This July, Inman’s editorial theme is Teams — what it takes to build and join one, how to optimize your team for summer 2020, and even when to consider leaving one. And if you’re not already a subscriber to our Teams Beat email newsletter, sent every Thursday, sign up now.
Pulse is a recurring column where we ask for readers’ takes on varying topics in a weekly survey and report back with our findings.
Last week, while kicking off our new teams theme month, we asked you to share your thoughts on what makes for a strong and effective team — especially now. The country has been hurtling through a stormy year with a whole lot of uncertainty, and so, having the right formula for success and productivity matters even more in 2020.
As the answers below indicate, there’s a lot that comes into play — confident leadership, effective communication, the necessary mentorship, and of course, a clearly defined vision. There’s also something to say about tuning into team members’ individual goals, understanding where their talents lie and playing to their strengths.
But is there more? If you have something else to add, we strongly encourage our readers to give us more insight in the comments section of this article. We would like to continue the conversation.
- A strong team needs well-defined boundaries, goals, communication and specific job guidelines. Each person should have certain skill sets that they are bringing to the team and are being compensated for. The team leaders should be specific in their expectations and compensation details. It’s not necessarily the quantity of people on a team, but rather the quality of the individuals’ contribution and dedication to the group.
- Leadership.
- Being able to help each agent build their careers and grow while making money.
- A team must have balanced personalities in the group, not overloaded with one or two dominant behaviors. If overloaded, there is usually frequent turnover. However, the team also must understand the behaviors of each team member, or there will be instability on the team. Understanding each person’s talents is critical in creating a cohesive team.
- Vision — too many team owners are always looking at the next shiny object and jumping around.
- Lots of communication. Accountability and awareness around lead and lag indicators (conversations, appointments set, appointments held, agreements taken, contracts and closings). Make sure to be in tune with everyone’s goals. Know team’s actual-to-goal ratio, and know that for each team member, too.
What did we miss? Please share your thoughts in the comments section below.
Editor’s note: These responses were given anonymously and, therefore, are not attributed to anyone specifically. Responses were also edited for grammar and clarity. Inman doesn’t endorse any specific method and regulations may vary from state to state.
