Search Results for: goals
Multifamily Leadership: Seven Behaviors
It feels like a leadership Friday today. Not sure if it’s the cloudy skies, the chance for rain or the innate need to start a series. I do know that over the long bit of time I have spent in the multifamily business, I tend to naturally migrate to two primary drivers; leadership development and marketing and branding. And, with the advent of the Internet and the massive proliferation of it’s use for marketing apartments much of my time and attention has been invested there. But, as of late I am feeling a draw back to leadership.
Seven Multifamily Leadership Behaviors
Leadership is one of those topics that is rife with, great theory, good thought, wild opinion and plain misinformation. Even I struggle to nail down my own convictions after nearly twenty years of studying the subject both in academia and by real life experience. There are a number of reasons for that ranging from the four distinct generations that make up many of our work teams to the advent and use of efficient communication technologies. That said and for the sake of this series I intend to draw from Larry Bossidy & Ram Charan’s book: Execution.
Execution is not a book about leadership as much as it is about setting up environments that are conducive to getting stuff done. But innate in the literature and as captured in Chapter 3; leadership is really the premise. And, they have narrowed leadership down to seven behaviors that make a lot of sense to me.
Those seven behaviors will be the premise for my seven part series. I hope to get a brief post, focusing on essence, out every Friday which will be a true exercise in discipline for me.
Here are the seven behaviors in list form:
1. Know your people and your business
2. Insist on realism
3. Set clear goals and priorities
4. Follow through
5. Reward the doers
6. Expand people’s capabilities
7. Know yourself
I look forward to expanding on the seven behaviors drawing from my treasure chest of stories. I hope we have some fun sharing.
Your looking forward to a relaxing weekend contributer,
M
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Property Management Company: Cause
It seems to me that Property Management Companies are in essence Professional Service Firms. The chief objectives are to maximize the physical and fiscal performance of a real estate asset for institutional and or private owners. But are they really called to be and do more?
Property Management Company: Cause
I received an email not long ago asking a question along the lines of finding a cause for a firm – in an email exchange I penned the following:
I see a cause as being something bigger than self or team. To me – it’s audacious in nature. And, it has nothing to do with selling more stuff but everything to do with building individual and organizational character as a way of changing the world. I don’t use – changing the world – in jest. It is the only premise with which to build an organization. In my head organizations are built to serve the people that serve it – period. That is first and foremost. If built right all else will fall into place. An organization that focuses on building character will see that character exercised in the way of success on every level with every metric.
I think Emerson said it best when he penned the following:
“To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children…to leave the world a better place…to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded.”
Capture that in the way of a cause that lays over your companies mission, vision, strategy and goals that help to execute as much and you have something people can believe in. You will have found something that people can get out of bed in the morning for – you can change the lives of hundreds if not thousands and as a default – you will create wealth beyond your imagination and more important – the imaginations of those that are served by the organization. They will have lived what Emerson had in mind – all because you made a decision to offer up a worthy cause.
Do you have a cause? What is it? Why do you think it is important?
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Number One Way to Motivate Apartment Talent
In Lisa Trosien’s recent post: Dear Mr. (or Ms.) Property Management Executive , she speaks to ten complaints from site teams across the country. It strikes me that every single one of these have been relevant to our industry for as long as I can remember. And, every single one of them impedes progress. Which, according to a recent article in the Harvard Business Review, is the number one motivator of employees.
Teresa M. Amabile and Steven J. Kramer penned: What Really Motivates Workers in the Jan-Feb 2010 issue. In the article they sight the following five factors as being significant drivers of motivation;
1. Recognition
2. Incentives
3. Interpersonal support
4. Support for making progress
5. Clear goals
All important but Amabile and Kramer contend not the number one motivator. After conducting an intense multi-year study tracking a multitude of levers – progress – it seems is the number one motivator.
“On days when workers have the sense they’re making headway in their jobs, or when they receive support that helps them overcome obstacles, their emotions are most positive and their drive to succeed is at its peak.”
