#Trust30
Multifamily #Trust30: Character
Day 14 of the #Trust30 challenge – Trust
…Decide what you want the future to be and make it happen. Because you can. Write about your future now.
(Author: Cindy Gallop)
It’s an elegant way of saying Trust thyself. There is no way of really telling how many times a year we have brilliant ideas cross our mind only to be lost in the same instance. And, no way to tell just how many times that dismissal is a direct result of our innate lack of trust in our own wherewithal. Or, back to that ever persistent dream killer – fear.
What do I want people to say about me when I die
A number of years ago I took the time to write a personal creed for myself. The soul-searching was prompted by a book I was reading at the time; don’t quote me but I do believe it was Steven Covey’s 8th Habit. The methodology included thinking about your very own funeral. I know, morbid huh?
You are at the back of the room as you watch four people take the stage to speak about you: a family member, a co-worker, a coach, mentor, friend or otherwise and a civic/church member. In the exercise you wrote about all the things you would want those individuals to say about you. In doing so you would discern the things that meant the most to you in the way you would want to live life. In a word: character.
Once you defined the character traits, the next step consisted of writing your creed. And, once the creed was written it was time to pen your goals and strategies with which you went about achieving them, predicated on the creed. Or, what you were going to do to build your character.
Character leads the way
Every year in early Jan, I sit and pen my goals for the coming calendar year along with five years and ten years down the road. All predicated on my creed. All in an effort to work on character first, accomplishment second and gathering of things third. In my head if I work on character, accomplishments will come followed closely by money and the things that money can buy.
Over time I will post the creed and the goals that go along with it as one of the last steps in the methodology is to share openly with those that would hold you accountable to living up to what you penned. But, not yet.
What about you; what methodology do you use to create the future for yourself?
Your working on 2011 goals predicated on creed and aiming for good character contributor,
M
Multifamily #Trust30: Like New
Day 13 of the #Trust30 challenge
…Can you remember the moment when you stopped walking a path of someone else, and started cutting your own? (Author: Bridget Pilloud)
I am a bit off prompt again today but hopefully you can appreciate the spirit of it.
I can remember the day like it was yesterday. It was late 1998 and I lived in Silverdale, Washington. I worked for a national REIT at the time. I was privileged to work for a gentleman that I still consider one of the best in the business especially as it relates to the topic of leadership. He was a teacher first and a business person second. Working for him was an absolute education.
The moment of truth for me came in the way of an employee concern. This individual had an alpha dog Type Triple A personality. Bite first and forget
about asking questions later. I had given it everything I had up to that point and resigned to calling my RM in. What did he do? Nothing! He listened to my plea for him to assist in taking care of this guy and he simply kept asking me what I was going to do about it? To me, I was doing what I was going to about it; I wanted him to deal with it.
Up to that point in my career; two things existed for me, 1. I worked on amazing assets and 2. the people loved what they did. The path I followed up to that point was one of little to no resistance to getting things done. At this moment the only path that existed for me was vertical and gave cause for a major pain in my side. And, I no ability to displace it. G thanks, Mr. RM man.
Fast forward: I survived!! Mr. RM man forced me to stare my moment of truth right in the eye and do something about. I had to choose my own path and fortunately it worked out. I was able to forge a new beginning with Type Triple A and he actually thanked me for taking the time to care. Whoa! Not what I expected to hear.
From that day forward, I looked at every employee issue – like new.
Your looking at everyday and every circumstance like new contributor,
M
Photo props to cheesy42
Multifamily #Trust30: Surprise
Day 10 of the #Trust30 challenge
How will you surprise yourself this week?
(Author: Ashley Ambirge)
How will I surprise myself this week? I have a sleeping problem. Not that I get too much but rather that I get to little. The daily routine, in short looks something like this:
5:30 to 6:00 rise (varies but no later than six)
6:00 to 8:00 read/write/run/get ready
8:00 – 5:00 Meetings/site-visits/working on the multifamily operations business
5:00-9:00 Family time
9:00 to 2:00 or 3:00 – Multifamily & Social Media Work
How will I surprise myself this week? Make it to bed by 1:00 – I think it’s a realistic start.
How about you? What will you do?
Multifamily #Trust30: Fear
The #Trust30 prompt today deals with the subject of fear.
My thoughts on fear took me back to the words we used when writing on the subject of fear just a few days ago. That said, I am going to use this prompt in the way providing a tip.
Multifamily customer service
I have a new manager in my portfolio; started just about ten days ago. Last week we were talking through some site specifics, concerns and areas
of opportunity. In the course of the conversation we came across the subject of decision making and communication. Any good property management organization makes the allowance for people to make decisions in the moment of truth.
For many new managers, fear is front and center in those moments of truth. “What if I make a bad one?” is a common question they ask themselves. When faced with those moments; they fall on the sword of, “Let me call corporate” [a word I abhor] or “Let me ask my manager.” [An act I abhor]
Now some sales people would contend that these two statements are useful in selling. The old, “I talked to my manager and we are going to do this for you.” Knowing full well they would do it for everyone; it gives the appearance of going to bat for your new found friend. But, to speak to the point of this post, let’s agree that we don’t like that approach to making a decision.
Make a decision and let’s talk about it later
My mantra has always been; make a decision under the premise of serving the customer first. In my head, I have entrusted you with the keys to a multi-million asset and part of the expectation is that you can make good sound decisions. So exercise that muscle; I say. And, in the truly big stake moments of truth if you resort to calling me for guidance and I don’t answer, just make the decision.
I tell every new leader to face the fear of making a bad decision by just making it. The thing you fear most is the thing you do next so in the moment; act. I follow by guiding them to set a premise for their decisions by asking the following question; “If that sign outside read [Insert Your Name Here] Apartments, what decision would you make? Or lead by giving themselves a little self-talk pep-talk; “I have been called to do what is the best interest of this person that is standing in front of me right now and with that in mind, I will act and make a decision.
I end by saying that if I think we should have done something different, we will talk about it and move on. Boom done. It’s that simple.
Your enjoying the #trust30 challenge immensely contributor,
M
Multifamily #Trust30: Right Now
Day 7 of the #Trust30 challenge – and, today is a challenge! Whoa!
What is burning deep inside of you? If you could spread your personal message RIGHT NOW to 1 million people, what would you say? (Author: Eric Handler)
It’s All About Choice
The message is something to this effect – the difference between that which you are and that which you want to be is the sliver of a space between stimulus and response – you are what you ‘choose’ to be and you can be what you want to be by choosing differently.
How would you answer the question above?
Your lovin’ the #trust30 challenge contributor,
M
