#multifamilymonday
Multifamily Monday: Collect Moments not Things
Looking forward to another crazy over the top uber-cool week? Me too. This week we are penning on the idea of collecting moments.
Let’s start with a story to set the context for our post. I was recently remarried to my first and only wife – Stephanie. It’s a long story and this is not a post to garnish congrats and atta boys. It’s an amazing story and one I will cherish. Cherish in the sense of what being in relationship really means. It’s work that is worth it and it is work that is hard. I cherish it for all that it has taught me and all that it will teach me. And, my encouragement to you – embrace the ones that are near and dear in your life. Go make some moments.
Collect Moments not Things
Stephanie and I would rather collect moments any day of the week. Faced with the choice of buying our kids toys, gadgets or the latest and greatest widget or taking them on an amazing adventure in a foreign country – #gameon foreign country. Faced with sitting around playing games inside or building a fort in the woods behind our house – #gameon fort (or, fourt as our kids so aptly name it and wrote is with a sharpie no less). Play some Wii or go to a water park – #gameon water park. Sit around on a Saturday or volunteer some time at a dog shelter – #gameon dog shelter. (Okay, for those of you that know me – animals are not my thing. But, Stephanie, J and K love them and they give back time for them). To us – our kids education comes down to activity that sparks emotion, creativity, need to be resourceful, collaborating and giving back in the way of time and energy. And, creating moments for the such.
Resident Moments not Things
What the heck does this have to do with my Multifamily Monday? Everything! It has everything to do with it.
Stop giving residents things, i.e. money, carpet cleans, accent walls or whole new paint jobs. Ok, give those things if you want to but make a moment out of it. Make a moment of truth. Make a moment of celebration. Make a moment worth sharing.
Here is my short speculation. Get enough crazy good resident moments collected and they will pay back in two ways: 1. if you have a bad moment – the good will offset. 2. When it comes time to renew (another chance to create a moment) – they are locked in and thirsty for some more moments. Your job – feed the thirst by creating the moments.
Your collecting moments not things multifamily maniac,
M
Multifamily Monday: SBWA
What are we talking about on this Multifamily Monday? SBWA. What is SBWA. Supervising By Walking Around.
How many of you get lazy and don’t walk your apartment properties as often as you should? How many of you get lazy and do not walk your market ready product? How many of you get lazy and do not inspect what you expect of your teams.
Don’t be shy.
If it helps, I will admit that I am as guilty of this as much as the next guy/gal. At times, it is simply out of a haste to get on to the next thing that is calling my attention. Other times, it is simply just being lazy.
I admit it not for the reason of calling you or myself out but simply as a matter of getting it imbued in your mind. You, we must do it. It is fundamental to our business. It is what keeps us all true to our standards. If you are not looking at what you expect those standards fall pretty fast. I think we would agree.
Supervising By Walking Around
I wrote a piece on this concept back in the Spring of 2011. At the time my posit was that you could not know your people and or your business if you did not spend any time wondering around in it. Not my novel concept but one made famous in the world of leadership and management by Tom Peters (side note: you could consider me a super-fan of Mr. Peters).
To the Point
Since the purpose of the Multifamily Monday series is to be short and to the point – here it is.
Get our of your office today and walk around your community. Walk alone. Walk with the people in your office. Walk with your service team. Walk with someone that might be moving in soon. Walk with the cable guy. Walk with the landscaper. Walk with someone that currently lives in your community. Walk with a police officer. Walk with a Mom. Walk with a Dad.
GET Up – Walk NOW
Your SBWA multifamily manic,
M
Multifamily Monday: Introduce the Rest of the Team
My challenge on this Multifamily Monday. Get your service team involved in the program.
Unsung Hero
We could all debate back and forth over the fact(s) that if it were not for the service teams we would not have apartments to lease. And, if we did not have people leasing apartments we would not have any to turn. Can we all agree that both are important to the operation. And, both carry equal weight as it relates to keeping the teams moving along.
That being said, I must lean on the side of service this morning. A couple of reason(s): Air Conditioners, Air Conditioners, Air Conditioners. As we continue to endure the heat wave that has gripped and squeezed this country over the past three weeks, our service teams never slow down. They never quit. No matter the task, they go about getting it done. My hat is off to them.
