The million-dollar question for real estate business owners is, why do some teams thrive and have impact, and others just survive and don’t have impact?
What is it that makes them different?
Connection
“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” – Maya Angelou.
Most people turn up to work to do a job almost oblivious to who they work with or who is around them.
They know their name and a few surface level things about them, however, the opportunity to go beyond the superficial is lost.
People sit in their silos as each one tends to isolate instead of integrate.
Connection is not only about asking how you are doing or what have you been up to, it’s about understanding the human condition is built on relationships via a deeper connection to each other.
It’s about an authentic interest in the bottom part of the iceberg in others’ lives, what makes them tick, their life experience, their best and worst experiences.
I understand that your private life and work are different spheres that are not supposed to mix too much, however, do you know your co-worker and what your co-worker is going through?
Do you have any idea about their life or have even taken an interest in it?
Having some idea creates a common thread between people at work.
It’s not about creating a group therapy session or ‘poor me’ group mentality, it’s about the ‘we not me’.
Strong connection comes from shared stories and vulnerability.
An understanding that the person working next to you is no different to you.
They laugh, they bleed red, they cry, they have good days and bad days and feel overwhelmed and experience joy just like you do.
Their struggle is just as real as yours and understanding this brings you closer together.
Your connection makes you better together rather than weaker alone.
You’re going to spend, on average, about 90,000 hours at work, so you better get connected.
Communication
“Communication is to relationships what breathing is to living.” – Virginia Satir
If we are honest, most of the time, people only half listen.
They have selective hearing.
And, most of the time, they listen or respond from their own perspective, which limits their ability to communicate at a high level and really understand the other person.
This creates misunderstandings, unnecessary conflict and division.
Communication is not only about surface, water cooler conversation and getting what you need to know before shutting down, it’s the energy thread that weaves your together.
Understanding the behaviour type communication style is the fastest way to improve team communication.
The great thing about using behaviour or personality profiling in a team is you get to learn how different you and the other team members see things and communicate as such. Great communication also allows open dialogue and the space and invitation for healthy conflict conversations.
Collaboration
“None of us is as smart as all of us.” – Ken Blanchard
Most teams’ idea of collaboration is to be told what’s going on and what they need to do.
Or they’re asked a few questions, which the same people answer, and team members end up going home with their potentially incredible ideas still unsurfaced.
Great leaders go around the room to see what everyone thinks before responding with an idea or answer.
Google give employees time off to collaborate ideas and Steve Jobs hired the best minds so he could be the dumbest person in the room.
Collaborative teams create a safe space, with no judgment, where people are encouraged and even expected to ask questions, suggest ideas, and admit mistakes.
Here’s an idea to try at your next meeting, when you want the group to collaborate on an issue.
Have everyone stand up and find someone and share their thoughts with them.
Write it down and move to the next person.
For example, the question might be how you can, as a team, improve time management or what time management techniques you have learnt and applied over the past three months.
Once each person has shared with at least three other people, have them come back to the front and share what they have learnt from others in the group.
This is a great way to get engagement and cross-team collaboration.
How do great teams thrive?
They connect, communicate and collaborate!
