If I asked you when do you hire your employees, you would probably think I was setting you up for a joke. In the middle of a community survey with a business owner, I asked such a question. His answer was so good I am passing it on. This successful business owner runs a real estate brokerage in a very competitive real estate driven market. His key employees are independent contractors who could move to another firm with no notice and no real cost to them. Moving their license is the industry term.
His answer explained a big reason for his success. He looked at me and said in all seriousness, “I hire my employees every day.” Every day he on-boards and treats his employees like they are brand new and he is really glad they chose his firm. Not surprisingly, his turnover is well below the industry norm, and his per employee production is well above the industry norm.
The wisdom of his approach should not be confined to the real estate industry. If I treated my employees and clients like they were brand new even after the warranty had expired on our relationship what would happen? And why shouldn’t I?
So I wrote a note to put on my computer and on my desk, “Today is the first day of business. Get excited and show’em your best.” What I know is what my friend already knew: Make every day the first day if you don’t want to see the last day.