A busy, real estate manager is under constant attack from the urgent needs of clients, agents, and staff members who want their problems solved.

While problem solving is important, it must be prioritized behind the proactive work of recruiting and retention if you hope to grow your team.

Real estate managers often tell me:  With everyone clambering for my attention, it’s hard to make the right decisions that allow me to focus on proactive work.

Here is a simple growth hack from Peter Drucker on this topic:

Most executives have learned that what one postpones, one usually abandons.

When someone comes to you and wants their problem solved, pushing it off until later in the afternoon or the next day will frequently cause the issue to evaporate.

Why? Because the person with the urgent request will usually either find someone else to solve the problem, solve it themselves, or realize it doesn’t need to be solved.

Delaying problems is not the same as ignoring problems.

If a problem is still an issue a day from now, it probably does need some of your attention.

Using this approach will take courage because the priority-wreckers are used to getting your immediate attention.

But it must be done.