It’s often said, ‘the definition of conflict is two people in the same area code’. Of course, real estate teams are no exception. And with the sales-driven nature of the industry, clients from different walks of life also consistently come into the picture; adding into the already crowded mix of unique personalities, causes and agenda. So here are 5 leadership tips to reduce issues in Real Estate.
1. Streamline communication flows
Keep communication lines open because smooth and strategic communication serves as one of the main foundations of streamlined operations. For instance, it may seem like a typical thing everyone is used to doing, but as a leader surrounded with many team members and clients, it’s easy to get lost in a sea of different voices or just stick with your intuition to hastily move from one task to another. Ensure to exert extra effort in being an active listener to everyone. Use collaboration tools that relay your messages and/or requests in a clear and concise manner to avoid discrepancies.
2. Make sure expectations are established and managed
As above, communicating properly helps you set your expectations for the team clearly, making for a structured and systematic workflow. Assumptions and guesswork are not encouraged in a professional environment, as they breed confusion and conflict. To help reduce this, provide a carefully curated outline of responsibilities and requirements for your team members so they are able to completely deliver your desired outcomes.
3. Be more encouraging
A negative environment never breeds productivity. Creating an atmosphere of positivity and constructive feedback systems enables the entire team to relish every opportunity for improvement. Keeping your language professional and encouraging helps everyone feel valued and trusted, reducing the likelihood of them being self-deprecating to take everything personally.
4. Regularly check in with your team
Aside from their outputs and other work related inquiries, you should also take the time to truly get to know your team members’ points of view regarding how they’re doing in general. Establish high quality connections by understanding their personal lives. This lets you learn everything that is going on behind the scenes, and what they might be dealing with as they go on their day to day tasks. To get their unfiltered responses, try being vulnerable and open with them first.
5. Consider issues as a chance for improvement
Every setback opens up an opportunity to improve, especially conflict, as this merely shines a light on the discrepancies that have already been there beforehand. And when it arises, it reveals the perfect chance to actually address underlying issues and put an end to them. This also brings in new ideas – no matter how opposing – that everyone can learn from.
Finally
Making sure that these different types of people are able to get along with each other enough to work together is one of the many key responsibilities of those in leadership roles. Avoiding conflict is already a great reward as it’s not an easy feat. But more than that, doing so will help increase your team’s efficiency as harmonious workplaces make conducive environments for consistently great work.