Nashville, TN

That 80/20 Principle Rule befuddles me.

I had never even heard of it until I got into Real Estate. I know it is not a real estate specific concept. My "business brain" simply awakened around the time I jumped into this business from the military (where it was more difficult for the 80%ers to disappear in the back-ground - yet as I look back to those years, I know who they were),

For years, I have been fascinated by the simple truth that you can assemble darn near ANY group of people and give them all the same level of training on any particular topic - Even career enhancing, life changing, bone rattling, lean and mean tips, tricks, scripts that'll virtually guarantee SUCCESS . . . and 80% of the folks in the room will leave the room in one capacity or another (physically or mentally) without the goods . . . and will NEVER implement one iota of the learnings.

If you're a 20%er, this is great news . . . If you're an 80%er, you might want to pause and consider your way.

OK 20%ers . . . Your only REAL competition out there is the other 20%ers (unless somehow all the 80%ers figure out that they outnumber you and unite against you - not likely, but possible). You can literally go through each day GIVING AWAY your own secrets of success secure in the knowledge that only 1 in 5 people who hear the wisdom will ever do anything significant with it . . . and truly, the odds are actually more along the lines of 1 in 10 (or 20 or 30). Even most of the 20%ers who seem to "Get it" will not effectively implement it in a sustained way.

I've been a REALTOR since 1993. My first business coach wowed me with his generosity. He simply GAVE away all of his great ideas. I asked him why? "Because I like to help people" yet he quickly acknowledged that most of those people never implemented the ideas at a high level, so he was not, in fact, creating any more competition for himself . . . what he was doing was "raising the tide and all boats were rising with that tide" . . . Keep contributing and the general environment of our industry and our community will improve over time . . . Those 80%ers WILL improve their habits and practices given appropriate training.

So . . . Do people CHOOSE to be 80%ers or 20%ers? Do we each have the ability to CHOOSE our level of success?

or are we just born the way we are and just need to live with ourselves as we are?

I know that not everyone is "learning based" and not everyone is real keen on "taking immediate action" . . . and some folks don't like sitting in class-rooms . . . or reading books . . . or listening to tapes . . . or being held accountable . . . or stepping out of their comfortable "comfort zones" . . .

Yes! We're all different . . . I love that about our world.

I am still committed to helping everyone I can to become the best that they choose to be . . . and I am fully aware that there will always be 80%ers . . . but I have also learned that:

"Once an 80%er - not necessarily ALWAYS an 80%er"

I have seen plenty of great leaders rise from the trenches simply by choosing to achieve high performance and no longer tolerating mediocrity.

All of this came to mind this morning because I was sitting in a classroom yesterday with Jeffrey. We were exploring the final 2 Power Sessions of Keller Williams Realty's powerful 443 program, and our discussion was very rich. I could really see that Jeffrey was "getting it" and is committed to identifying and cultivating a rich farm of his own . . . He's a 20%er . . . Out of the blue, he asked where "everyone else is????" We had started the 443 class with 6 people and here we were - just the 2 of us still standing here . . .

My response was quick . . . "The 80%ers have left the room . . . It's now time for you to take action and show them how they could have benefited by sticking around for the whole course. IN a few months, some of those folks will ask Jeffrey how he managed to overcome the "horrible market" and he will know the REAL answer . . . but will probably let them off the hook and politely say: "It was tough, but I'm glad I buckled down and pushed through."

If you're an educator/Leader, this post is for YOU! Whether you know it or not, your commitment to other people's success is often a higher level of commitment than many of them have in their OWN success. You cannot take ownership of their level of plug-in . . . You CAN be secure in the knowledge that you ARE making a difference in the lives of ALL of your students whether they are 80%ers or 20%ers.

Best,

b

Barry Owen

Career Development Coach

Principal Broker

Keller Williams Realty - Nashville, TN - Green Hills

www.theowengroup.net - The Owen Group is 20%ing our way along with home Buyers and Seller in Middle Tennessee

www.creatingspaces.blogspot.com

Simply & BOLDLY Living the FourFold Way in Open Space!

I live in Oak Hill, so I am always looking for more information on it. I was on http://www.city-data.com/ looking at the statistics for Nashville, TN and when you scroll down a little bit further you can find more information on Oak Hill! Click below to view!

http://www.city-data.com/city/Oak-Hill-Tennessee.html

WoW.. after the Cleaveland Browns just put a stunning punnishment on the defending Super Bowl Champions - New Your Giants... This leaves the Tennessee Titans the sole title of Undefeated in the NFL. The Titans had there Bye Week and will be back against the 1 - 4 Kansas City Cheifs on October 19th looking to go 6 - 0

Way to go Jeff Fisher and the Tennessee Titans !

