as long as it takes for the person to respond.  By letting them come up with the answer, or at least say "I don't know," he shifts into being the buyer, yet never the negative seller.

Psychologically, this produces what's called "self activation."  When a person carries the weight of the creative process of a decision, does the research and leg work to research opportunities, and takes the action that should naturally follow...one is "self activating."  That is, they are taking the bull by the horns from the very beginning.  This is best accomplished when the recruiter is an ally who is pulling for them, rather than pushing them to make a decision that is not right for them.  Andy has a gift when it comes to establishing this non-sales, interested and engaged inquisitor approach with candidates.

In the next edition, I'll share with you what Andy believes is one of the most vital components of recruiting....uncovering the "anchor or wind."

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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.  Comments or questions are welcome.  If you're an email subscriber, reply to this WorkPuzzle email.  If you read the blog directly from the web, you can click the "comments" link below.

Lessons from an expert Recruiter

We at Tidemark have had the privilege of working with over 40 real estate companies, some of which have been with us for several years.  Guarantee Realty, of Fresno, California is among these companies.  Guarantee has consistently proven to be one of the best executing companies we have ever worked with.  They seem to, month in and month out, squeeze out some of the best efficiencies from the numbers we source for them.

Despite the fact that we have sourced approximately 950 total candidates to date this year for them, they have interviewed 232, and hired 48 new agents.  This means they have interviewed 25% of ALL candidates and hired 21% of those interviewed!

I asked the CEO of Guarantee, Scott Leonard, if I could spend some time asking his Manager of Agent Development, Andy Nazaroff, if he could share with me some of his secrets.  Here is Mr. Leonard's response:

"By all means, we would be most happy to participate.  I'll have Andy coordinate with you.  It's a very tough time in this real estate cycle.  We all need to help each other as much as we are able.  Sincerely, Scott."

I spoke at length with Andy earlier today.  In the next few blogs, I'll try to boil down what I gleaned regarding what Andy does that makes his process so successful.  Let me begin by saying that in speaking with Andy, what struck me first, was how easy he was to speak to.  Andy is the first contact for each of their candidates.  He calls them personally, and has a clear philosophy regarding how to approach the entire process.

Andy is mindful of changes that can be made and applies them as he goes.  Some techniques stay, and others go, but there is a consistent process with a personal flare.

Over the next few editions I'll share with you how Andy interacts with each candidate from his first question, through referral to licensing school.  I hope that we can begin an ongoing dialogue with all of you as a result.

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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.  Comments or questions are welcome.  If you're an email subscriber, reply to this WorkPuzzle email.  If you read the blog directly from the web, you can click the "comments" link below.

The Science of Giving Thanks

After stuffing yourself tomorrow with turkey, gravy, and pumpkin pie... and perhaps after winning the family betting pool on predicting when Aunt Marge will unbuckle the top few buttons of her pants, I want you to put some time aside to consider a brand new habit... Celebrating Thanksgiving every day.  What do I mean by this?

I mean the Doctor is prescribing a dose of daily gratitude...either in the morning with your vitamins or at night before going to bed.  Why?  Because science has discovered that it may aid your health and well-being beyond what we have ever known.

You see, gratitude has only recently been put under the microscope from a scientific research perspective.  Prior to the last 15 years, the subject was left to philosophers and religious leaders as the appropriate experts to extol its benefits.  However, once scientists began studying gratitude, they were so impressed by the findings, that research in this area has exploded.  Take a look at some of the findings in the below paraphrased list from a research project on Gratitude and Thankfulness.

