Competition, Change, Self Focus and Guilt

Do you have what it takes right now to feel good about what you're doing to earn your living in commercial real estate? I'm betting you do. Those of us in commercial real estate are comfortable in a really competitive arena. Thank goodness, because today it's vital given the changing landscape and a myriad of predictions of where we'll be over the next few months and into the next couple of years.

We all know that there are cycles...we're ok with that, but the last cycle was so long ago that a good many have forgotten how to move in new circles, change gears, find new opportunities etc, etc. I had an enlightening moment a few weeks back while talking to a dear friend who, like me, has been in this business for more than 20 years. I shared with him that I tend to describe myself as Schizophrenic, which I used because I get terribly bored on a single path. My friend claimed to suffer from a similar affliction, yet he chose to refer to it as "I am constantly reinventing myself" - a much better descriptor. And so I've changed and now claim "reinvention" as my affliction. Maybe it's a good affliction for all of us to have.

No matter what area of real estate we practice, there is strong competition and a need to be "reinventing" on a regular basis or at least looking critically at what might need reinventing. The best place to start the reinvention is with ourselves. Get self-focused. We know for sure that we have very little influence on others to change, so that's certainly not a productive route to take; particularly today when we all seem to have to do a lot more to get the same results as we were getting 12-18 months ago or more.

If we continue to be self-focused, the rest will take care of itself. It may sound a little selfish and you might feel a little guilty, but that's a good thing. I am always reminded (quite strongly, I might add) of the importance of being self focused when I'm in a triathlon. While I relish the "distractions" and the energy emanating from those competing, I know I am not really qualified to compete with most of the racers because of the level of training I am willing to commit to. It's important for me to focus on me and what it takes to finish. It's a real push for me.

It's that type of self focus that keeps me committed to doing what I can to keep our industry moving in the right directions relative to using the best processes and technologies to enable us to be equipped for the "race". Notice I said processes before technology. Without a clear look at how you do what you do, there's no way implementing new software, buying faster computers, printers or other hardware, or equipping yourself with state of the art smart phones and other communication devices is going to help enough to matter. You might feel like you're doing something, but it's a false sense of moving in the right direction. Planning isn't sexy. It doesn't feel like true competition. It can be tedious and feel like a waste of time. But like my level of commitment and therefore my level of success in a race, only you can decide what you want out of the competition

I speak with a lot of senior people in our industry who lament about the market. It's clear they have reached some sort of comfort zone and don't feel like using their talents and years of experience to their best advantage. They don't want to change and they sure don't want to prospect for new business or try new ways of doing things to improve their business. That's actually good news for me (self focused) and you. I'm so afflicted, I feel terribly guilty if I'm not always trying something new or reinventing myself. Maybe the guilt is the answer. Maybe it's a better driving force than any of us want to admit. In these times I'll take whatever motivator gets me where I want to go. How about you?

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