Robert Senkler, CEO of Securian Financial Group, shared some great advice with the crowd at the 2014 Minnesota Real Estate Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony.
“Ask: Would this look good on the front page?”
Mr. Senkler was talking specifically about undocumented compensation in the insurance industry but this applies to many decisions. If a decision made the front page of the newspaper, would it look good for you, your company, your employees and your client? If not, take the time to really think about why.
Check your balance sheet.
In 2005 and 2006, Securian made sure that if the unthinkable happened, they’d be ready. Now, they call the unthinkable 2008. Because they created scenarios to test their business, they were ready. Rather than having to be reactive, they had a plan in place. This helped them to weather the storm through 2008 and 2009 for their company by saving jobs and keeping their business afloat.
Do the simple things well.
With this real estate group, Mr. Senkler used the example of checking financial records and receiving solid valuations. While that is something much less complex than coming up with a development plan, many smart people missed the simple step in the last few years which caused big problems. In other words, don’t forget the details and how important they are in the overall scope of business.
All employers have to pay people to come to work for them. But, they don’t all make their employees feel good about what they are contributing to the company. Community service and the ability to give back as part of a job is a great way to differentiate among other employers. It helps to build a work environment routed in ethical business practice and hardworking people who give back not only because they are being paid to do so but because they want to do so.
Once again, congratulations to the 2014 Minnesota Real Estate Hall of Fame inductees:
George R. Karvel, Ph.D.
Cyril “Cy” Kuefler, Sr.
Jim Stanton
