The 2014 RE/MAX
International Convention, known as R4, had many great stories and experiences
for me to share and not to share… But the one that sticks out most is my time
on a tour at Zappos and at the founder's personal home. First of all, the
tour of the home revealed a nutty professor environment with sticky notes on
the walls for future projects and random ideas. Another unusual space was
an indoor flower garden, and I don’t mean indoor plants in pots but rather
walls and ceilings covered in plants from floor to ceiling. Imagine the
Rainforest Café restaurant and you now have a visual.
The tour of Zappos
revealed a place where people are happy to go and work, happy to be with the
people in the building, and where they desire to build relationships with
fellow employees and guests. This is a place where if you belong and fit
in, you know it the second you walk in. NO ONE will try to persuade you
to join or be a part of the experience. Actually, if you try to join the
experience and it doesn’t feel right, they will pay you to go away and never
come back. That’s right-- after you complete your training, if you
find it's not for you, Zappos will pay you a stipend and 2 month's salary to
not take the job with the caveat you can never apply again. Imagine the
confidence in the culture an organization has to say if we aren’t the right
place, let's all save some time and money by just cutting you a check for your
training time and additional 2 month's full salary to move on.
On my tour
I learned so many fun facts about this organization and many times I found
myself reflecting back on RE/MAX Ability Plus and how we too know the kind of
people that fit and the kind that don’t. Although not many agents leave
us, when they do most of the time it is a good thing. Last year we had 97
million dollars in agent production join us and 5 million in production leave
us, but even more importantly the agents that joined us made us better. I
have found when you have a strong culture it identifies the people who belong
and those that don’t.
So my time is spent with those who belong and not
spent trying to figure out who doesn’t. I always think back to 2008 when
I held a meeting to talk about growing RE/MAX Ability Plus from 32 agents to
350 agents and Phil Herman was so concerned about the kind of people we would
take on in order to grow to such a big company. I know his concern is
both valid and for the right reason, but what we have found is with the right
culture in place you attract more people who fit in and belong, and not the
kind of people who don’t. It isn’t uncommon for an agent to join us and
say “wow this just feels right” or something along those lines. I find
great pleasure because I know we have made the right connection at the right
time with the right person.
I encourage you to take a tour of Zappos and
to reflect on your place. Does it reflect you, does it support you, and
does it just feel right…
Bon appetite, Jimmy
