WorkPuzzle

How to be Fully Engaged

We, at Tidemark (and I, personally), are in the process of trying to simplify our daily workflow.  The purpose of this exercise is to free ourselves from extraneous, unproductive tasks, and replace them with more critical, strategically driven tasks, as well as free up time to think, imagine, and innovate.  This exercise has already taken an enormous amount of thought, and is likely to take even more.  But I'm optimistic that the end product will be worth it. 

I can already begin to imagine a more productive workday, where each task is laid out the night before; where I keep track of the time that I spend on each task (using the Toggl App); where I delegate tasks that should be done by someone else; and where I am freed up to research and develop new ideas.  

Our quest to achieve efficiency while maintaining the excellence in productivity that our clients have come to expect, has caused me to research and listen to experts, on ways that this can be done.  While I have written extensively on a number of research supported ways to improve engagement on a personal level, the following is a valuable exercise that we’ve found helpful for our staff. 

1. We re-worked and re-affirmed our key strategies for the next year.
2. We named three critical tasks that support these strategies.
3. We had everyone in the organization memorize these tasks so that they can improve anything that supports these objectives, and exclude the things that do not support the objectives.

Another exercise that I am personally integrating into the mix was found in the article “The Magic of Doing One Thing at a Time.” 

The author recommends being fully engaged at each moment rather than attempting to juggle several duties throughout the day.  I am fully committed to giving this a try.  The following are suggestions that I am most likely going to experiment with.  

“It's also up to individuals to set their own boundaries.  Consider these three behaviors for yourself:

1. Do the most important thing first in the morning, preferably without interruption, for 60 to 90 minutes, with a clear start and stop time.  If possible, work in a private space during this period, or with sound-reducing earphones.  Finally, resist every impulse to distraction, knowing that you have a designated stopping point.  The more absorbed you can get, the more productive you'll be.  When you're done, take at least a few minutes to renew.

2. Establish regular, scheduled times to think more long term, creatively, or strategically.  If you don't, you'll constantly succumb to the tyranny of the urgent.  Also, find a different environment in which to do this activity — preferably one that's relaxed and conducive to open-ended thinking.

3. Take real and regular vacations.  Real means that when you're off, you're truly disconnecting from work.  Regular means several times a year if possible, even if some are only two or three days added to a weekend.  The research strongly suggests that you'll be far healthier if you take all of your vacation time, and more productive overall.

A single principle lies at the heart of all these suggestions.  When you're engaged at work, fully engage, for defined periods of time.  When you're renewing, truly renew.” 

Just like our garages need a spring cleaning, by ridding ourselves of items that have become cluttering, so too our work lives require occassional cleaning to optimize talent, efficiencies, and focus.

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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.

5 Reasons You Need to Connect Face-to-Face with Your Clients

As I mentioned in our last discussion, Dave and I spent some time at a couple of national real estate conferences in March.  Each year, our company puts together a marketing and account management plan and there is usually some dialog among the partners concerning the benefit of such events. 

Attending a national conference means taking time away from our normal business activities, which produce the revenue for our company.  In addition, since no one in their right mind would schedule a spring time conference anywhere close to Seattle, there is the travel expense and inconvenience of uprooting for a few days to get to the conference location. 

So, why do we participate in these events?  Because we’ve come to the conclusion that there is an intrinsic value in connecting with our clients, face-to-face, as often as possible.  We’ve learned (in our business) that there is nothing that can replace this valuable interaction, and it’s worth the investment. 

Until recently, I thought this was something unique to our type of business.  But, as I’ve read more on this topic, I’ve found it is a common thread in the success of most companies.  And, I would suspect it is a necessity for a real estate manager as well. 

René Shimada Siegel, Founder of High Tech Connect, articulated some the benefits of face-to-face meetings in a recent article in Inc. Magazine.  Here is how she boiled down the topic: 

“No matter what industry we’re in, we’re all in the people business.  We’ll only be successful if we really get to know our customers and colleagues.  Many of my clients are so busy that they now prefer texting to even emails or calls.  

Skype, WebEx and audio calls are convenient and create the illusion we’re actually having a meeting -- but nothing beats the power of a truly personal, face-to-face connection.  What can you learn from an in-person meeting that you can’t from a virtual one?  

