Leadership
Choosing Not To Do
“The essence of strategy is choosing what not to do.” – Michael Porter
You may want to read and reread that last line a couple of times. [It’s okay – I’ll wait…..]
I think for many of us, me included, it’s usually more along the lines of what do we do next? What is the next thing to tweet? What is the next platform to try? What is the next marketing idea stone that needs to be turned over? How do we differentiate? How do we compete?
All good questions and likely good stimulates for conversation. But, what we leave out is equally if not more advantageous in forming an effective strategy.
What are you choosing not to do this year?
Related material: Two Lists You Should Look at Every Morning
Pic Props: TSLBO
Share this:
Multifamily Monday: Practice
Perfect Practice Makes Perfect –
If you read our blog regularly then you have no doubt read the story about my high school basketball coach and his perfect practice statement.
Go Out There and Work Hard For Forty Minutes
The story I have not shared up to now is the pre-game pep-talk. Every coach that I ever played for, from pee-wee leagues to AAU leagues and right up to Texas Tech University had a way with words during the pre-game prep. And, they range from semi-inspirational/motivational to down right in-your-face set the world on fire or else.
Nearly twenty years removed from the high of playing NCAA basketball, I can still recall some pretty cool speeches, the following being one of my favs –
Paraphrased: Every one of you look me in the eye – go out there and keep your eyes focused on playing the game. Keep your eyes off of the scoreboard and play every last second like it is your last second. Look at me – if you go out there and give everything you have right down to the very last second you are on that court – the scoreboard will take care of itself.
He otherwise meant that if we would just focus on translating perfect practices into hard-core results on the court. If we just focused on taking care of business – we would win the game.
Go Out There and Work Hard Every Minute
I would suggest that it is no different in the business world. Your organization awarded you an opportunity to come to work everyday in lieu of standing in an unemployment line. They gave you a chance to exercise your mind and your body. They gave you a chance to move the meter. They gave you a chance to make a difference. They gave you a chance to produce results.
Everyday is your time to shine. Everyday is your time to keep your eyes focused on playing the game. [Read: perfectly practicing the fundamentals]. One who does so should never have to pay close attention to the plethora of reports that measure the success of an asset.
Work hard (and, smart) and the scoreboard will take care of itself.
Your – focused on the game – multifamily maniac,
M
Pic props: Raiderpower.com
Share this:
Multifamily Types: What is Your Something New?
I love what Seth’s Blog: said on the likes of sitting down to begin your day:
You’ve just surrendered not only a block of time but your freshest, best chance to start something new.
Time Sucks
It’s true; if I start my day in the office I inevitably get caught up in the race to get my inbox count to zero. Or, I get drawn into the necessary but time sucking “got a minute” conversations. Both of which leave the “move your business forward” stuff to suffer. There has to be a better alternative.
Something New
My something new for this year? It’s not really new but it is a more determined effort to exercise a relentless focus on delivering the things that matter most. Things that move my business forward. Things that keep my apartment management clients, collaborators and vendors feeling connected, communicated with and most important – wowed.
With that I’m considering a more mindful approach to consuming email, Twitter, Facebook and the such. I’ll be focused more on the end result of my actions as opposed to the processes that get me there. I’ll employ the build backwards approach to getting things done; thinking first of the end goal then the avenues and resources to get me there. It’s saying no more often. No to email. And, no to – got a minute meetings. A more controlled approach if you will.
First Things First As it Relates to Business
I am making this blog one of my first things first. I’ve admittedly been all over the board with my posting efforts. Will I do it better in ’12? Will I do it more in ’12? Will I at very least be more consistent? I think so. One of my blogging goals is to post on Mondays (Brief: inspirational – motivational) and Fridays (Apartment marketing, operations and at the urging of a friend some accounting).
Main takeaway – take control of your time as it will always be happy to take control of you.
Your taking back control of his time multifamily maniac,
M
Photo credit: GoodROI Internet Marketing
Share this:
Multifamily Monday Morning Brief: Thoughts
“As a man thinketh in his heart so is he.” – James Allen
Want to know what makes up a persons character; get inside his/her head and understand what consumes their thoughts. Learn about what they read, what they pay attention to, who they hang around and what they are most passionate about. Get to the heart of that stuff and you will be more than half way to understanding one’s character.
Get to the heart of that stuff within you and you will understand the essence of what gives you success or what gives you fits and missteps.
Want to rock the multifamily industry; consume yourself with right and proper thoughts on the subjects that move you most. And, if you feel really compelled, start a blog and share those passions. Do it today.
Your thinking big thoughts multifamily maniac,
M
Share this:
My Boss is Killing Me
Make note of everything you hate about the ledership style of your current boss and commit to never doing any of it when you have the chance to seize your opportunity to lead. – Tom Peters Paraphrase
It doesn’t necessarily mean that they are bad people but every property management professional has come home professing; “My bosss is killling me!” We have all been on the downside of that kind of environment/culture. And, there is more truth in that statment than you might realize. Their is a literal mountain of research on the subject of negativity and it’s effect on workplace productivity. Chief reasons being: ill health, lack of moral, tardiness/absenteeism, motivation, wherewithal or outright spite. It’s just a fact; working for a bad leader [Read: Bully] just sucks. Pardon the slang.
There is Hope Out There
I recall many an instance in my journey through the leadership ranks where I preceived my supervisor/boss [I really have a distaste for both of those words as I see leadership/work as a collaborative concept not an up down or up down concept] to be an absolute debbie downer. And, under alternative circumstances I might have caved to the pressure and walked or worse yet undermined his authority in a spiteful way.
Tom Peters Rocks The Apartment World
Enter Tom Peters – I am a raging fan of TP and all of his exclamation point advice. Chief among it the advice that lead this post. Twelve years ago I vowed never to lead people the way I was being lead at that time in my career. That is not to suggest that I have not taken my lumps over the years but rather to say that it has worked in large part. The premise being creating a postive work environment that people cherish and rave about. Knowing that people want to be a part of something bigger than self and working to align that with their personal motives. Understanding that the chief reason for the existence of business organizations is to support the poeple that support it.
Interrupting our Regularly Scheduled Program
I’ve been through a tough season as of late; just crushed by the weight of budget season, one of our RM’s leaving, the search for a replacement and trying to run a business. I am coming out of it now brusied, scathed and inspired. Inspired by a greeat boss/supervisor – [Read: one who gets it].
As such I am reaching back to the roots of my inspirations – books, speeches, inspiring videos, letters, cards and gifts from those who have moved me and those I have moved. And, I am pumped.
All that to say that I am going to do my best to create a Monday Morning Minute that rocks your socks. Or, more realistically put, something that gives you pause for thought and inspiration to give some feedback in the comment seciton below.
Let’s smash 2012 and create some stuff that puts a dent in the multifamily universe.
Thanks for reading and have a compelling week! [That exclamation point is my paying hommage to TP].
Your getting back to inspiring multifamily maniac,
M
Share this:
- « Go to Previous Page
- Page 1
- Interim pages omitted …
- Page 74
- Page 75
- Page 76
- Page 77
- Page 78
- Interim pages omitted …
- Page 83
- Go to Next Page »