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Posts Tagged ‘Apartment Employee Performance’

How to Stop Checking Your Emails and Call the Client

Monday, June 14th, 2010

Unlock Your Potential and Find Happiness and Success By Adele Landauer

Walls. We all have them. They are what stop us from achieving, from being free, and from living the life we know we deserve. Thomas had them. He was a key account manager at a fast-growing business. He was new at his job and did it well except for one small area: he couldn’t phone potential clients.
Acquiring new accounts was a small, but important part of his work. It was expected that key account managers network to help the company continue its impressive growth. When it came time to call potential clients, Thomas would dial five or six numbers and then slam down the phone, check his emails, clean his desk, or play a quick game of cards on his computer. He wasn’t afraid of talking on the phone or of meeting new people. What was stopping him?

Thomas had a Fear-of-Failure Wall. He was good at his job because his job was easy for him. He did enough to do it well, but not outstandingly. When it came to new clients, he knew he would have to give it his all to get their business. That was something he couldn’t do. If he gave 80% and failed, then he wouldn’t feel like a failure because he knew he didn’t try his best. In his eyes he never failed, but at the same time he never truly succeeded. He never went as far as he could have because he was always protecting himself from failure. Walls often protect us while preventing us from reaching our full potential. We have become so used to these walls around us that we can’t imagine our life without them. We first give up on our dreams, then on ourselves, and eventually on what we are capable of achieving in life.

Thomas was able to tear down his walls. He had received help from a coworker who had torn down a Control-Freak Wall. She showed him a six-step method of introspection, realization, and perseverance.

It starts with Desire. Our ability to change only goes as deep as our desire for change. If your Desire is small, so will the change that follows. If your Desire runs deep, then there will be no limits to your possibilities.
Lasting change starts here. For Thomas, it started around his seventh or eighth game of solitaire one afternoon when he realized he wanted more.

Find your Direction. If you are not changing, if you are not tearing down your walls, then what are you doing? Where are you going? Do your daily actions contribute to your wall or to your freedom? Look deeply at each action (or inaction) in your life. Even the smallest moment can be indicative of something greater. For Thomas, it was the different ways he held himself back. It was not only checking emails, but the nine cups of coffee he drank each day. He could have been more productive. He could have tried harder. He constantly found ways to slow himself down.

Make the Decision to change. You have the Desire. You know the Direction you need to follow. Now make the Decision. Tear down your walls. There is no perfect time. You’ve thought and talked about it so often, now make the Decision to really do it. Once you do, you begin to change as your actions have purpose and integrity. It can happen in an instant. Thomas made his Decision when he closed his Internet browser and opened his contact folder.

Stand in Defiance of old patterns. People often change and then change back.
Our walls are old and strong. We built them to protect ourselves. When we tear them down, many of our old fears and negative beliefs come rushing back. We need to first accept that we have these negative emotions and urges, and then withstand them. Do not give in. Remember: life is what you make it. As Thomas dialed the number of his first client, he was afraid. He wanted to put down the phone, but he realized that settling for modest success was far worse than trying his best and failing.

Determination every day. Like the swing of a sledge hammer, it is all meaningless unless we follow through. Determination is our follow through.
We have started a process that will not stop once our walls are gone. We will not stop changing. We are always trying to better ourselves. Thomas’
wall did not fall down with one phone call. Or the next. Or the one after that. It fell when he came into work every day and gave it his all no matter the outcome.

Welcome your Deliverance. The wall is down. You are free. Be free to be the person you truly are. Tap into your potential and unlock all your unique gifts. See what you can offer the world and what the world can offer you.
Welcome this new part of you, and be proud of what you have accomplished.
Feel the joy of being free. Thomas could experience for the first time real success because he was no longer afraid of failure. Not only did he become better at his job, but all other aspects of his life improved.

Desire, Direction, Decision, Defiance, Determination, and Deliverance. These are the steps to tearing down your walls and living your life with happiness, balance, and success. Afterwards, you will act in a more natural and purposeful way. There is nothing you can’t do. There is nothing to stop you. So start. Find the Desire and begin to live the life you know you were meant to.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Adele Landauer witnessed the fall of the Berlin Wall first hand. Inspired by this tremendous event, she has gone on to show others how they can tear down the walls in their lives with her keynote address: “Tear Down Your Walls and Feel Free to Achieve”. As a coach, Adele’s client list includes BMW, Bayer AG, VW, Axel Springer, and Microsoft. Her first international book is entitled, “Experience Total Freedom: 6 Steps to Tearing Down Your Walls and Living Your Life with Happiness, Balance, and Success. Inspired by the Fall of the Berlin Wall”. To find out more, visit her website www.AdeleLandauer.com.

Tags: Apartment Employee Performance
Posted in Personal Development | 5 Comments »

Is Your Business Communications Strategy Battlefield Ready?

Wednesday, June 2nd, 2010

By Miranda Bouldin, LogiCoreHSV

When ground forces are on the move, or fighter jets take to the air, they remain in real-time contact with their direct commander and upwards through higher levels of command to produce precise results. These clear lines of communication, though they involve different people, hierarchies, and systems are the core of mission success. For businesses, when these lines of communication become disconnected, the result is improperly filled orders, missed expectations, boardroom surprises, and customer dissatisfaction. By creating a system of clear communication tactics in your business, you can increase the number of your company’s “mission successful” operations.