1. You're off the record.  Many of my clients work in cubes and can’t have private telephone conversations with me or anyone else.  This means that when I talk to them on the phone, I might not get to hear the most important information they can share:  the unique team dynamics, the executive’s personality quirks, etc.  Over sushi or a latte or a walk around the block, my clients can let me know more -- with more color -- than they can over the telephone or in an email.   
2. Make use of not-so-small talk.  Most business conversations are focused on solving a problem quickly and efficiently, while business relationships are built when people take the time to share and learn more about each other.  That happens more naturally in person than over the phone or in an email.  What cements a bond between people?  Small talk about a favorite team, passion for pecan pie, parenting challenges, and the other bits and pieces that make us unique and interesting.  
3. Make an impression.  I bought a new handbag.  It’s faux ostrich and it’s pink.  Really pink.  I’ve received compliments on it from every woman (and one man) I’ve met with in the past two weeks.  I had worried it was perhaps not professional enough for business.  But the style and color were bold, “spring-y” and made me smile.  Who knew my $60 knock-off handbag would be such a great conversation starter and deliver such a strong personal statement?  How do you do that over Skype?  
4. Read the body language.  Facial expressions often communicate so much more than words.  We host consultant coffees and invite a handful of independent consultants to our office in order to better understand the nuances of each professional in a relaxed setting.  We need to know what isn’t on the resume that makes each person unique.  In their eyes and in their body language, we can see confidence, empathy, fear, friendliness or sincerity.  That ability to “read” a candidate beyond their keywords is a huge competitive advantage for us.  
5. Learn where the action is.  I find out so much when I visit one of my clients in their office.  Is the lobby bright and inviting with recent accolades proudly displayed?  Do employees seem happy?  Is there free juice and healthy snacks in the cafeteria?  Brand new Herman Miller chairs in the conference room?  Is everyone moving in slow motion or is there a palpable buzz?  The environment speaks volumes and may factor into your business proposal or plan.  By understanding company dynamics, we can communicate more effectively to meet their needs.” 

As the use of technology continues to evolve in the real estate industry, don’t completely give in to the siren’s call.  Meeting with your agents face-to-face and encouraging them to meet with their clients face-to-face, is something that cannot be replaced.

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Editor's Note: This article was written by Ben Hess. Ben is the Founding Partner and Managing Director of 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.

Burgers and Fish: The Meat of your Business

Here in Seattle, we’ve been enduring a very rough winter that seems to have no end in sight.  I am currently watching snow fall as I write this.  One of the primary reasons for my impatience for a warm spring is the continued delayed chance to visit my two favorite places in Seattle:  Dick's Burgers and Pike Place Fish Market.  (Be patient and you’ll learn why this relates to your company and office...)

It occurred to me that I am certainly not the only one who has aligned my allegiance to both of these establishments.  Not only does nearly every Seattleite venture to both Dick's and Pike Place Fish Market, but so does the rest of the world.  You might not have heard about Dick's, but most visitors venture there for lunch or dinner, as steered by the natives.  Dick's is so Iconic that Sir Mix-a-Lot refers to Dick's on his song “Posse on Broadway,” Jennifer Aniston can be seen holding a Dick's bag on “Love Happens,” and in the song “Little Indian Princess,” the band, The Presidents of the United States, mentions wanting to "spend my loose change on a fist-sized ice cream cone at Dick's." 

Here are two companies where innovation will not be found among any of their company values.  Here is what Wikipedia says about Dick's:

“The simple menu has changed little over time.  It features fast-food staples, such as hamburgers, hand-cut french fries, and individually made milkshakes.  Dick's is particularly well known for the "Dick's Special," which includes lettuce, mayonnaise, and chopped pickles; and the "Dick's Deluxe," a quarter-pound version of the Special, with cheese.  Cashiers do not accept variations on the burger's preparation, or omissions such as asking for the burger without lettuce, but will serve the Deluxe without cheese.  Of the six locations, all but the Queen Anne location are without customer seating.  Each Dick's location only accepts cash; there are no ways to use electronic forms of payment.”

