It's Time to Make Some Smart New Moves

Can you think of at least one new move you’ve wanted to make in your business—but haven’t?
Last week I facilitated a workshop for a group of 11 loan originators. Our theme was “Evolving your Business” with the objective of identifying new moves each originator wanted to make that would help improve his or her back office operations and/or bottom line mortgage loan production results.
I asked the group the same question I just asked you: “Can you think of at least one new move you’ve wanted to make in your business, but haven’t?” Across the board, the answer was yes. I passed out some colored index cards and asked the participants to write down what that move was and then share their answers aloud.
Their new moves included things like:
• Hire an assistant
• Expand my real estate agent relationships
• Start a database
• Streamline my loan application process
• Launch my own website
I then asked the group why they had not yet implemented their moves. The responses ranged from comments like “just too busy” to “still thinking about it” or “not really sure.” I then challenged each originator with the real reason why they had not done what they wanted to do: They had yet to make a personal commitment to doing it.
The commitments we make to ourselves are the most important ones and often the hardest commitments to keep. Most people are great about keeping their commitments to others (their clients, family and friends) but fall short when it comes to their own obligations to themselves.
They continue to put off the important things they need to do, or worse, make endless excuses for not taking action. “Let’s do this,” I told my group of originators. “When you finally decide you are committed to making that new move, give me a call and I’ll help you get it done in less than 30 days. But it looks like we’re finished here today.”
Somewhat stunned at my comment—and since we were only 20 minutes into a planned two-hour workshop—several loan originators sat up and voiced their appeal to move ahead. They said they were fully committed to their new move and to making it happen, and that they didn’t want to call me later, but wanted to get started now. Detecting their sincerity (and secretly hoping they actually meant what they said) I replied: “OK then; if you are serious and fully committed, let’s get stared now.”
I asked each originator to flip the index card over and write down what achieving their new move would mean to them. “Describe,” I asked them, “in real and tangible terms what implementing that new move will do for you and your business.” They did, and the lists included benefits like more visibility, faster loan closings, additional referrals, and of course, more money.
I asked the group if those results were important to them (they yelled “yes”) and if going through the time and effort and possible expense of implementing that move was really worth it. In unison, they agreed that it was.
Next, I asked them to study their new move (build a personal website, hire an assistant, expand their Realtor network, etc.) and write down on the index card the very first step they would need to take to get the project started. “No matter how small—making a phone call, filling out a form, having a conversation with your manager—write down the very first step you’ll need to take.” They did.
Then I asked them to write down the next step after that, and so on all the way to the anticipated end. “Take your time and don’t rush through this exercise,” I emphasized. “There’s a big payoff waiting on the other side of this project for you, and it deserves your focus and time.”
In less than five minutes everyone in the group had finished, and not a single originator listed more than five steps on his or her card. We went around the room and everyone shared their plan aloud. “What did you notice about all of these plans?” I asked them when the last card was read. They realized that everyone’s new move was very doable and that most of the steps they needed to take were simple ones.
“You see,” I pointed out to the group, “we often make these new moves larger in our minds than they are in real life. We blow them up and out of proportion and in doing so, convince ourselves that achieving things like building a website, starting a database, streamlining our application process or meeting new real estate agents is some daunting task that’s going to take an extraordinary amount of time and energy. But when you break it down and look at it in simple steps, you discover that it can be done, and in less time and with less effort than you first thought.”
I told the group that I wanted to meet with them via conference call in exactly 30 days, and that I will be excited to hear about their success with their new moves. Everyone scooped up his or her index cards, and we adjourned.
This story isn’t really about that group of 11 loan originators; it’s about you. It’s my guess that you can think of at least one new move you’ve wanted (or needed) to make in your business, but for one reason or another have yet to get started. You could say that you are too busy or that you need to roll it over a few more times in your head, but we both know the real reason why that new move hasn’t happened: You have yet to fully commit to your action and build a plan for implementing it. Entrepreneur and multimillionaire cookie magnate Wally “Famous” Amos said it best: “What’s standing between you and greater success is your lack of total commitment and a plan to take you where you want to be.”
Your career is an evolution of sorts, and the new moves and action plans you deploy are what keep that career moving forward. If you have goals and plans and “new moves” that would help advance your business this year and into 2013, consider copying my index card exercise and get started. If not now, then when?
It will be interesting to see in 30 days how my group of loan originators did with their new moves. It will be interesting to see where you are, too!