July 17th, 2016

How Real Estate Investors and Agents Can Manage Themselves for Super Productivity
© 2016 by M. Mitch Freeland
 
“If we manage it well, it will only take half as long as if we manage it badly.”—Winston Churchhill
 
You are your own boss?  Do you make the decisions, the correct decisions to advance yourself, to progress in ways others do not, or perhaps cannot?  Do you feel you’ve lost your independence?  Have you lost your discipline?.  Have you lost the ability to prioritize your hours, days, and weeks?  Are you are aware that you are the only one who has the ability within you to change—change your circumstances and thus change the outcome in everything you do?  Change is within your reach; it is within your physical and mental powers.
 
There is but one way investors and agents can manage themselves for super productivity and that is by prioritizing—and to prioritize you must exercise discipline.  Possibly the most important word in all management is discipline. Possibly the most important skill attained by super producers is discipline.  For without discipline nothing of greatness can be achieved.  Nothing worthwhile has ever been achieved without discipline.
 
When managing any number of people, work crews when doing rehabs, or managing buyers, sellers, and assistants for agents, you have to understand that the task of managing people depends first on self-management.  Separating number one, you, from number two, number three and number four is, no doubt, a requirement of organization. 
 
According to Winston Churchill:  “The duties and problems of all persons other than number one are quite different and in many ways more difficult.”  This is always the case when dealing with a group of people.
 
The discipline of prioritizing is all about managing yourself.  Once you are able to manage yourself consistently, then you will be in a position to manage others effectively.   Achieving “Super Production” begins with competent self-management.  Competent self-management begins when you learn to prioritize.  And you learn to prioritize effectively by disciplining yourself. 
 
Follow the eleven rules below and you’ll be on your way to “Super Production”:

1. Focus on what is centrally important at the time.

2. Learn the habit of sticking to it until it is completed. 

3.  Pay close attention to detail. 

4.  Concentrate on the major task and delegate the small ones. 

5.  Ensure clarity with workers, group members and subordinates—and keep communication lines open. 

6.  Be relentless in the completion of the task and do not settle for mediocre performance 

7.  Focus in on the big picture, the reason the tasks must be completed

8.  ​Become organized, regimented—discover a personal system and stick with it.  Example:  You may work bet-ter, more effectively in the evening.  You may work better at home rather than in the office.  Find your “way,” the way you work best and make the change. 

9.  Set a timetable for yourself and set is daily.  Write out your daily tasks.  Write out your top six tasks and prioritize there importance.  Do not do anything that is frivolous and that does not lead you in the direction toward super production.

10.  Information is critical.  Make it a priority to be fully informed of all aspects of the project.  Make it clear that    everyone in the organization understands the purpose of their position, duties and responsibilities.

11.  Prioritize your efforts on the three most important things for your organization and its growth. By prioritizing, number the most important things in order of there      importance.  Complete one task at a time and complete it with full engagement.

The first thing you should concentrate on is the value of producing excellence. Do not accept mediocre work from anyone. And this begins by not accepting mediocrity in any form.  Remember the adage, “You can do better”—then do it better.  You need to set standards and let your team know the standards to which they will be measured. It is not that uncommon to get dragged through the mud from time to time.  Life is tough—that’s the way it is.  But it can be much easier once you begin to get tough with yourself.  The secret to “Super Production” is managing yourself effectively by prioritizing your daily tasks and activities; and you do this one successful day at a time.

Whenever you become stagnant, depressed or lackluster in your production, the time is right to focus in on your major goal; concentrate on it and do not let it out of your site.  Put all your attention in to taking the step, small steps—one step at a time—step by step.  Once you’ve prioritized, your steps become more meaningful—and your steps are backed by discipline.

To become more productive as a real estate agent or investor, get your copy of How to Make Real Estate More Valuable:  21 Invaluable Lessons. Available at Amazon.