The LOCK Framework: A Guide to Learning Something New

In this day and age, continuous learning is key to survival. I’d argue that the most important skill that everyone should develop is the ability to learn new things. If you can’t pivot in this era of changing technology, you’ll quickly find yourself towards the end of the pack. But for those who have been out of the schoolroom and in the workforce for over a decade, learning is far more difficult than it is for those recent graduates. That’s why having a structure approach to learning new things can help make the process more efficient and successful.  Enter the LOCK Framework.  LOCK The LOCK framework is composed of four steps: Learn, Own, Compress, and Kaizen. These steps can be applied to anything you’re trying to learn, from a new…

Coaching in the New Economy

The economy is entering a new era, fueled by the end of the Covid pandemic, rising inflation, and record-low unemployment. Now, we’re seeing a significant shift in the way companies approach their employees and talent. Gone are the days of the Bobby Knight coaching method, where fear and intimidation were used to get the best out of people. Instead, companies are recognizing the importance of investing in their employees and providing them with the coaching and support they need to grow and succeed. One of the key drivers of this shift is the war for talent. With more and more companies competing for the best and brightest, employees now have more options when it comes to where they want to work. This rising generation of workers wants to be part…

Delegating

One of the most important skills a leader can learn is how to delegate. The problem is, it’s much easier to say you’re going to delegate than it is to actually execute.  Delegation requires a level of trust. Trust in your team, in your processes, and in your culture. As the leader, you cannot do everything yourself. You need to trust others to take on tasks and responsibilities, freeing up your time and energy to focus on the most important aspects of your business. Getting Started Getting started is often the hardest part of delegating. But if you’re at the end of your rope and your plate is full, here are some tips to get started.  Begin by creating a list of all the tasks and responsibilities you are responsible…

Tracking Your Life and Your Business

When it comes to goals, both personal and professional, there are normal people and then there’s me. I track everything. Every mile I run, every cold call I make, every person I have coffee with.  I’m an analytical person, so creating and following systems makes sense to me. But I highly encourage everyone to track the things that are most important to them. It’s a crucial step to achieving your short and long-term goals.  Start With Measurable Goals You don’t need to go the extra mile and track everything in your life, like I do. Start by identifying what is most important to you. The areas of your life in which you spend the most time. This can include things like exercise, family time, healthy eating, even spirituality. Once you…

Technology in a Recessionary Market

In a recessionary market, technology can be a powerful tool for commercial real estate brokers and commercial mortgage brokers. As deals slow down and competition becomes even more fierce, a strong technology package can mean the difference between sinking and swimming in a dropping market. Technology can help brokers streamline their processes, automate their work, and increase their efficiency. By doing so, they free up time to focus on and support other, more important areas of business, and help them thrive in a tough economic climate. Start Small So how can CRE professionals embrace technology in a recessionary market? The key is to start small. Rather than implementing a large, complex system all at once, brokers can begin by finding a small piece of technology that enhances their business. This…

Living the Values that Matter

Companies thrive when all team members can align on their mission and the day-to-day steps required to achieve their goals. By far the most critical thing to help teams achieve that cohesion is by crafting a shared set of values that everyone on the team can agree with.  But in the corporate world, company values have become cliches. Buzzwords like “dedication” and “integrity” that slapped on nice letterhead but are rarely lived out in daily life. Worse, these words aren’t easily apparent to the audiences and clients that those companies serve.   At CRE OneSource, our values are the foundation of our company and guide everything we do. We believe in creating a balanced lifestyle that includes time for family, personal growth, and relaxation. We also believe in transparency and making…

Creating a Cold Calling Process That Works

If you were to ask what the core of the OneSource business operations is, I could give you a simple answer.  Cold calling.  When we have someone new start on our team, we get them started on one task their very first week.  Cold calling.  Cold calling is the best thing you can do to grow as a salesperson, a broker, or just a business person. It’s also often people’s least favorite thing to do.  So many people struggle with cold calling, opting for cold emailing instead or simply refusing to do any cold outreach at all.  This is a huge mistake.  Your business network will reach a ceiling quickly if you don’t actively work on expanding it. And attending social events and tapping your friends and family will only…

6 Things on My Desk That Will Help You Become More Focused and Efficient

With the exception of the Covid-19 pandemic, I’ve spent the majority of my career working in large office spaces. I have seen a little bit of everything, from modern, creative spaces to large blocks of gray cubicles. I’ve learned that you can tell a lot about a business and its employees by looking at their desks.  Family photos, disorganized stacks of files, old coffee mugs, post-it notes, we accumulate many items over our careers, not all of them useful.   There’s a quote from organizational guru Marie Kondo I find particularly insightful:  “The space in which we live [or work] should be for the person we are becoming now. Not for the person we were in the past.”  The items that live on your desk, the things you see and touch…

5 Things You Need for the Perfect Home Office

After over two years of a pandemic that sent most office workers home, there is still a large portion of the workforce working remotely. Whether this is the new normal or still only a temporary solution, it’s past time to ensure you have a home office that can support you and the work you do.  Between Zoom meetings and emails, your home office is the new board room, and your chance to present yourself to employers, direct reports, and potential clients. A dim room with a fuzzy screen and glitching audio aren’t going to do the trick.  Here are 5 items I used to outfit my home office that you should invest in to create a professional space that matches the quality of your work.  Camera Almost every computer today…

How to Build High Performance Teams

Building High-Performance Teams I realized pretty early on that no man or woman is an island in the world of business. We all need a team around us to support us, grow with us, and take us further than our own limitations. When we began building up OneSource, we knew early on that we needed a high-performance team to help the business grow.  Actually building that team, however, was a whole different ball game.  Long-Term Commitment It’s easy to make mistakes when building a team. Oftentimes we bring on the wrong people who fizzle out quickly, or we hold onto the wrong people for too long, not realizing until it was too late that they were holding the business back. But building the perfect team doesn’t happen overnight. Our team…