Meet an Inspiring Neighbor Who Has Served the 12South Community for Over 45 Years

Juanita A. Rucks is a fountain of optimism and wonderful 12South stories. She and her family moved to South Douglas in the spring of 1963. She has reared three successful children and one amazing nephew here. Married to her long time sweetheart, Charles, since 1948, you can feel the warmth and love in their charming 1920’s home.

“My house was (and is) the gathering place for kids in the afternoons. You could play board games of Scrabble, Keeno, Pictionary, Monopoly and, also, a good game of basketball, “ explains Juanita. “I have seen the neighborhood go through several transitions. When we first moved in years ago, we helped with the needs of an elderly couple who lived next door. When they passed on, I was the one knocking on the door when a few young kids were up to no good and called them down on their activities. They didn’t want to mess with Mrs. Rucks.”

“I love this area and take pride in the homes and people here.” Juanita and Charles now have three houses on South Douglas and want to keep them in the family by passing them on to their children.

After her babies were born, Juanita went back to school and studied for a teaching degree. She taught 7th and 8th grade in metro schools for thirty years. She retired in 1992. Her wonderful teaching influence still abounds in the area. (District 17 Council Woman Sandra Moore {see page 4 of this newsletter} prides Juanita as being one of her favorite, inspirational teachers.)

Juanita may have retired from teaching with metro, but she could not contain her teaching spirit and nurturing nature. She now works with the sheriff’s department and its GED program. She still works on changing people’s lives! She teaches basic math skills and works with others in the department to help 8 to 10 people graduate every 8 to 10 weeks. She has now seen some of these students go on to graduate from college. She said it is such a rewarding experience to see people who have made some bad choices turn their lives around with a
little help and encouragement.

A smart, spirited and giving woman, Juanita is truly a neighborhood hero. She says her momma always told her, “If you make your bed hard, you have to lie in it.” She works effortlessly to help others have “a little softer bed” every day.

Whew!

I took a few days away from the blogging world as the kids had a long "Fall Break" Week-end. We frolicked around Middle Tennessee the past 4 days and literally spent most of our time outside . . . I LOVE this Fall Weather!

As you are meandering through your days, do you have the sense that most of the folks around you are really "On Board" with you? Do they "Get" you? Do their goals align with yours? Do they even KNOW your goals? Do they even know their OWN goals? . . . and most importantly, Is YOUR vision clear in your OWN mind?

Hate to throw so many questions at you in such a flurry, but the reality is that most folks could use a little (a LOT) of work in this realm. This is easy stuff to talk about but isn't all that easy to implement. In the Keller Williams lingo, we talk a lot about "The Big WHY" . . . "Aiming HIGH" . . . "BIG ROCKS" . . . and we spend a LOT of time focusing on the importance of paying to attention to what MATTERS in our lives.

One subtle (albeit highly essential component) of this is paying attention to who is journeying along with us. Are we surrounding ourselves with people who support our goals and up-lift us? Are these people energy givers or energy suckers?

I just read a neat little book that I highly recommend. The Energy Bus - 10 Rules to Fuel Your Life, Work, and Team with Positive Energy by Jon Gordon - This book is a "Business Fable" with a pretty darn good formula for leading the reader down the path of creating a healthy environment of supportive people and positive ENERGY. The bottom line really is in defining "Your bus" and then knowing who is on your bus with you and whether or not those folks are CEO's (Chief Energy Officers) in your world or "Energy Vampires"

As you wander through life, invite more CEOs along to ride with you and deal with the vampires either by kicking them off your bus or helping them "see the light"

This book is an easy read, and I believe a great book for anyone who is not feeling personally fulfilled at work or at home . . . and gives some good advice on building teams that thrive.

If nothing else, it's refreshing to read an up-lifting story of Positive Energy flow amidst the turmoil of today's global environment.

Get the right people on YOUR bus and cue yourself up for a RECORD number of closings before year-end!

Best,

b

Barry Owen

Career Development Coach

Principal Broker

Keller Williams Realty - Nashville, TN - Green Hills

www.theowengroup.net - The Owen Group is driving a HIGHLY Positive Energy Bus filled with Home Buyers and Sellers in Middle Tennessee

www.creatingspaces.blogspot.com

Simply & BOLDLY Living the FourFold Way in Open Space!