I-A-Q #6: Pathways Thinking
Happy Monday!
Here is an Idea, an Action, and a Question to consider this week.
Idea
A team is only powerful if all the teammates believe that they’re a valuable piece of the whole. To feel valuable, team members need a sense of ownership.
One way you can help your team feel ownership is to include them when you’re brainstorming solutions to a current problem.
When brainstorming, I use the model known as Pathways Thinking. It’s a psychological term that refers to the ability to create multiple pathways to a goal––to find multiple solutions to a problem.
Example: Let’s say there's a problem with an inspection—a common issue in real estate deals. You sit down with your team and discuss all the possible solutions. You come up with the following:
Ask the seller to fix the issue.
Ask the buyer to update the paperwork and fix the issue before they close.
Get the seller to offer money. Nothing gets fixed, but money gets passed.
Get a concession where the price gets dropped.
Ask if the washer and dryer can convey, and no money changes.
Instead of locking in on one solution, you and your team can use the Pathways Thinking model to create multiple solutions. And because you did it as a team, everyone walks away feeling more invested in the business.
Action
Think about a current problem in your business. Use the Pathways Thinking model to come up with multiple solutions to that problem. Remember to use your team in the process.
Question
What is a single source of failure in your business, and can you use Pathways Thinking to avoid future problems with this failure point?
See you next week,
Matt “Roar” Gardner
Real estate investor-agent, Author of Supersonic Real Estate: Light Your Afterburner to Accelerate Your Investor-Agent Career (Coming Soon!), and keynote speaker