The Pike Place Market's flying fish counter is similar.  This is a business that brings in fresh ice and fish every day, cleans the fish, keeps ice on them all day, sets up the presentation, and cleans up every night, seven days a week, 365 days per year.  It’s a pretty simple business, and could be boring.  How do they maintain their focus?

How do both of these “boring” businesses keep people coming back?  Sure, for the Fish Market, it might have something to do with the entertainment inherent in throwing the fish across the heads of innocent bystanders, but I believe it is much more than this. 

I have had the pleasure of meeting and listening to the founder of Dick's, Dick Spady, tell his story.  One of the key features of his character that shines through in all that he says is his tenacious adherence to a specific way of doing business...“The right way, every day.”  He is so adamant about work ethic among employees, for example, that when employees call in sick, he personally calls each to ask how they are doing.  He then tells them how much they are needed for “our” organization to continue the great tradition of delivering thousands of burgers each day with a smile to eager customers.  

You’d think that employees would not appreciate that kind of accountability, but that's not the case.  I once met an ex-employee of Dick's who had a “Dick's” tattoo on her upper arm in memory of “the greatest place [she] ever worked.” 

To me, these icons of Seattle are great reminders of what great businesses are made of:  Visions and values that are engrained, not only in the beliefs, but more importantly in the behavior of each of its team members.  So what does your business or your office believe in?  Does that translate to every customer experience?  Do you hold people accountable to the company beliefs? 

“We do not act rightly because we have virtue or excellence, but we rather have those because we have acted rightly.”  -Aristotle

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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.

UNDERSTANDING THE PINTEREST PHENOMENON—Part 2

So, have you had a chance to check out Pinterest?  If you’re like a lot people, maybe you got sucked in and spent more time on the site than you intended! 

To finish up the discussion we started last week, I’ll restate the question that I left unanswered: 

How can the Pinterest insights be used in your business? 

First, I’m not suggesting that your company establish a Pinterest account and start trying to use this avenue to accomplish various business objectives (marketing, recruiting, band building, etc.).  Instead, I’m proposing that we try to learn from their methodologies.   

I know that most real estate companies are already participating in various social networking initiatives.  Much of the involvement is early stage and there is much to learn as we all try to make these venues produce results.  So, what has Pinterest figured out, and how can you apply some of the lessons to your social networking efforts? 

Here are some ideas that came to mind as I pondered this question. 

1.  There is a difference between congregating around interest and congregating around relationship. 

Pinterest teaches us that there can be an appropriate (and sometimes necessary) separation between my interests and my relationships.  The personal nature of information that I share with family and friends is not interesting to most people.  

People seem to open up a little more on-line when they are communicating about their interests.  In doing so, there is more diversity in the types of people who can connect around a topic of shared interest.   

2.  Business more naturally connects with interest. 

You’ve probably heard the old saying:  People hate to be sold, but love to buy.  When there is a common interest that a group of people congregate around, it is natural for people to talk about the products and services they use to support that interest. 

However, it’s usually awkward to first have a relationship with someone based on a personal connection (ex. alumni of the same high school), and then have a conversation about a product or service.  I’m not saying that this never happens, but it quickly raises on-line privacy concerns for most people; Many people feel that a relational interest is being contrived for a business objective.  

3.  People are drawn to pictures.   

Pinterest didn’t discover this phenomenon, but they’ve certainly mastered its application.  There is something magnetic about an interesting picture. 

For example, one of my business partners has a 24-year old daughter who lives in New York City and works for a publishing company.  Now, I’m not overly interested in the publishing industry or the daily life of a young female who lives on the other side of the country.  But, this young woman takes incredible pictures. 

She writes a blog about what she calls her wonderful adventure in New York City.  My wife and I will occasionally pop on her blog with the purpose of seeing what cool pictures Heather has posted this week.  There is something very captivating about a person who has a passion and captures it with pictures. 

4.  Facebook and Twitter may get you where you want to go. 

There is a bunch of discussion among real estate companies in the last year or so about using Facebook and Twitter as avenues for promoting business interests.  The thought is that they are the largest and most prominent social networks, so it only makes sense to attempt to leverage their large membership bases. 

Pinterest may be teaching us something different—it is a social networking site that does just one thing really well.  For many real estate companies, it may be worth considering this idea as well.     

