Are you laser focused or are you a multi-tasker? Being a multi-tasker in running your business may create problems.  However, if you stay focused and stay sharp on the things necessary to grow and change you will achieve the best results. Sometimes we get lazy and in a rut. We stop seeing the big picture. Maybe our business has had years of successful sales and profits. Since the business is still making money and continuing to operate the reasoning is, if it’s not broke don’t fix it. Eventually, the business could reach a stage on leveling off or declining sales or profits. Maybe there are changes in the industry or in the economy. To remain successful, the business owner must refocus. Here are five essentials for refocusing.1. Make sure you know what business you are in. If you make c... 04/09/2018

If you want the best real estate team you can have you know that you will have to do some training and development.  It certainly is a rapidly changing landscape.  On the other hand competition requires that we may have to do more with less.  That is certainly a good thing if we learn to work smart. We can start by engaging in smart development of our team--that is focusing on needs and outcomes. One of the problems I have noticed in many organizations is their lack of clear training and development objectives. Furthermore, many do not tie training and development initiatives to measurable outcomes. Here is an example.I recently had a credit union call me. They had found me online and saw that I was doing leadership development sessions. They asked if I could do the same thing at their ... 03/26/2018

 Do you always listen to what what your clients are saying?  How about your agents and your staff?You might be surprised that some organizations that never ask how they (management) are doing. But fear of hearing bad news will not make the bad news go away. Ignorance is not bliss although it appears to that many owners are just not comfortable asking the ultimate question, “How are we doing?”It is easier for groups with retention problems, for example, to focus on compensation issues. But, according to Gallup around 30% of employees are engaged at work. That means that 70% are not engaged in their jobs at your company.Recently Gallup released a new survey on staff engagement. When we read the commentary, we can see that engagement is not static.  It moves with organizational dynamics, c... 02/26/2018

September 9, 1978 was a day that changed my life.  I am so thankful for my wife Phyllis.  We met at Sears when I was a store personnel manager and were married a year later.  I am so thankful that Sears sent me to that store in White Plains NY.Our years together have been filled with happiness including the joy of raising two beautiful daughters.I am thankful for my parther in life, Phyllis. 11/21/2017

The Byram Hills Parent Student Teachers Association will hold it's 31st Annual Halloween Window Painting on Saturday, October 21, 2017.This is open to kids from Kindergarten to 5th grade (no preschoolers) This event is open to current Byram Hills Parent Teacher Student Association members at $20 per child and to non-BHPTSA members at $30 per child. Here are the details:When:   Saturday, October 21, 2017 from 9:30am to 11:30amWhere:  Participating Storefronts throughout ArmonkSpace is limited.  Click here to register. Information provided by Grant Schneider, Performance Development Strategies Would you like to know how to make your local business thrive? Contact us  10/18/2017

 What could I possibly mean by saying you need to be a real estate doctor?  To answer that question just think about your last visit to your doctor.  Maybe you had a physical but maybe you had some ache or health issue.  So, for example, lets say you have a pain in your knee.First our doctor does a thorough examination. She asks us questions such as, where does it hurt? How long has it hurt? She may then suggest some of the causes of such pain such as a torn tendon. Then she asks if you have experienced unusual activity that might be related to our knee pain. She is helping us discover the root cause of our pain so that we will understand the need a medication or for surgery, if necessary.  Now if we are in sales, if we manage a team, or if we teach wouldn’t the doctor’s approach create... 10/02/2017

Praful Thakkar has asked us to write about our network and how it affects our success.My network includes my strategic partners.  They supply support and guidance and also complement my services.My first network are my fellow affiliate coaches and consultants at my affiliate organization, Resource Associates.  We meet three to four times per year in Pennsylvania.  I go to get my battery recharged and to learn best practices from others.  Occasionally, I am asked to share some that I have done which will benefit the group.Nine of us have established a breakout group called Success Builders Mastermind.  We meet by phone and most recently by Zoom video.  We follow an agenda once a month for 1 1/2 hours and a different one of us takes a turn spotlighting our issues and we also act as each o... 07/29/2017