1. Studies show that those who keep gratitude journals on a weekly basis exercise more regularly, report fewer physical symptoms, feel better about their lives as a whole, and are more optimistic about the upcoming week compared to those who record hassles or neutral life events (Emmons & McCullough, 2003).
2. Young adults who are taught self-guided exercises for daily gratitude report higher levels of the positive states of alertness, enthusiasm, determination, attentiveness and energy compared to other groups, who tend to focus on hassles or a downward social comparison (ways in which participants think they are better off than others).
3. Study participants practicing gratitude are more likely to report having helped someone with a personal problem or having offered emotional support to someone, compared to a group focused on hassles or social comparison condition.
4. In a sample of adults with neuromuscular disease, a 21-day gratitude intervention resulted in greater amounts of high-energy, positive moods; a greater sense of connectedness to others; more optimistic ratings of one’s life; and better sleep duration and sleep quality, relative to a control group.
5. Children who practice grateful thinking have more positive attitudes toward school and their families (Froh, Sefick, & Emmons, 2008).
6. Grateful people report higher levels of positive emotions, life satisfaction, vitality, and optimism.  In addition, they report lower levels of depression and stress.  The disposition toward gratitude appears to enhance pleasant feeling states more than it diminishes unpleasant emotions.  Grateful people do not deny or ignore the negative aspects of life.
7. Prosociality:  People with a strong disposition toward gratitude have the capacity to be empathetic and to view the perspective of others.  They are rated as more generous and more helpful by people in their social networks (McCullough, Emmons, & Tsang, 2002).
8. Spirituality:  Those who regularly attend religious services and engage in religious activities, such as prayer reading, are more likely to be grateful.  Grateful people are more likely to acknowledge a belief in the interconnectedness of all life, and a commitment to, and responsibility to others (McCullough et. al., 2002).  Gratitude does not require religious faith, but faith enhances the ability to be grateful.
9. Materialism:  Grateful individuals place less importance on material goods; they are less likely to judge their own and others' success in terms of possessions accumulated; they are less envious of others; and are more likely to share their possessions with others, relative to less grateful persons.
10. Goal Attainment: Gratitude is linked to significantly improved personal goal attainment.  In one study, participants in one group kept gratitude lists.  This group ended up more likely to have made progress toward important personal goals (academic, interpersonal and health-based) over a two-month period than subjects in the control group, who underwent other exercises toward goal attainment.

There are many ways to develop a practice of daily gratitude.  You can create a gratitude journal.  Or, if you have an Iphone you can download a gratitude app.

What's clear through the research is that if you don't lean more towards gratitude than complaining, you and those around you will most likely suffer as result.  So, follow the Doctor's prescription and begin a practice of gratitude, starting today.  You won't regret it... 

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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.  Comments or questions are welcome.  If you're an email subscriber, reply to this WorkPuzzle email.  If you read the blog directly from the web, you can click the "comments" link below.

Reading and Leading

Over the past several articles, Ben has written some excellent content regarding vital components to the present state of hiring in real estate.  I am interrupting his series on engagement at work momentarily to share an article that has impacted me.  It's an article detailing the importance of reading for those in positions of leadership.  This article, by Michael Hyatt, resonated with me enough to include it in its entirety below.  I hope you are moved to more deliberate reading in the same way I was.  Enjoy...

"Widely considered to be one of America’s greatest business philosophers, Jim Rohn, the late Dallas businessman and dynamic public speaker, is well known for his commitment to lifelong personal development.  During his talks on the subject, he is fond of pointing out that every house that costs over $500,000 (adjusted for inflation) has a room in it called a library.

'Why do you suppose that is?' Rohn challenges his audience. 'Doesn’t that make you curious?  How come every house over $500,000 has got a library? Does that tell you something?  Does that educate you at all?'

There is no doubt that Rohn is right; successful people do read more.  Leaders, in particular, seem to read more than almost anyone else.  After all, curiosity is often cited as a common characteristic of great leaders.  Lincoln was famous for reading both the Bible and Shakespeare; Franklin Roosevelt loved Kipling. 'Every great leader I’ve ever met has been a great reader,' says Rohn.

For most of us, books were where it all began.

Usually a person finds they were infected with a love of books at an early age, usually by a fellow carrier of the disease, more often than not a parent or teacher.  That wonderful ability of a great book to transport our minds to new and unexplored places can have a tremendous impact on us.  For the truly fortunate, a love of reading can easily lead to a love of learning—a gift that will well serve both leaders and those who simply aspire to leadership.

Too often, however, leaders allow themselves to get out of the reading habit. When it comes to learning, the brain can be likened to a muscle, and so like a muscle, it has to be regularly exercised.  As we get older it will be increasingly important for us to continue exercising our brains, and there is nothing that compares to reading for keeping the brain in top shape.  Additionally, as we progress through the leadership ranks within our organizations, we will need the increased knowledge and skills that only reading can provide.

The challenge to continue to grow and learn is one that each person must accept for themselves.  Personal development is just that—personal.  What works for one person may not work for someone else, and success may mean continually trying different strategies.  But regardless of how we learn, reading will still be the primary method, and books will still be the primary tool.  The key is to get yourself back to the books and you may find that you need some help getting back into the habit.