Can you really successfully compete in the Facebook arena, or would it make more sense to consider some less prominent social networking sites, or even create your own network?  For example, the music industry has largely benefited from the second of these options.  

Bottom line:  There is a lot left to learn when it comes to on-line social networking.  When a site like Pinterest scores a huge hit, it’s worth paying attention and trying to figure out what they’ve discovered.   

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Editor's Note: This article was written by Ben Hess. Ben is the Founding Partner and Managing Director of 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.

Understanding the Pinterest Phenomenon

Have you spent any time on Pinterest yet?  If not, you probably will soon.  Pinterest is one of the fastest growing websites on the internet this year, hosting more than 11 million unique visitors per month. 

What is Pinterest?  It is a site where members post pictures, images, and artwork on topics that are of interest to them.  The name is intended to conjure up a cork pin board where you might post a collage of pictures you find interesting and significant.

Now, imagine you can look at other people’s pin boards, copy images of the interesting things you find on your own board (re-pin), and comment on the things that others have posted.  Similar to Google, you can search for images, but instead of just getting a long array of sterile images, each image has a person and comments attached to it.

Here is the question I’d like to consider today:  Why did Pinterest suddenly (it was founded in 2008) get wildly popular?  What bit of the human existence did the founders of this site discover and successfully tap?  And, how can the same ideas be used to make your business more popular? 

For some help on this topic, we’ll turn to Dr. Christopher Long and an interview he recently did with Fast Company.  Dr. Long makes these observations: 

1. Pinterest has mastered the art of sharing.  Like Facebook, Pinterest relies on people generating content that interests other users.  So, once a critical mass of people comment and re-pin, it reinforces others to generate content.    

So what’s different?  Pinterest boards are like its users’ personal happiness collages.  They represent things that they appreciate, desire, and that express who they are...whether the things are cupcakes, shirtless David Beckham, or an inspirational quotation. 

In an ironic way, Long says, this frees many people to be more public about who they really are and who they want to be, because it’s less focused on the kind of personal content that sets off privacy and security alarms.  

Dr. Long concludes, “Pinterest is a place where we can demonstrate:  ‘If it weren’t for all those mundane things that I do that I post on Facebook, this is what I would be doing and consuming.  Here is my real self.’”  

2.  Pinterest has figured out how to integrate business (brand) interests with personal interests.  Facebook has notoriously struggled with the integration of business life and personal life.  But Pinterest makes the transition with surprising success—it is currently driving more referral traffic (someone clicks on something in Pinterest that takes them to another, usually commercial, site) than YouTube, LinkedIn, Google, and Reddit...combined. 

“Pinterest boards are essentially collections of 'Likes,' the expectation is that users curate these more carefully than they may curate their Facebook Likes.  When I pin or re-pin something related to a brand, I am saying that I care about this content enough that I want to hold onto it or that I want to show other people that it is important. 

[As people tell me about the things they love], I don’t feel like I’m being sold anything directly, even though each pin will eventually take me to the source.  I feel like a service is being provided for me to totally enjoy something that I am passionate about and find images I didn’t know existed."

So, we’ve answered my first two challenge questions...how about the last one: How can these insights be used in your business? 

I believe every local real estate office has the opportunity to connect with the citizens and businesses in their area, due to their physical location within the community they serve.  And, this need is being largely unmet. 

In our next discussion, we’ll explore this idea in more detail.  In the meantime, check out Pinterest and tell me what you think of it!       

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Editor's Note: This article was written by Ben Hess. Ben is the Founding Partner and Managing Director of 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.

Fear of Change

Here is a great quote I came across today: 

"Change has a considerable psychological impact on the human mind.  To the fearful it is threatening because it means that things may get worse.  To the hopeful it is encouraging because things may get better.  To the confident it is inspiring because the challenge exists to make things better."  King Whitney Jr.   

Have you ever thought about how fundamental “change” is in your recruiting pursuits?  I submit that many of the people in your pipeline are fearful of change, at least as it pertains to their career.  Addressing those fears during your dialog may help you in your efforts to develop authentic relationships.   

