Coaching the Enthusiasm for Results

Bold Enthusiasm

I keep hearing people say that we are in a “down market.” I keep hearing that “times are tough.” I keep hearing that “the golden days are over.” This reminds me of a marriage or relationship that has hit a rough spot, and I am certain everyone can sympathize ~ be it lack of time, kids, financial stress, careers or communication breakdowns. Just because the honeymoon is over doesn’t mean that the marriage is. The passion that brought it all together is still there, but sometimes it just needs to be re-examined and re-ignited. Passion. Bold Enthusiasm.

Now More Than Ever
Now more than ever, we as an industry need to have Bold Enthusiasm in how we approach our business, our co-workers, and of course, our clients. No one wakes up and says ‘Oh, I want to be in title when I grow up.’ So, it begs the question, what has kept you here through tough times in years past? I would venture to say that it is a passion for what you do. It is a passion for serving your clients needs. I know because that is why I am here, too. I know that is also why I left my former profession. The passion was gone. I needed to re-ignite the passion ~ to try to find it again. And I did. And here I am in the title industry.

When a marriage is in a rough spot, it is the best time to rekindle the passion. It is the time when we can rediscover what it is that we love about our career and why we come to work every morning. If you are passionate about your business, so will be the people around you. The most successful people and companies in this world are fueled by a contagious passion within their employees that generates positive results, and by the way, profits, regardless of external circumstances.

So how do you turn Passion into Profits? Here are a few tools for ensuring success in good and bad times.

IGNITE THE PASSION

Be a Leader

Be honest with yourself. Understand where you are in your life, what you already have, what you want and what you are willing to do to get there. Leadership is an internal approach that is seen externally. Being a leader means being the one who creates the vision and encourages others to see it! Stop Coasting & start Contending.

Live with Purpose

What kind of legacy do you want to leave behind? What are you committed to on both a personal and professional level? What is your cause? What do you mean to your clients, your co-workers?
On your epitaph, will it read “Went to work each day and came home.” Or, will it read “Was purposeful, passionate about life, and the people that she touched.”

Reconnect with your vision, goals & people

Project yourself and your company into the future and what do you see? What does it look like? Be specific and describe it in detail. Create a vision of success for yourself and those around you. Goals are attainable dreams that make you reach and develop. Review and revise your goals, consistently tracking your progress.
Share your vision and goals with your team. Let them know where they a going and how they are going to get there. Give them a sense of purpose and show them how their efforts contribute to the company as a whole.

PLAY WITH FIRE

Create a Play Space

Do you remember recess? That wasn’t just the school’s way to make sure that children tired themselves out so they wouldn’t drive teachers crazy. Playing is a great way to get the blood flowing and allowing people to blow off steam. They are more refreshed, focused and more productive. I am not suggesting you build a playground in your parking lot, but do create an atmosphere that fosters fun! Keep a few toys on hand, Koosh balls, ping pong table, foosball.

Encourage Creativity

Remember when you were learning to draw? You created pictures that looked more like lines on a page than the animal that you claimed it was? Well, you were being creative. You could see a pattern where others saw chaos. Look for the patterns and encourage out–of-the-box thinking. Be You.

Applaud Positivism.

Start small. The only way to reinforce new behavior is to make sure that you allow yourself to achieve and celebrate smaller goals before you move onto bigger ones. Acknowledge proactive attitudes.

PASS THE TORCH

• Attitude: How do you arrive at work each day? Believe in yourself it will show on the outside and it will make people want to be around you. Focus on the things you can control and build on the positive.
• Energy: Persistence is key in this time of change. You won’t see results overnight, but you will see small changes right away. Keeping that energy steady is important to lasting success. Almost like playing catch, pass the energy along to those who need it most. Keep the energy high.
• Integrity: Be truthful in all that you do. Be true to yourself, and to others. The Golden Rule is never out of style.
  

In Summary
In the end, our clients want to do business with people they like, who exude unbridled BOLD enthusiasm and are passionate about what they do.

By Dr. Cynthia McGovern and Anthony George
Senior Consultants, RightNow