Here are three strategies:

1. Read more than one book at a time.  If everything we should be reading had the same plot and pace as an episode of The Bourne Trilogy then learning about search engine optimization or social marketing would make reading to learn an easier sell.  To truly grow we will need to learn to dive into subjects that can often be as dry as a west Texas summer, and we will need to learn to stay with them until the very end. 

Continue with the goal of reading so many chapters or 'x' number of pages in mind, but if you find your mind wandering before reaching your reading goal for the night, try dropping one book and picking up another.  Continue reading to your goal, but allow your mind more choice in the subject of the moment.  If you find the new material interesting, keep working through it, but if not drop that book too and either go back to your original book or try out a third title.

2. Try reading in more than one place.  On a similar theme to reading more than one book at a time, have books set aside to read when you are at different locations.  A book stored in your briefcase, backpack, or carrying case can insure you are always able to take advantage of down time in your schedule.  A doctor who is running late can add a chapter to your reservoir of knowledge. 

Similarly, a book stashed in your desk at work can be a great way to recharge your batteries.  Consider reading for ten or fifteen minutes at least once during your work day.  You may find that not only do you reach your goal of using reading to learn, you are also more excited about the work you were doing prior to your brain break.

3. Make use of the latest technologies.  By now everyone is aware of the benefits of using an e-Book reader similar to Amazon’s Kindle or Apple’s iPad. These technologies make carrying a number of books with you at all times much more convenient, and anything that makes reading easier is always a good idea. 

Books on tape were a wonderful invention, allowing what Zig Ziglar called Automobile University.  Today books can be recorded as MP3 files, greatly reducing the size of the files and allowing you to keep a number of audio books on your iPod at any one time.  Your phone can be another great place to keep an audio book, and you can be sure you will usually have it, and so them, with you most of the time.

No matter what, don’t stop.  Using these or other strategies to increase the number of books you read each year will help you grow both as a person and as a leader.  Think of the value you could bring your organization if you could speak another language.  Think of how much more valuable you will be in the marketplace if you bring a deep understanding of accounting and finance to the work you perform.

Reading can be the key to all knowledge, and having the discipline to regularly read a number of books on a wide range of subjects can be the key to success."

 

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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.  Comments or questions are welcome.  If you're an email subscriber, reply to this WorkPuzzle email.  If you read the blog directly from the web, you can click the "comments" link below.

Why focusing on One Goal can beat the Competition

Stop everything you are doing right now, and ask yourself:  What is the ONE most important thing I should focus on?  What is my KEY objective?  Next, ask these questions to someone in your office.

A few weeks ago I wrote about how this type of simplification can lead to improved results.  I used the example of the Seattle Seahawks, who were predicted to do poorly and not return to the playoffs anytime soon...primarily because they have far too many new players playing together for the first time, and no one considered to be the best at their position.

Despite going up against better competitors (on paper), as I write this, the Seahawks are in sole first place in their division with 4 wins and 2 losses.  But HOW?

Danny O'Neil of the Seattle Times answers this question:  

"Quarterback Matt Hasselbeck is not what he used to be.  That statement is not a critique of his performance nor a commentary on the caliber of his arm.

It's the reality of how the quarterback's role has changed under coach Pete Carroll.  It's not just the throws he makes, but the turnovers he doesn't.  Valor isn't as important as discretion.

'In our offense and our football team, it's about taking care of the ball,' Carroll said.  'Matt is the first guy who has to do that.'

It's not like turnovers just now became important under Carroll, but avoiding them is now the number one priority.  And for the past two weeks, Hasselbeck has done a first-rate job.  Seattle has one turnover in the past two games as the Seahawks have won two in a row to gain control of the NFC West.

Hasselbeck hasn't been picked off for 10 quarters, throwing 97 consecutive passes and counting, without an interception.  That's quite a change from a player who was picked off 10 times in the last four games of 2009 and at least once each of the first four games this season." 

What is your primary objective?  Can it be measured? 

For the Seahawks, it's turnovers.  This is measurable.  At the end of each game, achievement of this goal is definitively apparent, both for the offense and the defense.  By focusing on this goal, it's not as if the team forgets to focus on play development, strategy, play calling, tackling etc... They work to execute all of those tasks.  But, they hold one task above all others - avoiding turnovers.  In fact, by establishing this as the priority, the team can feel fairly assured that they'll succeed in this regard...and getting that right can lead to wins.

What about your business?

In the new agent category: Perhaps for recruiters, you could focus on number of manager appointments set each week with quality candidates.  Managers could focus on number of interviews converted into hires.

In the experienced agent category:  Perhaps Managers could focus on number of contacts per week within their agent pipeline.

