Embracing change

Embracing change

By Heidi Shackell of The Lettings Hub

Welcome back to my monthly blog – "As I see it!"

In a dynamic world, change remains an ever-present force, demanding adaptability from all of us. Some changes are thrust upon us unexpectedly, while others emerge from proactive choices.

In this blog, I delve into the significance of preparing for and embracing change, whether it comes in the form of unforeseen shifts, eagerly awaited developments, or deliberate personal growth. Change is a natural part of life, but our individual responses to it can vary; some of us are comfortable with it whilst others approach it with apprehension. Therefore, in this blog I share my thoughts about how we each navigate change differently and how we can harness it as a catalyst for success.

Growing up

My eldest daughter is now back to school after her first half-term holiday since joining secondary school in September. During the break, we took a moment to reflect on the contrast between her current experiences and those at her previous primary school. As the eldest of five, Martha has had to be a natural leader, confidante to her siblings and has grown accustomed to adapting to new circumstances, but it can still be a daunting prospect to her.

I was keen to know how she was adjusting to her new school life, now that a couple of months have passed.

Back in September, my advice to Martha was to embrace the new friendships she makes, whilst staying true to herself. I advised her to take in the new surroundings – her old school had 90 children; whereas there are now 240 children in her year alone! Quite an adjustment to make; but I advised her that despite the size of her new school, and the different lesson structure. She should not fear the challenges; these would become a new normal before too long. I advised her to be kind, whilst also being prepared to seek help from others when she needs it. But most importantly, I advised her to cherish her new environment compared with the familiarity of her old primary school.?

Our chat over the holidays was so positive.

Martha no longer feels anxious about the transition to a different school environment; she now feels more mature and appreciates the freedom that secondary school offers. She has already built strong bonds with new friends and enjoys the dynamic classroom environment, where each day brings a fresh and inspiring experience. It's heartening to see her settle in so well, and I couldn't be prouder.

This conversation also got me thinking about how I felt when I started secondary school. I wonder - do you remember back to those times when the smallest of thing seemed huge? Yet, with the passage of time how easily the big things became so insignificant.? ?

Change affects us all, but not everyone responds to it in the same way. It’s crucial to recognise the differences and support individuals at their own pace.

Growing stronger, together

Last month, my senior team and I dedicated a day to self-awareness training. My trusted business associate Andrew Porteous has been a supportive ally through several significant transformations in my professional life.

During this session, we delved into the Trust Equation; a belief that an individual can enhance their trustworthiness by addressing underlying factors of trust.

The Trust Equation – a model formed by David Horsager, underscores the importance of reliability, intimacy and self-orientation as pillars of trust.

Strengthening personal credibility necessitates personal growth, introspection, authenticity, and consistency. It's essential to acknowledge the impact of our actions and words and to align behaviours with values, which in turn enhances credibility and reliability. Building intimacy involves developing emotional intelligence and fostering meaningful connections which are vital for cultivating lasting trust.

However, all of this requires change, both in personal and professional circles.

The day itself was focussed but refreshing. By putting a whole day aside, there was no jumping from meeting to meeting, it was all quality time reflecting, evaluating, and learning more about our own styles. I felt that this was a pivotal moment: make the journey as successful and enjoyable as possible; or the future won’t be as pleasant as you would like.

It was an excellent session, and I’m really looking forward to working with my team to embrace the Trust Equation together.

When you’re building a business, it’s important that customers will put their trust in you, so they stay with you for the long-term. Therefore, it was fascinating understanding the trust equation in a format that demonstrates cause and effect to powerfully reform a perception. And this is why I’ve always been determined that our leadership development sessions are strongly implemented into our company, and are used to embed long-term change for the better.

Evolution leads to a revolution

At The Lettings Hub we continually refine our pre-tenancy property platform - BOX. Each enhancement builds on the last and paves the way for the future. Sometimes the changes may not seem to make a huge difference. But taking each incremental change in isolation often does an injustice to the bigger picture.

Last month we rolled-out a significant development to the platform; although the development may have seemed quite small for our platform users for now – it is a sign of things to come.

I’m thrilled about this latest update. We’re changing how a tenancy is accessed and viewed. That may not seem particularly ground-breaking; but it means we have introduced some fundamental changes whilst significantly expanding the functionality within our pre-tenancy platform to incorporate a full client accounting solution.

This is revolutionary change, brought to our customers in smaller stages.

We remain committed to continuously developing BOX and keeping it ahead of the evolving tech landscape in the industry. Our dedication to this promise underscores our commitment to progress and innovation. Reflecting on how far we've come since the launch of BOX fills me with immense pride, and I eagerly anticipate the continued journey ahead. This incremental yet revolutionary shift is a testament to our dedication to continuous improvement.

Actually, it’s amazing when I look back on what we’ve achieved since we launched BOX. It’s come a long way, and the transformative journey continues. And when I glance sideways and look across the market, I’m thrilled to see that we’re still leading the field in things that are important to us, perhaps we just talk about it in a different way. Our clients remain impressed by the cutting-edge innovations we roll out and are excited about the development roadmap ahead.

?

Facing the future

The other big news over the last month was the progress the Renters Reform Bill made; from second reading to Committee, which is due to conclude in early-December.

This is an example of a reform that’s been on the cards for a long time, and we encourage everyone to move with it. Although the ban on so-called ‘no-fault evictions’ was paused for now - it was part of the Conservative Party Manifesto in 2019 and we should expect it to feature in the reforms.

Whilst the announcement caused some in the industry to fear the future, the necessary Court reforms to ensure Section 8 Notices are fit for purpose is a solid pledge which will lead to the inevitable removal of Section 21 Notices. Therefore, I encourage all in the industry to work with the changes, not to resist them. Too many have tried to avoid the inevitable, but this is not a good mindset. Reform is coming to our industry and we must all adapt. ?

As I see it… if you continue to do the same thing and always resist change such as this – and expect a different result - I’m afraid you’re in for a shock. This is one of my most favourite concepts, as it encourages you to embrace change in a very positive way.

?

Pushing against your comfort zone

In October we launched our brand-new podcast series, which is a weekly roundup of news and changes from across our industry.

This was new to me, and if I’m honest, I was quite nervous by the idea. Hosting a podcast requires me to think on my feet, ask interesting, open questions; and whilst listening to the answer I also have to consider the next question, or decide when it is the right time to bring a different guest in, or change to a new topic. ?None of these are the type of skills that anyone was born with, and so it was certainly something I needed to push myself to learn before we launched.

However, we’re now five episodes in – including a recent episode on the latest update on the Renters Reform Bill, which is a really great assessment of how Agents believe the Bill will impact our sector, in reality. ?Proof that embracing change can be positive and empowering.

Finally...

Last month, at our family Autumn Party, Bertie carved his own pumpkin. It struck me as I watched his cheeky face as he dug out the pumpkin flesh and carefully worked on his design just how much he’s changed since last year. 12 months ago he was a baby, and now here he was, joining in the fun with his brother and sisters.

Change surrounds us. Whether that is at home, in our own business – or in the industry in which we operate; navigating, embracing and driving change are crucial skills; because cultivating resilience and adapting to change is crucial.

I hope you enjoyed reading my latest blog – if you do, please give it a share!

?