Instead of the usual goal setting blog I’d usually write for
the year ahead, I thought I would ponder on the lessons I’ve learned this year.
Lessons from across not just my own life (personal and
professional) but also through the training I’ve conducted and the client’s
I’ve been lucky enough to work with this year. These lesson’s have helped me
and many property managers, BDM’s and business owners alike get through the
year, grow and set an incredible platform for a successful year ahead.
Once you’ve read through my lessons, take a moment to think
about what lesson’s you’ve learned this year? What has worked well for you?
What hasn’t worked well? And what do you need to change?
1. How we treat our existing clients breeds our future business
Self explanatory really, and by
client’s I do not just mean the landlords, I have done a lot of work this year
in conveying the importance of taking care of our tenants, they are our future
customers, they know our future customers and are the ones talking about our
business well after their vacate date. In the words of Jim Rohn - “One customer
well taken care off could be worth more than $10,000 worth of advertising”
2. There are no mistakes, only lessons we learn
A mistake, a complaint, a royal
stuff up is all okay, as long as we learn from it. Sweeping it under the rug or
not taking ownership of our errors will not be good for ourselves or our
business. Every time something goes wrong think, what can I learn from this,
what could I have done differently, what could we change so this doesn’t happen
again.
3. Our attitude towards life will determine life’s attitude towards us
If you think every day is unfair,
that bad things always happen to you, chances are that life will treat you
unfairly, and you will always have many reasons to complain. On the other hand,
if you think life is a gift, that wonderful things always happen to you, life
will give you all of those things and even more. Just how there is a law of
gravity, there is also a law of attraction, and based on this law, you attract
in your life that which you think about all day long, you attract that which
you are, because you see, like attracts like I like to think of it simply,
think about when you get a new car, and then suddenly you notice that car
everywhere!
4. Be Kind, Everyone you meet is fighting a battle you know nothing about
We assume we know a person, a
client, a colleague – we assume we know they are just a grumpy cow, or why they
are angry or stressed, but chances are we know nothing of what is going on
beneath the surface in that person’s life. We see one dimension of that human,
one side, one face. But take a moment to think what could be causing that
reaction, stress so we can have greater empathy and understanding.
5. Stress is the perception that everything has to happen right now
Whenever I am overwhelmed or my
client’s feel overwhelmed, I break it down. Whilst it appears that all of the
things need to happen right now and it creates a feeling of stress and
overwhelm, when you break it down in writing, map out what is urgent, what is
not urgent and do some prioritising and planning, you can remove the stress as
you’re allowing your mind to see there is a time and a place to deal with it
all. When you feel like you do not have time to take 5 minutes to break it
down, that is exactly when you NEED to do it.
6. Being busy, may actually just
be the way life is
In our office this year, we
banned the word “busy” as a response or complaint.
In property management we hear this word all the time, however the more I think
about it the more it’s apparent that life is just busy, work is busy. We are a
generation of busy people who fill our days with work, play and everything in
between. If we can accept this it can revolutionise our attitudes. How we
prioritise and stay efficient that becomes more important – “working hard
doesn’t always mean working smart”. And too important is how we prioritise and
schedule in our down time or me time.
7. Fit your own oxygen mask
before helping others
If you are not in a fit, happy
and healthy space (physical and mind) it will be very hard to help those around
you, both in personal and professional life. What do you need to do to ensure
you are fit, willing and able to help those around you and your clients? Are
you eating well, exercising, and getting enough sleep? What support and help do
you need to get you into a better space? A counsellor or mentor? I know number
1 for me when I am getting my cranky pants on is that I haven’t exercised, that
is then my first port of call to ensure I can deal with and react whatever
client’s throw at me.
8. There is no one size fit’s all approach..... to anything really
Whether it is in the advice I
give my coaching clients, or whether it be the way to deal with an angry
tenant, or whether it is implementing a system into a business, what works for
one person will not necessarily work for another. We need to be constantly
learning and adapting to meet the needs of the situation – if you think you
know it all, you are wrong. Also when receiving advice in general, be careful
to recognise that it may not always be the best and appropriate advice for you.
9. People will disappoint us
Behaviours of clients, silly
requests from tenants, actions of those around you, they will disappoint and
frustrate you. But it is just part of life, not everyone reacts the same way we
do, not everyone knows the same things we do, not everyone wants the same
things you do. Acceptance of this will remove the stress of expecting everyone
to be the perfect human (i.e. you) and resilience to “let it go” will keep your
approach fresh and stress free.
10. Escape the comparison cloud
There will always be someone with
more money, a more (perceived) perfect relationship, someone with more
listings, a person a flatter stomach, a larger business, a (perceived) less
stressed life. Comparing yourself to others however, is a game you will never win;
you may be comparing apples with peanuts.
In the words of Oscar Wilde – “Be yourself; everyone else is taken”
11. The importance of self awareness
How are you perceived? Is your
confident assertive nature that you feel is one of your strengths, actually
perceived as pushy and bossy by others? Creating a greater sense of self
awareness and how we are perceived, can not only allow us to adapt our
attitudes and actions, but also allow us to see that we may be perceiving a
side of someone that they do not realise they are projecting – giving us a
greater understanding and improving relationships and communication.
12. Prioritise tasks based on urgency and impact
What tasks can you work on today
that will have the biggest impact, which will be the most dollar productive,
which will provide the best result to the clients? Prioritising these days
rather than letting our day be run by the small and easiest tasks, or the ones
we like doing, or what has come into our inbox – will ensure we go home each
day satisfied and accomplished.
13. Remove Distractions
Escape the pop-ups, the
notifications, the dings, the bings, the flashing and the sounds. This year I
turned off all notifications and I can tell you this one has been a massive
winner for my stress levels, mindset and productivity. It means I am in control
of when I check my emails or face book and I am not letting my day be run by
anyone else. Avoid distraction and stay focused on the task at hand, or at your
time you’ve dedicated to relaxing. It feels scary but try it.... Things can,
surprisingly, wait.
14. Understand the WHY
When the motivation is waning and
we are getting tired, we need something to help us regain focus, re-energise us
and get us back on track. This is where it is vitally important to understand
WHY we are doing what we are doing. What will it mean for you to achieve that
goal, what will it feel like to accomplish that task or what does going to work
each day allow our lives to look like. When you start to slip of the track,
rather than focus on the goal, you focus on the why, it will be much easier to
get back on track and keep pushing through. It is also important to understand
the WHY of our client’s. Why do they need us, what is important to them and why
did they chose to use us, so we are able to sell to and deliver on their needs.
15. We are good at going fast, we need to practice at going slow
Taking time out, relaxing,
unwinding, being offline, is vitally important to our health and wellbeing,
however it is so hard for so many of us
who are always trying to jam one more thing into our already fully packed days.
Without getting too hippy hippy shake on you, this is why practices like yoga,
mindfulness and meditation are so important, as they help us slow down and connect to our authentic selves. This is why the most successful people in the
world start their day with silence, exercise, gratitude and planning. How you
start your day will set the tone for the rest of your day (week.... month...
year...... years....).
Happy Pondering........
Hermione Gardiner
Real+
