Managing or Empowering?

There are many different kinds of managing styles that get utilized each and every day. But there is one style that gets utilized the least.

Its called Empowerment.

Empowerment is managing to the individual strengths of each member of your team. It means that as a manager, you allow your employees to focus on certain sectors of the organization and allow them the latitude to lead, change, and make important decisions.

It means that as a manager you have total faith that the decisions an employee makes will be the right ones. Basically it means that you are more than just a manager. You are more of a visionary pacesetter that empowers your team to ALL be managers of their own little niches inside the company.

This is a kind of management philosophy that is extremely rare. However, it is the hallmark behind true greatness.

Many managers operate under a different theory.

They believe that it is their responsibility to manage to the weakest team member. What I mean by that is on any given team there is going to be a group of people that can handle almost anything. Then there will be another group of people that probably can do anything, but they lack some form of internal fortitude that promotes self motivation that drives them. Finally, there is a group of people that has a lower skill set and learning capability than the other two groups, but these people typically have a very good attitude and willingness to improve.

Having been a manager in various facets, I always enjoyed the first group that I mentioned and the last group. The middle group of the skilled but not motivated people is what can be frustrating.

So what happens is this. Many managers believe they cannot give certain "freedoms" in decision making to just certain groups for fear it will alienate the other team members. Specifically those that either do not have the knowledge yet, or those that lack the motivation to put the work in to make the best decision.

The theory behind this thinking is understandable. After all, the manager does have an obligation to keep a cohesive team in place that can produce consistent performance.

The inherent problem though is that the group of people you are not catering too is that group of intelligent and motivated people that are also typically your top performers.

Too justify the actions, the manager feels confidant in explaining to their top tier performers why they cannot have certain "freedoms." The manger feels that this group of people is smart enough to understand why they are not allowed to make certain decisions.

It's really more about keeping the peace and attempting to remain consistent.

This is the average cycle for many businesses which is why you see so many average to below average operating companies. They are only working at about half of their real capability, but they don't realize it.

The difference between managing and empowering is that empowerment is NOT about managing anything. It is solely focused on leading.

On any given day, there are many decisions to be made. Some big and some small, but they ALL need to be made.

The job of the visionary pacesetter is to discover and observe the strengths of the team. They need to decide which people should be responsible for what. The key here is about role definition. Ambiguity will lead to confusion and will not be good.

What the Visionary Pacesetter MUST do:

• Each person needs to have a specific core scope of responsibility. No crossover of job tasks amongst the team. This creates a lack of decision making and a lack of that feeling of identifiable responsibility that people need.
• NOT Micro-Manage the new responsibility. Make the decisions you feel are correct and be willing to live with the results. If an individual shows they are not a good decision maker, then re-evaluate their current role.
• In a weekly or regular staff type meeting, recognize those individuals that have shown excellence in their new position.
• Allow the flow of creative "new" thoughts to be recognized and discussed for implementation.

The rewards that you will reap from this philosophy shift will stagger you.

• Production will improve.
• Motivation will improve.
• Attitude will improve.
• Energy will improve.

Anybody can be ordinary and boring. Why not shoot for Extraordinary and fun. There is no rule that says work must be painfully boring and unproductive. Why would you even become a manager if you are just going to implement the exact same processes that the person before you did?

People want to feel important. They want to feel necessary. Be the catalyst that perpetuates the changing of the "old school" of thought. Be a Leader. Be a Visionary Pacesetter.

Curt Fletcher aka The Likeability Guy, is a Real Estate Professional, Business Development Strategist, Published Author of the book, "How To Sell More Homes and Increase Your Income," Sales Trainer, and Professional Speaker that focuses on improving your Likeability to increase your Opportunities for Success!

Custom: The REAL Definition

One of the words that is overused to the point of confusing the public is "Custom."

The word Custom is often used in higher end Real Estate or other "perceived" high end products. The word is used by marketers to make consumers feel as though they are going to receive a unique and high quality product.

The problem is that most products including homes are not really custom.

For 99% of people that have ever built a home from a New home building company they had about 6-12 different floor plans they could build, with each home having various other "limited" options to add or enhance. Then, there is a specific amount of lots that person can select from to build the home on in a specific location.

That's not custom. It's ordinary.

• Custom is different


• Custom is unique


• Custom is one-of-a-kind


• Custom is both a product and an experience

Custom is NOT...

Providing the exact same service to ALL your customers. People are ALL different. They learn different, understand different, have different expectations, and feel different.

Saying "no" to your customers more often then saying "yes." Finding a way to say "yes" more often then not is what custom is all about. Custom is about them, not you

Telling your customers "when" they can call you or be able to get in touch with you. If you have a voice message that says when you return phone calls each day or your available hours totally coincide with the normal work hours of your customers, you are NOT custom.

Modeling your business plan after any other company. Most similar type business are copycats. Many home builders use the same philosophies, procedures, rating systems, etc. If you are not original, don't start business.

There is a Custom Home Builder that has been taking the North Texas area by storm. They have figured it out. They are unique. They are On-of-a kind. They are TRUECustom™.

Diamond R Homes does not design your home, pick your lot, or tell you how you will be communicated with.

They will change, tweak, create, or whatever it takes to design the home that you really want. You don't have to settle for a home being 70% of what you want. Diamond R Homes allows you to be 100% exhilarated with YOUR home.

Diamond R Homes does NOT own a slew of lots in any given location. They build on your lot, help you find a lot, and negotiate the acquisition of a lot on your behalf.