Whatever the goal, measure and broadcast the results.  Pick something that all other objectives hinge on and drive toward it.  I can almost guarantee that few of your competitors do this.  Focusing on too many objectives leaves you ignoring them all.

By the time you read this, the Seahawks will have played the Raiders.  Whatever the outcome, check out the turnover ratio.  Also remember, perfection isn't the goal...improvement over last year is! 

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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.  Comments or questions are welcome.  If you're an email subscriber, reply to this WorkPuzzle email.  If you read the blog directly from the web, you can click the "comments" link below.

Why Organizational Narcissism Leads To Failure

Over the past 23 years I have treated at least 50 clients with the diagnosis of narcissistic personality disorder.  In addition, I have performed psychological assessments on well over 1,000 individuals who have fit the criteria for the diagnosis. 

Unlike most mental health issues, these individuals rarely come in for mental health consultation, until it is too late...primarily because they only come in when they have lost or are about to lose everything in their life.  In other words, they don’t feel pain until it's too late.  Why?  Because these people think so highly of themselves that they are blind to their shortcomings.  They have built such an inflated sense of self-worth that they don’t invite critique or input.

These people can tolerate only adulation and surround themselves exclusively with people who will tell them what they want to hear.  Their dedication to experiencing themselves as beyond reproach forces them to neglect outside information, as this would threaten their outwardly very confident, but unconsciously very fragile, façade.  As a result, narcissistic people ignore all messages of trouble and pain around them until their family or life disintegrates before their eyes.  That’s when these individuals come to see me.

This narcissistic structure can and has been found in organizations as well.  Companies can become overly self-confident to the point of resisting change and becoming overly reliant on all of the techniques that originally created their success.  When this happens, eyes and ears of the company become closed to anything that sounds unfamiliar.  History contains many examples of where this has resulted in failure.

I’m not advocating change for the sake of change.  There is absolutely nothing wrong with a leader or organization saying, “We’ve done the research, know what the options are, but we are going to continue to operate in this fashion.”  What I am cautioning against is a cocky kind of confidence in the way companies think and do business.  The primary difference between healthy businesses and narcissistic business practices, is that healthy companies are constantly asking questions, considering new avenues, and are open to input.

Whether you are an agent, recruiter, manager or executive, you can stay on the right path by asking questions, staying informed, and surrounding yourself with people who will do the same... 

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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.  Comments or questions are welcome.  If you're an email subscriber, reply to this WorkPuzzle email.  If you read the blog directly from the web, you can click the "comments" link below.

How to Raise your Expectations: And Get What You Expect

We all intuitively realize that each person within an organization should be productive and perform at a level that justifies their position and salary.  It's not unrealistic to expect everyone to enjoy contributing their part to the overall goals of the company, and offer no excuses for poor performance.

We also all know that there are plenty of people in every company who don’t contribute and leave us uneasy about how to treat them.

The Great Dr. Harry Levinson (psychological consultant to numerous organizations) has a keen eye for perceiving the most fundamental problems with management.  One of the primary problems he has found in the hundreds of companies that he's researched and consulted with is the universality of what he calls “management by guilt.”

The crux of management by guilt is the tendency to not hold people accountable for how they should be performing due to the manager’s internal discomfort around conflict and disappointment.  In his research, Levinson has repeatedly witnessed managers reporting feeling like a “not nice person” when they had to confront people with the reality of their poor performance.  When this pattern has been set, managers will typically procrastinate dealing with these individuals who clearly have not been doing what’s expected, for years.

This irrational way of managing comes from our general reluctance to deal with what reality tells us, if that reality forces us to see and feel our disappointment in someone’s performance. This is usually an overly developed conscience at work. Additionally, people who are poor performers often elicit our sympathy and have a way of making others feel guilty if they are confronted.  This sets up the destructive little dance that can continue indefinitely.  In the meantime- the company, the team, and the person who is allowed this leniency; are all left to languish.

Management by guilt typically follows a six step process:

1. Disappointment in the subordinate;
2. Failure to confront him/her realistically about his/her performance or behavior;
3. Procrastination in reaching a decision about him/her;
4. Covering up with false compliments to ease the guilt of the disappointment;
5. Transfer to another position;
6. Finally, discharging the person.

