Something to consider…
“Do not follow where the path may lead. Go instead, where there is no path and leave a trail.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
There is no arguing that things are quickly and drastically changing in the real estate industry. With the influence of Millennials and Generation Z who are entering the workplace, many organizations are focusing on attention on keeping relevant.
Forbes recently published an article on keeping your brand relevant to the differing goals of the younger generation of employees and customers. The primary narrative of this column was summarized in four points.
1. Talk to your Customers and Employees on a routine basis – It’s imperative to communicate the vision, goals, and opportunities explored by the company. This interaction improves and increases the experience and involvement of your team and customers.
2. Think about your total brand experience – Is your story coming across in everything you do with your team and your clients? How are your people experiencing your brand every day? From both a marketing and tactile experience perspective, does your employee and clientele encounter match your branding?
3. Go out on a limb – Try new things, don’t let stagnation or routine hold you in a rut. In his book, ‘What Got You Here, Won’t Get You There’ – Marshall Goldsmith stated, “People who believe they can succeed see opportunities where others see threats.” As change comes, don’t fear the difference, but embrace the changes. Think differently.
4. Put the Customer first – This is nothing new, it’s conventional wisdom, but as technology makes things simpler and more accessible, it’s still essential to maintain a connection to your customers. Now more than ever, the human experience your clients have with your company will keep you relevant.
While I found this article interesting and useful, there was one fundamental puzzle piece missing that makes all the difference. Of course, I admit, I always approach things with the slant of building a strong team. In particular, your leadership, while these four bullet points are, in fact, a good launching point to keeping your brand and company relevant, what makes the most significant difference is building a healthy and balanced Executive team to articulate your vision.
Famous Graphic Designer Paul Rand said, “Design is so simple, that’s why it’s so complicated.” This is especially true when making sure you have ‘designed’ the right leadership team. Having an excellent balanced Executive team is essential. You want someone who can communicate your vision while contributing to their perspective, much like an individual violinist in a larger orchestra. By themselves, their music can be beautiful, even haunting, but without playing in harmony with the other instruments, they are only imparting their own individual verse.
The most talented people you have are the ones who are most aligned with your company’s core beliefs. When seeking either an internal or external candidate for your Executive team, exploring that person’s strengths and experience is vital. Balanced leadership aligns company strategy with employees’ passion and talents.
The balanced leader will serve to build trust across the entire organization and with your clients. Bringing their experiential knowledge and values that align and complement your core values improves everyone’s experience with your company both inside and outside the organization.
Sound complicated?
It is!
But the road to relevancy in the future is as much the steps you take with customers as it is the values you convey. Articulation of your vision and goals comes from the top down.