Anyone whom you wish to onboard will be facing a change, either the minor change of switching companies, or the major change of pursuing a completely new career.  How you address that with them will make all the difference in your recruiting success.  

Jorge Barba, a self-professed “Innovation Insurgent,” made this observation in a recent blog he authored:  

“When employees do not feel understood, they resist change more fiercely.  But when they are included in the decision-making process and treated as valued resources, they can be the staunchest champions of new initiatives.”  

This statement is certainly valid in terms of managing your existing employees, but let me re-frame it relative to recruiting...  

As a hiring manager, you have a tough job.  You’re tasked with helping a person come to the realization that their current job circumstances are mediocre or poor.  And, to fix the situation, they are going to have to overcome their fear of change and envision something better for the future. 

The key to handling this discussion well, starts early.  Reread the above quote.  When do people stop resisting?  When they see themselves included in the decision making process.  

How do you get a candidate involved in this process?  The first step is to truly understand the person’s fears.  We all want to be understood in general, and that is certainly something you should strive to do and demonstrate, but taking it a step further and addressing and empathizing with one’s fear of change is important too.  

Once you have conveyed an understanding of their feelings around change, you can begin the conversation about how they can empower themselves to improve their situation.  This conversation does not start with what you can do for them, but rather listening to their ideas about what they think would help them get to a better place with their career.  

In doing so, you will begin to move the conversation away from fear and towards hope.  Wouldn’t it be nice to be the catalyst for that conversion?

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Editor's Note: Lee Gray is the Senior Account Manager at Tidemark Inc. Lee is a guest 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.

Another "Awesome" Blog

I just received an email from my truly "awesome" 77 year-old Dad who, over the years in his teaching graduate business students, has witnessed a dramatic increase and overuse of the word "awesome."  They have, in his observation, used the word so frequently in speech and writing, that it has lost its original meaning. 

How tired are you of the word "awesome?" 

Although I infrequently use the word, I'm embarrassed to tell you that I probably am guilty of its overuse and its misapplication...and I'm almost 52 years old.  I seem to recall the overuse of the word having its roots in my vocabulary around the year 1978...just prior to the debut of Fast Times at Ridgemont High.  I was graduating high school and remember a friend using this word to describe nearly every experience he encountered.  He was an avid skier, but had he lived in Southern California, he would have been a surfer-- if you get my drift?

In a search on the internet, I found a long list of efforts dedicated to banning the word.  Because the number of people who are becoming offended by the overuse is growing, it might be helpful to strongly encourage your agents and those who represent your company to actively monitor their own vocabulary, for proper usage. 

My dad (who has been a well respected professor and favorite among students) is about to retire from teaching.  Here is a one page handout that my dad is distributing to his last class of graduate students:

 

Optional Words for “Awesome”

 (You must learn to speak & write correctly.)

One of the most overused and incorrectly used words today is “awesome.”

The dictionary definition of “awesome” is:  “Overwhelmingly grand, breathtaking, astounding.”  Therefore, “awesome” is a suitable word to describe the Grand Canyon or Niagara Falls.  You might also say that these scenes are awe-inspiring.  

Expand your vocabulary.  Rather than use the word “awesome” incorrectly, try using some of the “optional words” or other similar words listed below as more suitable to describe your feeling or observation about an object, person, or occurrence. 

OPTIONAL WORD	MEANING & Other Similar Words
Incredible:	-Hard to believe, astonishing, amazing
Fantastic:	-Expressing pleasure at something incredible
Extraordinary:	-Unusually excellent or strange
Magnificent:	-Unusually beautiful, superb, exceptional
Unprecedented:	-Unparalleled, a record, a first time, unique
Phenomenal:	-Perceived by your senses as remarkable, unusual, or rare
Unique:	-Only one of a kind, special, exclusive, distinctive
Wonderful:	-Exceedingly pleasing, outstanding
Miraculous:	-Regarded as caused by supernatural intervention, astonishing, unbelievable, and marvelous
Fabulous:	-Typical of fables, tremendously wonderful, marvelous, or great

OK Dad.  You've convinced me.  I will, from this day forward, stop over-using the word "awesome."  But, instead of using any of the words from this list.....I think I'll reintroduce the word "swell." 