Levinson goes on to say that the consequences of the above often include:

1. The subordinate's occupational opportunities are either impaired or destroyed in the name of kindness;
2. Executives hurt each other as they transfer this person;
3. The company suffers because the subordinate often draws a salary for years without producing adequately.
   (Harry Levinson; Selected Articles, 2009)

Remember, A poor performer has an impact on much more than their immediate, obvious responsibilities.  I have personally witnessed individuals bottleneck an entire department because of their refusal to do what was expected.

Here are some quotes from Dr. Levinson about this topic that we each need to etch in granite:

"Each person must see adequate reaction to his performance and behavior if he is to govern it accordingly."

"When after two or three direct discussions of a person's performance, she is unable to change her behavior to meet the requirements of her position, it is a reasonably safe assumption that the person cannot change voluntarily."

"Unless a Leader takes charge, and makes it clear that she is in charge, her subordinates are likely to continue to challenge her and to be in conflict with each other."

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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.  Comments or questions are welcome.  If you're an email subscriber, reply to this WorkPuzzle email.  If you read the blog directly from the web, you can click the "comments" link below.

Fundamentals matter: Stick to your Priorities

In my most recent articles (1, 2, 3), I've tried to stimulate some thinking about the critical importance of detailing your own set of fundamentals that you MUST focus on in order to succeed.  The purpose of this series is to encourage you to have a list of principles or "rules" you will forever rely on, and even obsess over, to maintain the focus necessary for great performance.  After all, we all know that if you fail to aim at anything in particular, you'll most likely hit NOTHING at all.  I strongly feel that too much of our day is spent performing tasks that do little for our long-term success, for the reason that most of us have never taken the time to build, much less, stick to a list of MUSTS.

I was reminded today of one of the more important principles via an email from my 25-year old son, Ryan.  He is an account executive at a large local radio station here in Seattle.  He shared how he lost one of his most lucrative accounts and is having to apologize, both to the client, and his boss, that he let some details slip through the cracks.

Now, how does this happen?  How do you momentarily or insidiously lose track of one of your primary sources of revenue?  This sort of thing seems very simple to track, and yet we all do it.  I almost guarantee that most of us have, at some point, lapsed into the type of work day where we are so busy doing "all sorts of STUFF," that we fail to prioritize the primary blocks that need to be built, from the extraneous, less important, fires to be put out.  This is not limited to sales.  It happens in every department, in every industry.

There is something about human nature that causes us to slowly lose track of the things that really matter most.  We lose sight of how to prioritize -- what details to invest enormous amounts of time into, and what details to delegate, deal with in two minutes, or completely ignore.

The primary problem is that we all want to please and not disappoint.  It is not necessarily a sign of deep psychological distress to want to please people, be helpful, attend to squeaky wheels, and rush to out fires.  After all, when there is chaos we want to fix it, right?

However, what most of us fail to do, is weigh the degree to which investing time in each fire is worth the energy expended.  Imagine for a moment, now, if you had some magical, built-in computer program that flashed before your eyes saying, "This problem is not worth addressing personally-- Delegate!"...or, "This complaint from an agent who has done little to perform and less to build up the overall goal of teamwork at the office, is not worth more than three minutes!"  OR even better, "You have failed to contact xyz company in 4 weeks...BIG MISTAKE, as this agent/client represents $$$ off your company dollar and needs attention now!"

Unfortunately, you are probably not ever going to have such a sophisticated computer.  (Maybe someday?)  But you can build something similar, only if you are willing to take the time to prioritize ALL of your activities and follow a system to be reminded.  By prioritizing all of your agents, your agent prospects, your clients, your clients' most critical needs, and your agents' most crucial tasks--you can begin to build your own system of sifting through all of the incoming data.  As a result, you will become much more efficient, functional and intentional with your time.

 

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Editor's Note:  This article was written by Dr. David Mashburn.  Dave is a Clinical and Consulting Psychologist, Partner at Tidemark, Inc. and a regular contributor to WorkPuzzle.  Comments or questions are welcome.  If you're an email subscriber, reply to this WorkPuzzle email.  If you read the blog directly from the web, you can click the "comments" link below.  

Why fundamentals matter: The simpler the better

 I trust that you've read the last two entries (1, 2) regarding the importance of building a list of absolute, non-negotiable, principles or objectives that everyone in your organization knows and practices.  I have received some feedback that I will share with you shortly, but I am hoping to get more ideas from you, the reader, before providing a list.  Please refer to the above links to review exactly what I'm looking for in your list.

Briefly, the case was made that we can't rely on talent alone to achieve our business objectives.  I used the Seattle Mariners to support this idea.  Today, I'll present you with an excellent example of obsessing over the right things, this time using the Seattle Seahawks as an example.

