“Each and every day is a given choice. To start over, move forward, change directions. All you have to do is decide.” ~ Tere Arigo
Why Deciding Matters
Most of us aren’t stuck because we lack options. We’re stuck because we haven’t chosen one. Every day you put off a decision, you pay for it in attention and energy.
Leaders make one thing more than any other: decisions. The same goes for agents, recruiters and managers. Make decisions and act quickly and you can correct them faster.
Three Decisions You Can Make Today
- Start over. If a plan isn’t working, decide to reset it instead of grinding it out.
- Move forward. Pick the one call, listing or conversation you’ve been avoiding and do it first.
- Change direction. If the market has shifted, decide how your business will shift with it.
What Indecision Costs
Indecision feels safe because nothing changes. But in real estate, not deciding is a decision. The listing you didn’t price honestly sits. The recruit you didn’t call back signs somewhere else. The agent you didn’t coach drifts.
Most delays come from one of three places:
- Waiting for certainty. You’ll rarely have all the information. Decide with what you know and adjust.
- Fear of being wrong. A wrong decision made early is usually cheaper than a right one made late.
- Too many options. Narrow it to two, then pick.
For leaders, put a deadline on every open decision on your desk. If a choice is reversible, make it today. If it isn’t, decide when you’ll decide, and put that date on the calendar.
How Leaders Decide What’s Next
Every environment has constraints. The decisions about how time and resources are allocated, about what to do next, drive all outcomes. So how do leaders decide what’s next? Is it based on urgency, proximity or values?
The top 1% know the first in, first out approach is not an effective strategy; it’s an excuse. Even worse is the squeaky wheel strategy. They minimize the whirlwind.
Three Decisions the Top 1% Work On
- What they focus on
- What meaning they attach to things
- What they do in spite of the obstacles they face
Bitter or better? “What can I learn from this?” or “Why me?” Will I do this until I get better, or quit?
Write the decision down. Tell one person. Then act on it before the end of the day.
Framework: This post is part of Action Produces Data, the coaching framework for consistent production: take the next right action, track it and let the results, not opinions, guide what you do next.
Want help applying this in your brokerage? Book a 30-minute conversation with Mark at calendly.com/mjsession.
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