Make them Part of the Program
If any one of your service team members is in or around your leasing office when you are visiting with a resident – take the time to introduce them to each other. If you are touring someone and you see the porter or service techs – take the time to introduce them. Edify them publicly. Speak in sound bites about what they mean to the day-to-day business. Manufacture events that honor the service teams.
You could have a service team function at the site whereby you invite the residents to celebrate them. Sure, you can expect some grumpy people but surely we all understand by now – they are just are just part of it.
Today is that day – take five minutes to give out some atta-boys, some public pats on the back, some, we value what you do and a good old-fashioned – thank you.
Your believing in the whole team approach to property management multifamily maniac,
M
Pic Props to Zeus Media
Multifamily Monday: Integrity
Remember the scene from Almost Famous where Penny and William talk about how old they are? It went like this:
Penny Lane: How old are you?
William Miller: Eighteen.
Penny Lane: Me too! How old are we really?
William Miller: Seventeen.
Penny Lane: Me too!
William Miller: Actually, Im sixteen.
Penny Lane: Me too. Isnt it funny?
The truth just sounds different.
William Miller: Im fifteen.
Truth Just Sounds Different
Here's a real-life example from a commercial eviction case in St. Louis: Our client had racked up $8,000 in legal fees without realizing it, focusing on the eviction rather than the cost. This is a reminder to keep track of expenses, especially when using someone else's money for legal action. It can be difficult, but honesty and transparency are crucial for finding the most liberating solution."
Moment of Truth
I received an invoice in the mail reading $5,000+/- so I picked up the phone and called our attorney. I think the conversation started with a loud "$5,000+/-??!! - Can you tell me how we racked up this much?" or, something to that effect. "Well, Mike, I hope you are setting down because the real number is $8,000, you just have part of the picture." Enter - fear and moment of truth. I had to tell my owner that I dropped $8k and after further discussion with my attorney - we had little to no chance of winning.
It Does Sound Different
Fear in tow, I entered his office and asked for a minute of his time. Clear throat - I dropped $8k on an attorney and we have no chance of winning the case. Long pause - (I was taught to never fill the silence with noise). He got up asked me to bring the whole package into the conference room. I did and he entered the room to review.
Fast forward, the owner says, "Consider this an $8,000 education for both you and me." I went silent and reflected for a minute - thinking I had maybe misquoted the amount lost. I was expecting much more of a tongue lashing (professional, of course) but much more intense. But, to him, it really was an education. And, for me in that moment - the truth just sounded different.
Never Hesitate
Honesty and Integrity - if we are all truthful with ourselves - is the hardest character related trait we will contend with. It's easy to misrepresent. It's easy to deflect. It's easy to avoid. Both Honesty and Integrity are hard work but they are the best work you will ever do. Do both today...
Your believing that the truth just sounds different multifamily maniac,
M
Multifamily Monday: Relationships Take Time
Relationships Take Time
It takes time to foster the relationships necessary to lay plans for a new apartment community development. It takes time (sometimes a lot of extra time) to develop the relationships necessary to clear the land for building. It takes time to build the relationships necessary to lay the infrastructure. It takes time to build the relationships necessary to lay the foundation(s). It takes time to build the necessary relationships to frame it out. It takes time to build the relationships necessary to do the finish work. It takes time to develop relations with everyone involved in the project along the way. And, it takes time to develop the relationships with the people who will give the place to life and make it interesting for people to live there. And, it takes time to turn that life and interest into relationships whereby people choose to fill the apartment community up.
Time
Time is something that further escapes us everyday. The only way to find more of it – is to take it. Take it from those things that rob it most. Be it procrastination or the inability to say no. Figure it out. And, exercise it everyday. Once you take it – then make it count. Give it to the art of creating relationships. Be it more time with your children, spouse or life partner. Give it to them. Give it to them with no strings attached.
It is the best gift you can give yourself –
Your waking up looking forward to tackling the opportunities that every Monday brings multifamily maniac,
M
