Greed is Good & Show me the Money – Four reasons why not

Does Facebook still do a ‘favourite quote’? I can recall that at one stage the favourite quote
that I published on Facebook was “Show me the Money” from the 1996 movie Jerry
Maguire. I have my targets and goals, in fact they are targets and goals that exceed my
targets and goals from years gone by. The idea of greed being good, of ‘Show Me the
Money’ no longer cuts it.
There is a note on my Independent Agent whiteboard that states:
‘Do this without Greed’
This discussion seeks to unpack what I mean when I say I am trying to do this without greed.

1. Greed equals Lack
I think that greed is reflecting a feeling of lack. If I have to hang on super tight to all that I
have, and to hell with anybody else, then I am doing something wrong. One of the reasons
that greed is not good for me is because I don’t like the person that I am when I realise that I
am operating from a place of lack. When I am operating from a place of lack there is a
tightness, a clutching, a grasping that I just don’t like in myself. Being greedy makes me
think and operate in a way that I don’t like or want and does not align with the ‘Matt Jones’
that I am trying to create.

2. Winning at All Costs
In a marriage you often learn to bite your tongue, and as a parent you learn the same. In a
business, for sure. Winning at all costs in a financial or business setting sets the parties up
against one another, which brings a polarity into deal making which is not required in every
setting. When I am guilty of this kind of thinking I am left with the same feeling as when I
am operating from a place of lack. I would be inclined to say that quite possibly a place of
lack feeds ‘win at all costs’… maybe it’s the same thing.

3. Greed is based on ‘Expectations Not Met’ rather than ‘Reality’
My note on the whiteboard serves as a reminder to myself that even when things don’t
quite go as expected, we need to keep to the overall plan. Any investment needs to only be
scrapped after serious consideration.
If we have a bunch of deals fall over I am not going to cut some new addition to the
business that I had planned. If the business needs investment in good times, it needs it even
more in the not so good. Likewise, I’m not going to immediately remove some support from
a staff member who is having an off quarter. On a personal level, I am not going to take
away time or activities from my family just because the month has not gone as it was meant
to.

Every one of these examples starts with an expectation not met. I have learnt time and
again that my expectations can well be my undoing. I expected that deal to be done. I
expected that person was more experienced or capable. I expected that the month would
be more profitable.And to circle back to the first point above – I am not going to drift or fall into a place of lack
just because there are a few hurdles to get through.

4. Serve, Serve, Serve
There seems to be a universal law – unlocking riches comes from a place of generosity. On
the flip side of this, I DO struggle to understand how to draw the line between financial
responsibility and generosity, between nickel and diming and prudent financial decisions
When I started this business, I built giving back into the structure. Painfully, I removed the
first version of this because as I have mentioned in an earlier post, my top performers have
an element of giving back in their business already. They wanted to make the decision on
their own terms. Others in the business wanted none of it. This is an area that I am revising
now. What I was trying to do was becoming meaningless along the way and this is an area
that I am also still working to reconnect in this business. I will continue to work on what is in
front of me. I built this business as an opportunity to serve, specifically those agents who
want to create their own brand presence and follow their own way of doing business. I want
to create an opportunity for those who want to get out of a corporate environment.
One idea that is a struggle to qualify and articulate is how can I show a generous spirit to
staff while still maintaining responsibility for business finances. Taking a hard line on money
matters is going to stifle growth, creative risk taking, and will result in missed opportunities.
Anyone who knows me understands that I don’t hold too tight to money and that I am
always happy to share and try new ideas. I like to help out where I can. As my business is an
extension of me the same thing goes. So, navigating this path is a struggle for me personally.
Fortunately, I have sound advisors to support me and so I can continue to gain clarity in this
area that challenges me.

In closing, ‘Show me the Money’ has become:

Show me what is broken
Show me where I can help
Show me what you want to do
Show me how I can do better – how we can do better

Money follows Service

I am sure that the money will continue to follow service as Independent Agent will continue
to serve those who desire to do real estate with our slightly different way of dealing with
some of the embedded structure and culture within agency work.

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Welcome Noel Smith
We welcome Noel to the team, he joined us at the beginning of April and based in
Morrinsville he helps to close the gap between Auckland and Hamilton! Noel wasted no time
getting straight into a new rural listing. Great to have another full agent on the team, and
Noels experience and work habits will be a great addition to our team. Looking forward to
working with you Noel.