Decisions, Decisions

Decisions, Decisions

It’s pretty incredible, the number of decisions we make on any given day.  Actually, just thinking about it can be exhausting.

What should I wear? Eat for breakfast?  Walk or take the subway to work? Carry an umbrella?  Where to have our company Christmas / Holiday party?  Renew the lease for our current office space or look elsewhere? Is today the day I speak with that underperforming employee?  Accept the invitation from that good-looking colleague in the accounting department?  How will I vote when the investment committee meets about buying that $200 million shopping mall?  Should I sign a three-year employment contract that seems too good to be true?  

Of course, if we don’t make a particular decision, we’ve still actually made a decision…to not make a decision!  But does putting off making a decision help or just prolong the process and perhaps create accumulated stress that moves with us from day to day in a seemingly never-ending cycle? 

Every decision - small, medium or large - has consequences and trade-offs and offers us the opportunity down the line to second-guess ourselves.   Afterwards, we may feel great about the decision, or realize that it may not have been the best choice or the right choice at this time.  In the worst case scenario, we may learn that it really was the wrong decision.  

For many years, in any given week, I have had heart-to-heart career-related conversations with real estate people in different stages of a decision-making process. I am aware how stressful those times can be for someone in transition.  I know from having gone through this process in my own career numerous times – and learning along the way about mistakes I made and try not to repeat!

There are no guarantees in life; we believe we’ve made the right choice at the time we make it.  Only time will tell but remember, we usually have the option to change our minds.  As a counselor once told me, whether it’s a decision that involves millions of dollars or your career or life in general, we do the best we can at that precise moment in time and should trust our instincts.  Yet, it often helps the process to have someone to bounce things off. 

We’re all in this together, people.  We need each other.  When someone calls you, asking for advice, even if you’re really busy, consider taking just a few minutes to talk.  I guarantee that as much as it will help them, you will find it helps you too.  As Bill Withers wrote and sang, ‘Lean on me, when you’re not strong, and I’ll be your friend, I’ll help you carry on.  For, it won’t be long ‘Til I’m gonna need somebody to lean on.” (From the song Lean on Me)

Congratulations…

Philip Hy joins Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL) as an analyst in Guangzhou, China.

Neville Rhone and Quincy Allen on the launch of ARC Capital Partners.

Chuck DiRocco joined Real Capital Analytics as Managing Director.

On The Road…

May 29 – 30:  IMN’s U.S. Real Estate Opportunity and Private Fund Investing Forum, New York, NY.  

    I will be moderating a session called “A Day in the Life of an LP" 

    featuring four distinguished pension fund representatives.  It should be 

    informative and fun! 

June 13 – 16:  Felix Family Weekend, Black Mountain, NC

    (First, hopefully annual, three-generation get-together). 

June 25 – 26:  NAREIM Event, Georgetown University, Washington, DC. 

Beautiful but injured Bald Eagle at the Sharon, Connecticut Audubon Society right behind my Uncle Myron's house which I visited, one last time, this past week just before his funeral. 

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