In the crazy lives of agents and brokers, we find ourselves being pulled in many different directions. Buyers, sellers, team members, other agents, family, boards, associations, volunteer work and so much more all demand our attention and energy. How do you fit it all in?
Many wonder how the busiest people seem to get more business when they’re already so busy. The simple answer is that the busier you are, the more it requires great systems, processes and time management. The busiest people not only give off an air of confidence, they also attract more business because their clients know they can handle it.
Time management is a myth—you cannot speed up or slow down the passage of time. We can only manage ourselves, so the issue is not time management, but rather, person management. You have to make the decision to intentionally create the life you want by focusing on the activities that have the most value.
To do this, our coaches have learned WSS Agile Project management. Let me break down how the busiest people get things done, and how to organize and prioritize at a higher level with WSS Agile.
We use Google Sheets for this purpose because they allow for different people to be involved in the process. To begin, create a backlog or project backlog: a list of everything you need to accomplish with as much detail as possible. Items in your backlog should be listed as projects such as hire an assistant, start a geographic farm, build an operations manual or start using a CRM. As you compile projects you want to work on, the list can quickly become overwhelming. The key to effectively using the WSS Agile is to give each project a number. I usually start with 500. Go through each project and ask yourself if it’s higher or lower than 500, and assign it a number. For example, if getting a CRM is 500, starting a geographic farm might be 400, while hiring an assistant would be 600. No two projects can have the same number, forcing you to really think through what’s most important, prioritizing each task.
Once you’ve assigned each project a number, you can sort the column highest to lowest so that your projects are in order. This is where it gets really interesting, because now you know what’s next and you can decide to start working on the task at hand. As a project is taken off the backlog, it’s called a “sprint.” That means we give it a start date and create a tab at the bottom with its own to-do list. Each project is assigned a project manager, and each task is assigned to a person, along with due dates and clear descriptions.
This amazing process has helped many businesses grow, while helping leaders get organized at a much higher level.
Success is not magical or mysterious. Success is understanding what’s most important and executing on those priorities that move you closer to your goals.
For a free sample of a WSS Agile and a video tutorial on how to use it, visit http://WorkmanSuccess.com/agile.
Verl Workman is the founder and CEO of Workman Success Systems (385-282-7112), an international speaking, consulting and coaching company that specializes in performance coaching and building successful power agents and teams. Sign up today for a free business consult with Verl by sending an email to coach@verlworkman.com. To hire Verl to speak at your next event, email events@verlworkman.com.