The Small Town Theater Company in Armonk is offering another summer concert on Saturday, July 22, 2017.The Hamlet of Armonk is fortunate to have the presence of the Small theatre Compnay with was founded in 2008 with the vision of producing high quality performing arts programs.Some of their works include theatrical plays, staged play readings, variety showcases, theatre and file festivals, and also summer concerts in the park.The Saturday Evening Concert in the Wampus Brook Park will feature Jazz and Soul with Charlie Lagond.Charlie Lagond is the Co-Founder of Lagond Music School.  He has worked as a professional musician for over 35 years, performing around the world with many well known artists.North Castle Parks and Recreation along with a number of Armonk small business sponsors ha... 07/20/2017

The Armonk Chamber of Commerce promotes local business in the Hamlet of Armonk which is part of the Town of North Castle New York.  Armonk has a thriving downtown business district.  The Armonk Chamber of Commerce has a mission to promote local business and connect them with the community.  One way of doing this is the "3rd Thursday Event"What's planned? All kinds of things throughout town, with music and activities in Armonk Square (picture above). If you walk through town you will be immediately aware of the festive attitude.  Armonk Square alone is worth coming out and sitting at one of the tables and enjoying some take outs from DeCiccos Family Market.But here is the big surprise for Thursday, July 20th.  There will be the 1st Annual Classic Car Show.  Come an see if they will the f... 07/19/2017

Look at your real estate business an ask yourself this question about your organization.  Do I spend most of my time developing my team in the areas of skills and knowledge?  I am guessing the the majority said yes. It seems that when many managers hire people they spend a tremendous amount of time on resumes, skills and knowledge. And yet people usually don’t fail because of lack of skills. It is usually bad behavior, bad actions, or bad attitude.Several years ago, I heard Zig Ziglar speak. He said, “Your attitude determines your altitude.” What do YOU think about when you hear the word attitude? When I ask this question at workshops people usually respond with examples what they consider a bad attitude. It may even have a negative connotation to you. The fact is that people do not put... 07/17/2017

Good intentions are just that. They mean nothing without action. At some point we have to "Just Do It." We know that getting started is the hardest part. It takes the most energy but once started there is some momentum. Some people think that time management explains why it is not getting done. But time management is not the issue. The root cause is our behavior and it manifests itself in procrastination.  Procrastination is something that we all have to confront and deal with from time to time. It's only natural to procrastinate at times, but the way you deal with your procrastination patterns will determine what effects procrastination has on your life.Why is it that so many people start out with good intentions to achieve a goal but never achieve that goal? When you procrastinate you... 06/26/2017

Fol de Rol is French and it means foolishness.  Every June we have foolishness in Armonk NY.  The tranquil picture of our park in Armonk with the gazebo will be transformed into fun and foolishness tomorrow June 8th through Sunday June 11, 2017.  There will be rides, races, crafts, food, and fun.  The Jersey Disc Dogs will be racing through once again.Admission to the fair is free.  It is located at Wampus Brook Park, Route 128 and Maple Ave in Armonk NY.  Come and enjoy and fun weekend!Information provided by Grant Schneider, Performance Development Strategies.  Would you like to know how to make your local business thrive? Contact us!  06/07/2017

 Would you like to be more accurate in predicting the success of a new employee or a sales team member?   Don't place all of your decision on past experience.  While is has importance you should remember that when you hire someone you are looking for future performance. I work with numerous privately held and family held businesses. And I have observed that those running the business believe that their industry is different from others, so unique that the primary requirement is experience. Because of that mindset I have seen many bad candidates hired and many qualified candidates screened out. The hiring manager is using the assumption that as long as the candidate has previous experience in the industry or job that the candidate will be a success in the hiring manager’s job.In my work ... 05/22/2017

