Are You Sacrificing the Important for the Urgent?

When I was 18, I broke my back while cliff-diving in Montana. Turns out, entering the water at the wrong angle from a 65-foot cliff will do that.

Doctors weren’t able to do anything for the type of fracture I had (a compression fracture), so they advised me to see a physical therapist and give the bone time to heal.

I was religious about doing my physical therapy...at first. But, as the pain in my back went away, so did the urgency of doing the exercises.

My doctor and physical therapist implored me to continue therapy. They told me how important it was to my long-term health.

I didn’t listen. The “urgency” of college classes, friends, sports, and partying got in the way.

Today I do my physical therapy. I wish I could say it’s because I’ve matured and gotten my priorities in order, but the truth is the exercises are no longer a choice. Years of neglecting my back have resulted in recurring issues that are only held in check by regular physical therapy.

I made the critical mistake of sacrificing the important for the urgent.

In the real estate brokerage business, the two most important priorities are recruiting and retention. Yet, I talk to owners and managers every day who sacrifice those important priorities for the “urgent” priority of managing the day-to-day.

During the buying season, you can get away with sacrificing recruiting and retention. Your agents are busy and making money. They aren’t likely to leave. The same is true of agents at other companies.

But now we’re entering the recruiting season. 

Sacrificing recruiting and retention over the coming months could mean, at best, missed opportunities to hire productive agents. At worst, it could mean the loss of some of your most valued people.

I don’t want to see either of those scenarios happen to you. And that’s why over the next few weeks I am going to give you specific suggestions on how you can prepare for recruiting season.

My hope is you’ll use the information to avoid making the same mistake I made of sacrificing the important for the urgent.