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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 Do People Leave Your Office? Lessons From Google

Take a minute to envision your dream job and the organization in which you’d most like to work.  Maybe some of you had Google float through your head during this exercise.  The extravagant nature of the Google workplace has been well-publicized over the last few years.  

In case you missed it, here is a little intro from Google’s career site: 

“We provide a standard package of fringe benefits, but on top of that are first-class dining facilities, gyms, laundry rooms, massage rooms, haircuts, car washes, dry cleaning, commuting buses – just about anything a hardworking employee might want.  Let’s face it:  programmers want to program, they don’t want to do their laundry.  So we make it easy for them to do both.” 

What’s included in that “standard package of fringe benefits,” you might ask?  I won’t republish the whole list (it is quite long), but here are a few things Google considers standard: 

• A full 12 weeks of paid maternity leave for Mom and/or seven weeks of paid paternity leave for Dad.  Stressed out when you bring the baby home?  No worries -- Google will pay for $500 worth of take-out food so you don’t have to cook. 
• Want to go back to school?  No problem.  Google will pay up to $12,000 per year for education expenses. 
• Want to adopt a child?  Great.  Google will pick up the first $5,000 worth of adoption expenses.  And yes, you still get all the maternity and paternity benefits. 

Here is a complete list is you care to read more: http://www.google.com/jobs/lifeatgoogle/benefits/ 

I think it is safe to say there is no real estate company on the planet who could match these types of benefits.  

So, here is an important question to consider:  If an individual worked in such a great environment, why would he/she leave?    

Some light research was recently conducted on this question by Matt Lynley at Business Insider, and I think the results might surprise you.  Here is some of what Lynley reported: 

“People leave Google because… 

1.  They are not part of the ‘well-respected’ group.  If you aren't an engineer, get ready to be below everyone else.  At most companies, it's the product manager who's more valuable than the engineer.  At Google, engineers get the final say in just about everything.  That leaves designers, ad operatives and just about everyone else in the dust.  

2.  They are bored and want something new.  Sometimes, it's time to move on.  Two former Google employees we spoke with said they had been at Google for an extended period of time and wanted to try something new.  A lot of them move on to new companies. 

3.  Feel disconnected and not part of a team they enjoy.  If you're at a satellite office, you might feel disconnected.  The former Google Wave Team left because they felt like they weren't getting their say.  One former Googler said that New York wasn't really a satellite office, but just about everything else was.  You have to make your presence felt in Mountain View if you want to have a say in the company. 

4.  Some are feeling the entrepreneurial itch.  Chris Dixon tweeted just a short while ago some Google diaspora:  Ev Williams, who founded Twitter; Kevin Systrom, who founded Instagram; Dennis Crowley, who founded Foursquare; and Ben Silbermann, who founded Pinterest.  One former Googler we spoke to did just that, and got a nice acquisition deal out of it. 

5.  They want to diversify their experience.  Facebook is the largest company where former Google employees end up.  Seriously — who wouldn't want Facebook, Google, and Microsoft all on their resume?  One former Googler we spoke with said this was a huge draw." 

As Dave Mashburn wrote earlier this month (Why Money isn’t the Right Incentive), money is often not the primary reason people leave their job.  Now, as Google alumni have shown us, the same rings true about benefits.  

As a real estate manager responsible for hiring and retaining agents, I’m sure this is hard to believe. Most discussions you have on both ends of the spectrum (hiring or retaining) center on splits and benefits. 

While you’ll always have to deal with the money issue, don’t make it the center of your discussions.  Instead, focus on the reality of the human condition that the Google research teaches: 

Human beings have an insatiable capacity for dissatisfaction. 

Become an expert at detecting dissatisfaction.  Everyone has some.  Once identified, spend time helping individuals relieve that dissatisfaction.   

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Editor's Note: This article was written by Ben Hess. Ben is the Founding Partner and Managing Director of 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.

Recruiting and the Dignity of Work

While watching my favorite news show, 60 Minutes, last Sunday, tears came to my eyes as I witnessed a remarkable story, detailing the importance of work to our fellow humans.  

