Success Rule #3 - LAUGH AND SMILE, AND DON’T TAKE THINGS PERSONALLY

By Mike Branam

“With the fearful strain that is on me night and day, if I did not laugh I should die.” - Abraham Lincoln”

Laughter gives us distance. It allows us to step back from an event, deal with it and then move on.” - Bob Newhart

Laughing. Smiling. We know how important these things are in our personal lives, but they are just as important in our professional lives as well. This is not to say that business should be taken lightly, or that a customer issue will magically be resolved with a hearty belly laugh. But taking a moment to reflect on a challenging issue, or laughing at yourself when times are a little tough can help navigate us through difficult waters.

While we cannot always control what happens, we can certainly control how we react.

PJ Chapman of Chapman Properties and Mike Mumford of Bennett Property Management are two members of NARPM who I have had the pleasure of spending some time with. Their commitment to seeking out opportunities to learn is obvious, even after spending just a few minutes with them. It is not uncommon to hear them discussing how to make a process better, or how to make a contract more sound. Hearing them bounce ideas off one another has convinced me that they are not necessarily concerned with THEIR way of doing things - rather, they seem focused on the BEST way of doing things. And with all that said, I have not spent more than five minutes without seeing either PJ or Mike laugh when having a discussion. Their enthusiasm for life is contagious; proof positive that you can be successful while having some fun.

While it is easy to laugh when times are good, it is during stressful times that we need to have as much perspective as possible. Many of the management groups I have spoken with allude to the importance of having perspective while not taking things personally, especially during the process of an eviction. I have heard some difficult stories surrounding evictions and it is clear that while these are sensitive circumstances, a management company has to proceed by doing what is right. Sometimes what is right is not always what is easy, but having perspective during the process can at least provide peace of mind.

“I don’t take myself too seriously” says Joan Maranville of Maranville Realty. Well put Joan!