For many real estate brokers just starting out, being part of a team can be a great way to launch and grow a new business. For experienced brokers, putting together a team can add leverage and energy to an existing real estate business. For couples, friends, or close colleagues, working together on a team can offer the opportunity to bring the strengths of each partner to bear on every transaction. So, what do you do when your team is struggling to work together?
Your “Better Teamwork” Action Plan
Maybe your real estate team is suffering from internal conflict, frustrations from a slow market, or unanticipated growing pains. Whatever the case, getting a handle on your issues and making a plan to get back on track involves honesty, communication, and actionable strategies to bring everyone back together.
1. Get Real.
For many people, the hardest part of handling problems is admitting that there is a problem in the first place. All of that simmering tension isn’t just going to go away. You have to address it and get everyone on board with working toward a solution.
Action: Put together a workshop or retreat to give everyone a chance to fully address the issues and put together a plan for improvement.
2. Speak Your Truth.
Conflict doesn’t magically go away if everyone is not making their opinions heard. You have to be willing to be honest with each other about things that are problematic or upsetting. This may mean some uncomfortable conversations with people you love and value, but in this case, honesty really is the best policy.
Action: Emphasize the value of honest communication and keep the end result in mind.
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3. Understand the Source of Conflict.
Sometimes, personal conflict spills over into the workplace. This can be especially true if team members are close friends, spouses, or relatives. It may be that the tension you’re feeling is not work-related, but personal. In that case, those relationships need to be mended for the benefit of the entire team.
Action: Have an honest conversation with the people involved and offer support as they work out their differences.
4. Revisit Your Roots.
Over time, you may find that you’ve forgotten the things that worked well when you were just starting out. Maybe you’ve begun to micro-manage or, alternatively, you’ve checked out and stopped taking an active role. Maybe your team used to socialize together but that has fallen by the wayside as everyone has grown busier and more successful.
Action: Think back to the beginning when things were working well and see what has changed. That might offer a sense of where the problems lie.
5. Take Steps and Check-In.
All of this communication means little if you’re not taking actionable steps to improve the situation. Once you understand the problems, come up with a plan to address them. Maybe the solution involves a more equitable distribution of duties. Maybe it involves more facetime and better communication. Maybe you just need to bring in some support to take some of the operational burdens off of your team members.
Action: Put your plan into action and check back often to ensure that the steps you’ve identified are still being implemented.
A real estate team is built on relationships and needs to be nurtured like one. Show how much you care about your team by taking the time to address issues as they arise, be part of the solution, and keep everyone operating at peak performance.
