Have you ever been in the middle of a mess? I’m talking about the type of mess that makes you lose sleep. I think that we all have, but if you haven’t… this article probably isn’t for you and you can stop reading.
I’ve been in a mess a few times throughout my career. Now, please don’t misunderstand, I’m not talking about a challenge. We all face and conquer challenges as a main component of our business lives. I’m talking about the type of mess that requires a crew with HAZMAT suits to clean it up.
I recently had lunch with a client and asked what his biggest frustration was in business. He said, without a doubt, that it was when problems exist within his own team… problems with his co-workers.
Dave Ramsey said, “one of the biggest business mistakes I’ve ever made in my entire life was not taking enough TIME to hire the right people.” ~EntreLeadership Masters Series
EL: John Felkins, Christy Wright, Chris Hogan, Dave Ramsey
Most of the time, life at work is fruitful and rewarding. I sincerely love interacting with real estate investors on a daily basis, and I enjoy being a part of their story. I’ve had a lot of success over the years. However, I know that when things don’t go well within my own team, it seems like all of the victories melt away quickly and your focus is locked on the problems in front of you.
My team has gone through several evolutions throughout the years. When I was faced with a wonderful opportunity to hire a new teammate, I decided to use a different decision making process this time. There is an old saying that, “when the STUDENT is ready; the TEACHER appears.” I have been enrolled in a business consulting program called: EntreLeadership All-Access
EntreLeadership is a program that was born out to the topics of Dave Ramsey’s best-selling book. There is an entire chapter in EntreLeadership that is devoted to how you can build a team of thoroughbred race horses. This chapter is appropriately titled, “Business Is Easy… Until People Get Involved!” I have learned that issues with team chemistry are always the fault of the LEADER, not the team. You hired the team, so the only person to blame is yourself.
One of my favorite benefits of the EntreLeadership All-Access is the regular coaching calls with John Felkins and Chris Oakley. Chris asked me during one of our coaching calls to commit to their deliberate hiring process when making my next hire. I agreed and here’s what the end of the story looked like:
During a regular performance review with a different teammate, they said, “our team has changed. It feels like there was an infusion of oxygen into our office. I am breathing fresh air! I feel like I am making an impact with my work. This is the first time I have felt like I am building a career… not just working in a job.”
Madison Commercial at EntreLeadership 1-Day
After several months of searching and not rushing or compromising, we made a great hire for our team. Everyone was involved and on-board with the decision. Most importantly I changed the way that I approached our business. I realized that my accomplishments would be finite, even muted, if I didn’t learn how to build an effective TEAM.
Best Selling Author Seth Godin wrote in his book, Tribes: “When you hire amazing people and give them freedom, they do amazing stuff.”
Madison Commercial Properties is a mission-driven group dedicated to serving clients that own apartment buildings in Central Denver; our clients own apartments to create net worth, build a family legacy, and provide housing in Denver’s core neighborhoods. We are passionate about doing work that matters. We are a team of energetic, motivated professionals who absolutely love what we do.
~Kyle Malnati