Writing
The Power of Pen in Leadership: Debunking the Myth of ‘I Don’t Need to Write This Down
Unlocking Potential and Enhancing Productivity with a Simple Tool: Pen and Paper
Photo by David Travis on Unsplash
Summary
As multifamily leaders, we often pride ourselves on our abilities to retain and manage an array of information. There’s a prevalent belief among many that our minds are infallible repositories capable of storing and recalling every detail exactly when needed. Today, we dispel the biggest lie in personal development: “I don’t need to write this down.” We’ll explore why recording your thoughts, plans, and ideas can significantly enhance your leadership skills and overall productivity, promoting tremendous success in the multifamily industry.
Problem
The pace of the multifamily industry can be intense, with a constant barrage of things, responsibilities, and decisions that need to be made. This can easily lead to information overload, causing important details to slip through the cracks. The belief that one can remember all crucial points without external aid can result in missed opportunities, flawed decision-making, and stagnation in personal and organizational growth. This underestimation of the utility of written records reflects a larger issue – the undervaluation of systematic approaches in leadership development.
Solutions
Addressing this fallacy starts with acknowledging our cognitive limitations and appreciating the value of recording information. Writing things down doesn’t signify weakness or incapacity. Instead, it’s a strategic tool that enhances memory, fosters clearer thinking, and provides a tangible record for future reference. It’s about creating a reliable external memory system to aid your internal one.
Writing down your thoughts, ideas, and plans can enhance creativity and enable more effective problem-solving. It allows for the visualization of concepts, fostering a deeper understanding and enabling connections that may not have been apparent otherwise. This translates into better strategies, innovative solutions, and improved business performance.
Moreover, maintaining written records encourages transparency and accountability in leadership. It is a detailed documentation of commitments, promoting a culture of responsibility within the organization. It can also provide valuable insights when reviewing past decisions, offering learning opportunities for continuous improvement.
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The Power of Writing Down Your Perfect Day in Vivid Detail
Photo by Jaimie Harmsen on Unsplash
Do you ever find yourself drifting through your day-to-day routine, feeling unfulfilled and unsure of what you truly want? Getting caught up in the hustle and bustle of our busy lives is easy, but reflecting on our desires and goals is essential for personal growth and happiness. One of the most powerful tools for self-improvement is the practice of visualization, and writing down your perfect day in vivid detail is a great way to get started.
Visualization creates a mental image of a desired outcome, which can help us manifest our goals and aspirations. By writing down your perfect day in vivid detail, you are essentially creating a blueprint for the life you want to live. This exercise can help you identify your priorities, set clear intentions, and make actionable steps toward achieving your dreams. In 1996, I wrote down a 400-page plan for my ideal life, which helped me create the perfect daily habits to work towards that vision. And it has made all the difference.
So, what does a perfect day look like for you? Take some time to sit down and imagine your ideal day from start to finish. What time do you wake up? What does your morning routine look like? What kind of work are you doing? Who are you spending time with? What activities do you enjoy? The more specific and detailed you can be, the better.
Once you have written down your perfect day, take a moment to read it over and visualize yourself living it. Imagine the feelings of joy, satisfaction, and fulfillment that come with living your ideal life. Visualization techniques like this can help you stay motivated and focused on your goals, even when things get tough.
In addition to helping with visualization and manifestation, writing down your perfect day can help you identify areas of your life that need improvement. For example, if your perfect day includes more exercise or healthier eating habits, you can use this as a starting point for positive changes in your daily routine.
It’s important to remember that your perfect day is unique to you, and it may change over time as your priorities and goals shift. That’s why it’s a good idea to revisit this exercise periodically and make any necessary adjustments. I revisit my plan annually in November during a ten-day life pause. By reflecting on what you truly want and setting clear intentions, you can create a roadmap for personal growth and happiness.
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Bad Grammar No Hire
I typically see two camps when it comes to bad grammar. The call-you-out-on-twitter-in-front-of-the-world-grammar-masters-of-the-universe. And the people-who-couldn’t-care-less-on-Tuesday-after-5p-masters-of-fluidity. Count me in that group for the most part. It’s just not something that rings my bell. It doesn’t make me think more or less of you if you can use the word circumlocutory property in a sentence. Or if you misuse its where an it’s should be. I don’t judge your ability to be exact or precise based on your ability to put to words together in a sentence. But some people do.
I ran across a post over at Harvard Business Review titled I Won’t Hire People Who Use Poor Grammar. Here’s Why. and it took my head spinning in a thousand directions. No offense to the author but I did hurl some insults. Not attacking him personally but rather self-remarking on his premise. A premise which is very sound by the way. At least as it relates to the line of work he hires people for. But the article is not the truly interesting part. The sum 3000+ comments the article has loaded up is fascinating to me. They are all over the board grounded in both awesomeness and masterfully inane anti-brilliance. I really urge you to click over and read a few hundred of them if you have the time.
What Would You Do
I’m not the first to admit that grammar is important. More well put, it would likely rank very low on my list of qualifying attributes for deciding to hire someone. Call me crazy but some of the hardest (smartest) property management people I have ever worked with or for are grammatically challenged. That is up and down the chain of command if you believe in such a structure. And I would not deduce it to lack of attention to detail. They just have a challenge with the written word.
How about you? Would you take the hard-line approach that the author of the article takes:
On the face of it, my zero tolerance approach to grammar errors might seem a little unfair. After all, grammar has nothing to do with job performance, or creativity, or intelligence, right?
Wrong. If it takes someone more than 20 years to notice how to properly use “it’s,” then that’s not a learning curve I’m comfortable with. So, even in this hyper-competitive market, I will pass on a great programmer who cannot write.
Or do you take a more relaxed all-encompassing approach in your hiring decisions?
Your really curious about the grammar conversation multifamily maniac,
M
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Writing Tip for Apartment Bloggers
Are your spelling and grammar skills on the downside of good? Do you struggle with the use of its, it’s, affect, effect and other words?
Guess what Apartment Bloggers
Your not alone.
Not to long ago I had a conversation with someone about this apartment blog.
They told me that they read nearly every post. I thanked them and asked why they did not chime in with a comment from time to time as I admired their contributions in the property managment field.
Well you see I am not real good with words. I retorted – are you kidding me – have you really read my stuff? It’s ripe with bad editing. Missed grammar, spelling and inane mistakes born out of a rush to deliver.
Back in the day – I really fretted over it. Today I file it under the remark in the pic above.
Every article that I post is as much about my desire to be a better writer, thinker and doer as it is about displacing some value on the industry I love.
Want to be a Better Apartment Blogger?
Get busy writing, publishing, commenting, correcting and doing it all over again the next day.
Your getting sharper every day that I take the time to write Multifamily Maniac,
M