 Your best form of advertising is your current clients.  That's right, and it is also the most economical.Peter Drucker said that the purpose of business is to create and keep a customer. It is really that simple. Creating a customer is done through a clear message and marketing but keeping a customer is based on performance. Not enough of us really focus on the retaining customer part of that equation. How many times have you heard, "what separates us from others is our service."  I hear it all the time but does the speaker really know what that means? And also, too many focus on customer satisfaction to determine their customer service measurements. This measurement does not get to the heart of what separates them.Some also make a mistake in the method of measuring the voice of their ... 05/15/2017

Do you have a problem with time management?  The real problem might not be time management at all.  If that were the case, then you would be able to solve your problems very quickly. But time management is not a time management issue at all. It usually involves a much bigger issue including attitudes and behaviors.Since it involves a much bigger issue you can’t solve the problem simply by being more organized. Systems alone cannot help create more time. There are many books that tell you how to organize your time. You can buy a day planner, or use Apps or other organizing and calendar programs but still have no better control of your day. The root cause of the problem is not the lack of systems or processes. It is our own attitudes about time, our bad habits and our bad behaviors. It is... 04/24/2017

If you hired an administrative staff and you exercise strong control over their work you may be shooting yourself in the foot for two reasons.  First of all, you hired them to take over tasks so that you could grow the business.  And second, your strong control will keep them from blossoming into productive employees. In fact, being a control freak insures that nothing can get done without your involvement.  Many of my business owners in Westchester County New York including those in real estate and insurance have learned the importance of delegation to business growth. Once you decide to add just one new employee, your main job is not control but allowing others to do what needs to be done. If you don’t let go, you will be seen as a micro manager. This will actually de motivate your te... 04/17/2017

Spring is here and opportunities abound.  Are you and your team ready for showtime?  It takes effort on your part to execute your season.  You know what needs to be done but what about the rest of your team?  Does everyone on the team know their role?  If you know how to empower and engage your team, they will in turn create loyal customers leading to growth and success for all.  There are three components:Focused Leader - You may be the broker or owner but that does not mean you are seen as the leader. You appoint yourself CEO but your team will follow you if you are the leader.   As leader you will create vision, model behavior and inspire results. With your inspiration people recognize your leadership. You will be creating an environment where people will join your team. They see the... 04/03/2017

In interactions with other people have you ever heard someone described something like this:  “He could get you upset just by saying Good Morning."  Social interaction among individuals is always subject to emotions and interpretation. You can be upset about something that happened earlier and the emotion could carry through negatively when communicating with staff members. Sometimes it is not what you say but how you say it. You can change this by being aware of your emotions and keeping them in check. Then learn how to react and interact with people. Here are six situations and possible ways to respond. •          You can accept others ideas and respect them although you do not have to agree. Acknowledge amazing requests and outrageous statements with responses such as: "That's an int... 03/20/2017

Many times people do not achieve theirs goals or change their bad behavior because they are paralyzed by fear. This is one serious condition that will call business owners and real estate agents to fail to move forward. Cars change, technology changes, and business practices change. What you did to get to where you are today will not get you where you want to go tomorrow.   If you want to continue hold onto your customers and market share you must adapt to changing times. And if you want to move forward you need to anticipate and get ahead of change.Why do people resist change? Why do people continue to do the same things although they are no longer getting the results they once achieved?Understanding the reasons people resist change can help overcome the obstacles to change and create ... 03/13/2017

So you have decided that you do not want to be a solo entrepreneur.  Perhaps you want to grow or perhaps you want to take some tasks off of your shoulders.  Maybe you want to create a legacy--a business you can pass on or sell.  Hiring people will change your role from doing everything to leading others.   You know how to do the business but now you have to manage it.For example, in the restaurant industry there are numerous great cooks and chefs that feel that because they know how to create a great meal that that they should open a restaurant. The restaurant might open and have sales but the owner might be so consumed with the food details that he might neglect other parts of the business. In most cases the business stops when the owner stops. Likewise, if you want to build a real est... 03/06/2017