Fanatics

Day 24 of the #trust30 challenge – it’s a big one!

The secret of fortune is joy in our hands. – Ralph Waldo Emerson

What if today, right now, no jokes at all, you were actually in charge, the boss, the Head Honcho. Write the “call to arms” note you’re sending to everyone (staff, customers, suppliers, Board) charting the path ahead for the next 12 months and the next 5 years. Now take this manifesto, print it out somewhere you can see, preferably in big letters you can read from your chair…

(Author: Sasha Dichter)

I kind of feel like Jerry McGuire right about now.

I can’t help but to call upon the great Tom Peters for this exercise. Back in 2006 I drew from Tom’s: The PSF is Everything! Manifesto to re-imagine the way we did business in Portland. I had just inherited the Regional Manager role where I was responsible for managing fourteen properties consisting of over 5000 units spread over five sub-markets. It was a daunting task and I had no illusions that I could run the deal by myself. I knew it would take the collective efforts of our 100+ people as lead by eleven site managers. It was a bonus that they were the best in business.

If given the charge today to chart the course for the next 12 months and beyond; I would break it down just like we did back in 2006.

• Enhance Work & The Legacy
• Enhance Firm & The Brand
• Enhance Employee Commitments
• Enhance Resident Commitments

I would assign our top talent to each of these four over-riding areas. The task? To Develop the next generation of Mills Properties. It would be on each team [with as little guidance as possible] to come up with amazing over the top and executable strategies to create excellence.

Enhance Work & The Legacy

People want to be a part of something bigger than self. And, it all starts inside with the innate need to move character. It starts with a
company that is convinced that organizations are put in place to serve the people that serve it. It stars with mission, vision, strategy and values. As such we would take action on the following:

• Get a crystal clear point of view
• Create a dramatic difference
• Create a culture where ‘Stretch is Routine’
• Create a culture of ‘Game-Changer’ – WOW Projects
• Work only with ‘Playful Clients’ – Life and Business is Too Short to work with Jerks
• We would get obsessed with LEGACY
• We would part ways with anyone who says ‘apartments are commodities’
• We would never shy away from ‘Radical’

Enhance Firm & The Brand

• We would define what it means to make our business ‘cool’
• We would recruit the absolute best talent
• Integrity would rule the day
• Execution would rule the seconds, minutes and hours
• We would create a ‘Swarm Team’ as a way to support
• R&D would get front and center attention
• We will own the relevant Saint Louis digital frontier
• We will aim to be no less than a ‘LOVEMARK’
• Passion would be the guiding principle

Enhance Employee Commitments

• Our talent would breed talent – FANATICS
• We would hire peculiar
• We would manufacture Early Opportunities for new Talent
• They will rise up or be out
• We will make way for YOUTH
• We will get committed to Renewing our CURRENT base of Talent
• We will get obsessed with MENTORING
• Everyone is a leader
• Bring in the Best in Breed
• INTEGRITY with everyone

Enhance Resident Commitments

• We will invite our residents in as partners
• We will draw in only the best vendors to Serve our residents
• Have residents claim that working with US is THE BEST EVER
• Implement Implement Implement
• Our Chief AIM? Resident’s assist in creating CULTURE
• The measure? Did we make a Dramatic, Game-Changing Difference? Will they tell a friend, family member or co-worker about us?

That’s it! That would be my framework for the next twelve months. After that year we would go on an EXECUTION and IMPLEMENTATION QUEST! It would be a No Holds Barred Journey into Compelling, Over the Top, Amazing and downright Stunning Achievement!

Your always striving contributor,

M

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