Seems to me progress, not unlike every item in Lisa’s list, is completely in the control of executives across the country. The article suggests the following ideas for helping progress;
1. Avoid changing goals autocratically
2. Be decisive
3. Provide support in the way of rolling up your own sleeves
4. Celebrate progress – no matter the stretch
I have always believed that a happy employee is a productive employee and that the property management organization exists to serve the people that serve it. And if those two mantras are employed as a premise for all decision making the rest will happen by default.
For those who would huff and puff about about the soft stuff, there is the alternative;
“On days when they feel they are spinning their wheels or encountering roadblocks to meaningful accomplishment, their moods and motivation are lowest.”
I trust the week to come will be one of smashing progress…
Related post: Can Apartment Marketers Afford to Disconnect a 24/7 generation?
Related post: Make Sure You’re Not De-Motivating Your Team
Related post: Eight Things Your Employees Want From You
(Photo credit: Dan Pink’s: A Whole New Mind)
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Property Management Fundamentals
Mike Brewer · · 1 Comment
Our apartment maniac friend, Eric Brown, posted this yesterday. I have to say, I agree with the implication he makes and can’t wait to see what kind of feedback he gets. Great post Eric.
The one remark I would make is that something as simple as keeping the promises you make to residents, prospects and vendors is as valuable as the next new thing. One way to stay ahead of the competition is to make and keep promises to all of your constituents. Being different starts with being thoughtful and trustworthy. Both are worthy goals and game changers if executed well. Both play well and set the stage for Eric’s point.
Apartment markeing, multifamily management
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Lisa Trosien email interview: Part 1
Mike Brewer · · 1 Comment
Lisa Trosien was kind enough to field a few questions for the benefit of our blog readers. The interview was done back on in the early part of June and I am just now getting around to posting it. All for good reason.
This marks the 800th post on our Property Management blog. It’s been a long trip. We started the blog thing back in late 2004 and have suffered through bad platforms, lost material and otherwise dumb user mistakes. Despite all that here we are today on a secure platform posting our hearts content.
I thought it fitting to use this milestone 800th post to replay the words of one our true apartment maniacs and moreover icons of the industry.
Many of you know the story but I will tell it again. I first met Lisa at the NAA/IREM conference in Las Vegas some 12 years ago. It was my first conference and she happened to be one of the speakers that I went to see. I was spellbound by the whole experience. I could not tell you one thing that she talked about but I can tell you that she made me feel like I was the only one in the audience that afternoon.
Later that evening I was in a gift shop when I spotted Lisa buying every magazine that contained Michael Jordan pictures. There were many at the time. I took advantage of the moment to say hi and to tell her how much I enjoyed her speech. What caught me off guard was her absolute humbleness and willingness to give me her undivided attention.
She is no different today. I’ve heard stories where she receives emails from say, a leasing consultant in Seattle. And, Lisa being Lisa, picks up the phone and calls them direct. The response is often a shrill that rivals a tweener screamer her heart out at a Hanna Montana concert. “It’s Lisa on the telephone!” “Is it really you?”
While she downplays the celebrity status that ajoins public speakers she is no doubt a major influence and moreover consumate professional for our industry.
All that said, let me pause no more. Here is part one of a two part series. And, Lisa. Thank you – from a forever fan.
Professional
Can you tell us a little bit about what you do in and around the multifamily industry? How you got into the business? And, your favorite memory about the business?
What are some of the biggest areas of opportunity that you see facing our business in the near and long term?
How does your role as a consultant play into that and how do you see yourself assisting operators/owners as we move into the future?
Technology
How do you see technology affecting our business in the coming five years? How might it help or hurt us going forward?
Do you have a website? Facebook Page, Twitter account? Blog? Anything else you are using to get your message out?
Are you still an advocate for print media? Has your thought process shifted in the least?
For instance, when I travel, I book my hotel room online. I can even pick the room I want at some hotels by looking at a schematic of the property. I arrive, bypass the line at the desk and check in at a kiosk. Since I’ve probably prepaid to get a better internet rate, I don’t have to check out in the morning. If I don’t need any special services once I’m there, I can get in, get out and get on with my life with NO human intervention.
However, that being said, great on site team members will ALWAYS be able to find a job. Technorati Tags: Lisa Trosien, apartment marketing
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