The Seattle Seahawks are not predicted to return to the playoffs anytime soon.  They have far too many new players and very few positions, if any, held by anyone who is considered the best at their position.  Nonetheless, their record to date is two wins and two losses.

The reason for their relative success is fairly simple:  Pete Carroll realizes that he can't match other teams, position for position.  In fact, he realizes that having a team with so many new players and a lack of cohesion demands that he MUST boil down their objective to eliminate confusion and bring about a unified purpose... so that everyone GETS IT.  So, instead of focusing on a complex set of principles, he has simplified the focus to one... Yes that's right, ONE objective:

"Offense= Don't give up the football; Defense= Get the football."

That's it.  So, this entire year this Seahawks team will focus on their turnover ratio more than any other stat.  Will they still make mistakes and turn over the football?  Yes.  Will they go to the playoffs?  I don't know.  But will they have a more favorable turnover ratio than their opponents?  I believe they will.  My hunch is that Pete Carroll knows that having small, attainable objectives can bring a team of new comrades together to build something great.

And by the way, remember....as I write this, they are 2-2 and challenging for the top of their division.

Have you simplified your objectives?

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Editor's Note:  This article was written by Dr. David Mashburn.  Dave is a Clinical and Consulting Psychologist, Partner at Tidemark, Inc. and a regular contributor to WorkPuzzle.  Comments or questions are welcome.  If you're an email subscriber, reply to this WorkPuzzle email.  If you read the blog directly from the web, you can click the "comments" link below.  

Why "Let's Have Coffee" Is Vital To Success

In my last post I promised to begin building a list of vital business fundamentals that are non-negotiable--things that must be performed, measured, and in every way, insisted upon.  I asked for your help in building this list and am eagerly awaiting ideas that you have derived from the best of your own experience.  Keep in mind…there are no right or wrong answers here.  The point of this exercise is to emphasize the importance of HAVING A LIST.  And once you have a list, be diligent about setting expectations and measuring that list.
 
I opened this discussion yesterday by pointing to our very own Seattle Mariners as an example of a team that has great talent, yet very few wins.  One of the problems this year began with the relationship between baseball legend and Hall of Fame bound Ken Griffey Jr., and the Mariner's manager.  Griffey was well liked by the majority of his teammates and was said to be an asset to team moral, cohesion and maturity.  The problem was, that the manager hired to lead the Mariners, didn’t take the time to get to know and develop a relationship with Griffey.

I don’t know whether it was pride, intimidation, or a naïveté that led to this blunder, but because of this, there was little communication between the two.  As a result, halfway through the season, Griffey spontaneously packed up his bags and drove home to his family in Florida with no press conference, no goodbye celebration, nothing...
 
The point is this:  We can spend reams of time with the “hard” practices of our business, but the “soft” principles are equally, if not more important.  One of these soft principles, relationship building, I like to refer to as “Let's have Coffee.”
 
I can tell you unequivocally, that in my own experience--whether building my private practice, developing a partnership at Tidemark, or helping others with their success--all of these things have begun around meeting for coffee or lunch.  In fact, 23 years ago, with only $3,000 in my bank account and two young boys, I moved to Seattle to begin my practice.  And, although it was tough financially, I designated $1,500 of that money to inviting possible referral sources to lunch (this was before Starbucks was on every street corner).  I did this nearly every day, for the first three months of my living in the Seattle area.  This was the best money I ever spent.
 
"Making time for coffee" is not only important for building a business, but also for maintaining a business.  It helps you to retain your best talent and really get to know what other talent is out there.
 
We can spend so much time building the right tools that we forget about building the right connections, and maintaining them.  It often doesn’t matter what long-term outcome you're after - Just showing that you actually want to build a connection can open multiple doors in the future and aid in keeping existing doors wide open.
 
A world famous business consultant recently said that 20-40% of your 300 lunches per year should be dedicated to these types of casual meetings.
 
Is this something you are doing?  Do you consider it to be important?  If it is, should you be measuring it?
 
I think I have inspired myself into a corner.  I guess, I better start doing the same...

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Editor's Note:  This article was written by Dr. David Mashburn.  Dave is a Clinical and Consulting Psychologist, Partner at Tidemark, Inc. and a regular contributor to WorkPuzzle.  Comments or questions are welcome.  If you're an email subscriber, reply to this WorkPuzzle email.  If you read the blog directly from the web, you can click the "comments" link below.