The Hallmark behind any great company or product is the manner in which you feel before, during, and after the experience. This, more than anything is the real value behind a TRUECustom™ home. At Diamond R Homes, it is ALL about the Individual customer.

Custom is about experience. It's about caring more about something or someone else before you care about yourself. Diamond R Homes believes that by providing selfless service first, the rest will take care of itself.

It's easy to be ordinary. Choose something Extraordinary.

Curt Fletcher aka The Likeability Guy, is a Real Estate Professional, Business Development Strategist, Published Author of the book, "How To Sell More Homes and Increase Your Income," Sales Trainer, and Professional Speaker that focuses on improving your Likeability to increase your Opportunities for Success!

The Face of your company is the person that answers the Phone!

Yesterday, I decided I was going to look for a different printing and design company to assist with a few different ventures. I was looking to design a new logo, get a few different types of brochures made, letterhead, envelopes, and a few more items.

In any case, I was referred to a particular company from a friend and colleague of mine. So, I did what I normally do and checked them out via the Internet to see what kind of capability they had.

I was satisfied by what I read, but still had some particular questions since I had various items for a few different projects to take care of.

They had one of those nice little "Web Chat" type deals on their web site, so I signed in and asked for some assistance regarding my questions. In just a few seconds, a customer representative replied with a very generic "pre-typed" response.

I replied again, re-stating my question and again received a "pre-typed" response. Though this only took a few seconds, it was already very annoying. This time I replied politely, that he was not answering my questions, and asked if we could speak.

The response was, "Yes, call the number on the screen and ask for the design department." I'm thinking great, this will probably be much easier. Not so fast.

So I call the number and ask for the "design team." Not more then a second after I make that statement am I getting stiff armed by the receptionist saying they don't really allow people to talk to them without paying first. My response was that I understood, but had a volume of different materials needed and first needed to speak with someone before paying for something that may not be correct.

I even stated that I was told to call and ask for the design team. He put me on hold for a minute or so then came back and asked for my sign up ID and Order number. I told him again, that I had not paid anything to get an order number, because it was necessary to speak with someone first.

After a bit of sarcasm from the Representative as he re-stated that speaking to someone about what you need is not really their protocol before any money is transferred, I was placed on hold again for about 5 minutes. I got the hint.

Clearly this company was ALL about the bottom line first, and actually helping a customer was not even a priority. Naturally, I hung up. There is not a chance in the world I would ever work or trust a company like this with my money, design needs, or schedule deliveries.

Within a few minutes, I called another company, and everything has been smooth since the first step. Amazing what a little common sense and courtesy can do.

In any case, my suggestion to any company is that if you have someone that is either inept, unwilling, or just naturally unpleasant, DO NOT allow them to speak with customers. Especially if they are your front line. To me, the face of the company is that person that I speak to first.

I sent this company a short little email stating how they could improve their business and how I would not do business with them because of the rudeness I experienced at the outset of the process. After I told them who I was and what I was doing, their interest in helping was very high and asked if they could reconcile.

Politely, I said no thank you and that I had already made a new commitment with a company that desired my business from the first phone call NOT after the first mistake.

Curt Fletcher aka The Likeability Guy, is a Real Estate Professional, Business Development Strategist, Published Author of the book, "How To Sell More Homes and Increase Your Income," Sales Trainer, and Professional Speaker that focuses on improving your Likeability to increase your Opportunities for Success!

The Fundamentals of Business

If you have any plans of starting a business or remaining in business, it would be a good idea to have answers to the following questions:

1) Who are we?

2) What do we really do?

3) What is our Chief competitive advantage?

4) Is there a real demand for what we do?

5) What do we think about first. Profits or People?

6) Why we formed this business? If it's primarily focused to make money, you lose.

7) Is your product or service better or just a different version of the same?

I find that many upstart companies and even many established (but not overly successful) companies have a difficult time answering these.

I am routinely asked my opinion on various "new" business opportunities across many different subject matters. If I can't get an answer on these questions because you don't know the answer, starting a new business is not a good idea.

When you can answer ALL these questions honestly, clearly, and concisely and have the ability to relay them ALL to your customers....YOU WIN!

Curt Fletcher is a Real Estate Professional, Business Development Strategist, Published Author of the book, "How To Sell More Homes and Increase Your Income," Sales Trainer, and Professional Speaker that focuses on improving your Likeability to increase your Opportunities for Success!

Social Networking a Crutch?

Social Networking sites such as Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, etc, have become sensations in a very short amount of time. There are scores of articles and blog posts about these sites and how great they are. I'm gonna take a slightly different approach.

If your an aspiring speaker, trainer, marketer of any sort, or your goal is somehow to create new business by networking on such sites, its gonna be a tough road for you. The reason these sites are so popular is simply because they pique that little twinge that 95% of people have called curiosity.

These sites make people feel like they are part of a group. It really helps those people that are more reserved or shy in their real life interactions, but the mask of the Internet allows people to come out of their shell just a bit.

However, creating new business and marketing yourself via these sites will have very little impact on your future success. People use these sites as an escape from their workday reality. They want to relax and communicate with their friends or acquaintances. That being said, it makes these sites not very receptive to being hit with solicitations.

Unless you are already established in your business with lots of followers, this will most likely not be a good payoff for you to spend time marketing to these sites. I'm not saying don't do it, I am just suggesting that if your allocating your time to certain areas of business development, this should not be the area with the most time allocated.

There is no substitute for face to face encounters and good old fashioned hard work. Build your business by hitting the street and talking to warm bodies. Maintain that contact with your business via these social networking sites. That's the order. Not the other way around.