It was a story of a non-profit organization's attempt to help those who have been unemployed for more than two years, build tangible hope in finding a job, and ultimately place them with great success.  I won't go into the details of the program, but the primary take-away was the remarkable importance work plays in the general dignity of people. 

The carnage of emotional devastation discussed among the initial meetings held by a new class of the unemployed became even more profound when, as a viewer, you were led on their journey through training, internship, and finally productive work.  

The graduates of the program literally cried at the awareness of how “wonderful” it was to hear their alarm clock go off, announcing that it was their time to prepare to go to work.  

At the heels of watching this dramatic story, a friend of mine told me of his story of having just visited Madagascar as a part of an organization restoring the mangrove trees along the barren coast of their waterways (to restore the animal life), by employing villagers to replant and protect their growth.  As a result of these endeavors, the villagers are now able to buy supplies for fishing, pay off their debts, and make a living.  

One villager, who invited my friend into his hut (containing six family members) for dinner, boasted with pride that, because of his newfound “success,” he has “enough rice to last one dry season.”  He went on to say that, as a result, he is “truly content.”  

There are several lessons here with regard to recruiting, not to mention our general work life, in both of these stories.  For one, you should never fail to remember that those you interview might be carrying a great deal of emotional baggage (loss of dignity), if they’re coming to you from the pool of unemployed.  Whatever your decision regarding their suitability for your company, be mindful to treat them with respect, and not further demoralize them or treat them with contempt.  (Although...I’m sure that there are some among these ranks who don't want to do any work, and want it to just come to them—That’s a separate subject for another blog.) 

The other lesson is very clear:  We must actively look for ways to challenge those around us to never lose sight of the privilege of work.  Not everyone gets to do it.  And yet, it is an essential piece of the very fabric from which we are made.  God says that we are made in his Image.  This is the same God that created and sustains this incredible Universe.  It’s no wonder that tears come to our eyes regarding these stories of productivity.  The meaning and purpose run incredibly deep.  

How often do we become ungrateful for our work?  What impact does this tendency have on our company’s culture, or on our company’s reputation, or on our productivity?  Is there a way to keep our pulse on our team members' enjoyment and appreciation of work?     

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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.

Authenticity: The Power of the Real You

It is so common in our society to tell people what we think they want to hear in an effort to get them to do what we want them to do.  I am willing to give the most talented people credit for seeing through that transparency.  It is pervasive, and I wonder...is it working?

In WorkPuzzle, we talk, almost endlessly it seems, about building relationships as part of recruiting and coaching.  I would think any good retention plan would incur some degree of value added coaching/mentoring, especially with newer agents.  Is it not in the coaching that you have the opportunity to build and maintain solid relationships with your agents?  Fundamentally, authenticity is what people take away from their experience with you.  

So, let me ask you a question:  How much does your outside reflect your inside?

Simon Sinek, a leader in inspiration and innovation, offers this as his definition of authenticity:

“Authenticity means that the way we present ourselves to the outside is a perfectly accurate representation of who we really are.  That means, the outside world should be able to guess what it would be like to work there based on their experience... This is not idealism, it's good business.  The more the inside and the outside match, the more those on the inside will invest of their own blood, sweat and tears to see the company succeed.  This makes it much easier to match the expectations a customer has with the experience they will actually get.  And when that happens, when authenticity really exists, loyalty results.”

There are two compelling dynamics in Sinek's observation:  The first can be found by reading this concept relative to your existing agents.  If they see the real you and that relationship adds value to their life, a sense of loyalty will prevail and you will be more successful in your retention strategy.  

Second, by extension, those agents in your market and new-to-business prospects, will also experience, either directly or indirectly, that same sense of “realness” and be inclined to want/choose to be immersed in your environment.  

I am not suggesting that your authentic self is the sole motivator for retention or recruiting, but I do believe it will take you a long way towards achieving a higher success rate in these two aspects of your job. 

Here's something else to consider…the trickle-down theory of authenticity.  Coaching your agents to incorporate their authentic selves in their business strategy will draw potential customers to them, and instill the same kind of loyalty that can lead to repeat business and referrals.  That one word can improve retention rates, recruiting goals, and market share…now that’s efficient!

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Editor's Note: Lee Gray is the Senior Account Manager at Tidemark Inc. Lee is a guest 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.