We all experience apathy at some stage, some of us more often than others. When a team member has become more apathetic than they have been in the past we need to ask ourselves, is it circumstantial or has it now become part of their daily routine? The easy one to solve is "circumstantial". The general malaise may be due to external factors at home that are mostly outside of our control. This is the time to support them with understanding and empathy while working their way out of it. Let them know that you are there for them and available and be ready to assist and get them cracking again when the period has passed.
It can also be due to their financial position whereby the business has slowed; they are unsure of where the next sale is coming from and their target and goals start to become unachievable. This occurrence can have a far more damaging effect as the longer the period the more they can see it as becoming hopeless and they start to question whether they are in the right job. There are two courses of action here. The first is to ask yourself the same question, are they in the right job? Real Estate is not a career that suits everybody, and the challenges of the job can be a test for the most stoic amongst us. If this is the case, then the most appropriate solution may well be to have a difficult conversation with them and support them as they exit. Home sellers invest a lot in their Agent, and it serves no-one for them to entrust their home to someone who is questioning their future and has low levels of confidence in their ability to succeed. If, after you have discussed the issues at play, you both decide that they can turn things around then you need to put a plan in place.
Work with them to establish THEIR plan. Avoid telling them what to do as they will have little buy-in and even less ownership. Let them know that they have your full support and how valuable they are to the team. Re-connect them to their past successes which are the proof that they can be successful as they have achieved it in the past. In short, pick them up, dust them off, put them back on the bike and ask them to peddle like hell.
Finally, if a team member has become disengaged and lethargic it may well be that they no longer want to stay with your business and have made the decision to move on. If this is the case, then you need to look for some of the other signs of disengagement. Signs such as the lowering of standards, lack of communication and general resistance to getting involved. If this is the case you need to have a one on one, identify if this is the case and then exit them as a matter of priority. I am of the opinion that once a team member has decided to leave, the best course of action is to expedite their departure as soon as possible within the boundaries of the law. A disengaged, unmotivated soon to be ex-team member has the potential to cause a lot of damage to a business. It is rarely malicious, but they can often influence others in the team and also affect the agencies relationship with sellers, landlords and clients in general.
Identify, attract, recruit, train and retain the best people for your team. With a combined experience of over 40 years in the Real Estate industry, Julie and Neil are well suited to understanding the challenges of your profession. Thanks to a simple, logical, focussed and easy to implement system. Agent Dynamics has been able to assist over a thousand principals, business owners leaders and real estate professionals just like you to achieve the success you are wanting.
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