Investing in training for all staff is vital – starting from the top. Alison McGavin explains how principals need to show the way in their personal and professional development to inspire growth in their team.
Iwon’t be the first person you have heard bang on about how your staff are your most valuable asset, and I certainly won’t be the last.
I also know that, as real estate agents, you will definitely understand when I say that investing in your most valuable asset is just something that has to be done to keep the asset growing and therefore producing.
So what exactly does that mean? In this context, I am referring to training and development.
In the wise words of Brandon Travis Ciaccio, “The pursuit of knowledge is never-ending. The day you stop seeking knowledge is the day you stop growing.”
Both professional and personal development is something that needs to be a priority, for yourself and for your team. In fact, let’s take away ‘professional’ and ‘personal’ because, really, it’s one and the same, isn’t it? More than ever before, our personal and professional lives have collided and it is now just our world; there is no definition. Whether we are doing something for the benefit of ourselves, or our business, it’s going to benefit us as a whole at the end of the day.
Maybe when you think of training your team you’re thinking of having to spend an entire day away from the office, locked inside a room, listening to someone ramble on and speak at you, not telling you anything you didn’t already know. No wonder it’s so unappealing to some!
It doesn’t need to be like that. In fact, it’s actually not like that any more. Training and development is now very attainable, accessible and worthwhile.
We have so many resources at our fingertips. Think about webinars, online training, mentoring and coaching, networking – even something as small as signing up to one of the many industry-related social media groups, where you can share ideas, brainstorm and just connect with people in the same industry. These are all accessible and worthwhile resources that are very time-effective with maximum return.
In addition to these things that you can be doing on a daily, weekly or monthly basis as part of your development routine, there are amazing events such as AREC and ARPM. Not only do these sorts of events provide a platform where you can be inspired and empowered by some of the thought leaders of our industry, but you are given the opportunity to connect with a wide range of people. These events are all about learning. And you can learn something from just about anyone.
The benefit to you and your business will be phenomenal. When you have a team that is constantly growing their knowledge and developing themselves, you will have a team who are genuinely all about quality and improvement.
You need to lead from the top. Be the change you wish to see. When you are constantly growing and developing your knowledge, you will be a better leader and you will inspire others to improve.
Encourage people to attend training events; people often make the mistake of seeing this as an expense. Rather, look at the return that comes with investing in your most valuable asset.
I’ll finish with a quote by Christopher Morley: “There are three ingredients to the good life: learning, earning and yearning.” Learning will lead to earning, which in turn will create a yearning to learn more so you can earn more! Happy learning!