The keys to a successful business communications strategy are:

· Strategic Communications Plan

A comprehensive strategic communications plan is crucial in order to strengthen a company’s corporate identity and elevate awareness of diverse capabilities and services. Develop a plan with various communications tactics that will enhance and increase positive awareness of your corporate profile. A customized corporate communications plan will increase growth and success for both current and future pursuits. Communication tactics and strategies may include targeted advertising, public relations efforts, community outreach/donations, trade show and job fair activity, social media practices, internal communications tools and external communications projects. Implementing these communication tactics will create a strong corporate image, expand local, national, and international awareness, and generate multiple-level media coverage. It is also important to note that your strategic communications plan should constantly evolve as to accommodate to trends in the ever-changing business market.

· Message Architecture

Key messages are developed through research of company’s products/services, position, and targeted audiences. With repeated presentation, key messages ensure dissemination of clear, consistent, and compelling information through all applicable communication channels. Your company’s leadership team should conduct “off-sites” on a regular basis in order to focus and plan on your future. This will allow your key decision makers to strategize, brainstorm, and reflect upon the state of the company. Developing mission, vision, and value statements are crucial and this will provide the added benefit of strengthening your image and corporate identity for business through effective key messaging.

· Internal/External Communications

An organization needs to focus an extensive amount of time and effort on both internal and external communications. For companies that have displaced employees, internal communications is a crucial and vital function. Keeping your employees connected is very important, regardless of physical boundaries. Develop and implement communication tools such as an employee intranet, newsletter, email marketing, and social media to stay connected with employees, customers and potential customers.

· Media Relations Strategy

One of the most important needs of any organization is the ability to maintain a powerful image in the marketplace through positive channels of communication for targeted audiences. A media relations strategy is an excellent tool to promote your company, elevate name recognition, and create “top of mind” awareness with current and potential clients. A major initiative is to secure media coverage; this adds credibility to your products, services, and capabilities. To amplify media exposure in your key markets, try connecting current trends in your industry to your programs and services your company offers.

A communications strategy can be used as a reference for positioning activities in order to increase awareness, interest, and credibility with your targeted audiences. This will help propel your company to the forefront of your industry and will further position your company in the public consciousness. This in turn will provide a positive representation that is warm and receptive to embrace, rather than cold and indifferent.
Use these strategies and tactics outlined above in order to create your personal “blueprint” communications plan that clarifies and defines your company’s vision and values. An organization will not succeed without specially crafted and well-executed communications efforts. By defining these clear lines of communication, your business will be ready to face the battlefield of acquiring new customers, and keeping employees apprised of critical information so that your business can report “Mission Successful.”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Miranda Bouldin is the Founder and CEO of LogiCoreHSV, a rapidly-growing and leading technology and solutions company with worldwide technical services support capabilities and experience in defense, aerospace, and government agency support. LogiCore’s reputation for high-quality services is a direct result of our passion for achievement and focus on Schedule, Cost, Performance, and Quality. Understanding that immediate support is vital to mission success, LogiCoreHSV delivers direct response with quality solutions to customer needs. For more information, please visit www.logicorehsv.com or contact Corporate Relations Director Rachael Fears (rfears@logicorehsv.com).

Tags: Apartment Employee Performance, Multifamily Management, Property Management
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Lead and Motivate - Not Just Your Team, But Yourself Too

Tuesday, May 25th, 2010

By Joelle Jay, Ph.D.

As a business leader, you know one of your key tasks is to keep your team motivated. To do so, you need to constantly remind your people of the company’s vision, hold them accountable to targets and goals, mentor them, and support them in their work. But how does the one who motivates others every day stay motivated as well?
When it comes to leaders, motivation is really about engagement. How engaged are you in your work? How committed are you to the results you’re supposed to be getting? Are you pushing forward with a sense of purpose and drive, or are you simply going through motions? To be your best, you need to give serious thought to what makes you flourish and succeed.
When you are motivated, you are a wholehearted participant in your own life.
You know what’s important to you and you use it as a guide. You feel confident, energized and engaged. However, when you are de-motivated, you “lose your edge.” Your energy goes down. Your stress goes up. You may even feel guilty and resentful. You might be bored, either in an “I-can’t-take-this-anymore” way or in a dull, channel-surfing kind of way.
Whatever way a lack of motivation hits you, one thing is for sure - it’s not a fun place to be.
Whether you feel your motivation waning or you want to keep your current high level of motivation on a roll, the following suggestions will help you stay at your best.

· Stay connected to what you’re doing.
It’s one thing to do the work you’re paid to do; it’s another thing to be fulfilled by the work you do. If you’re strictly doing your job for the money, or the title, or the company car, you could find that over time it’s harder and harder to actually do the job. However, if you’re connected to what you do - if you’re connected to what excites you - you’ll feel motivated to keep going because you’ll be achieving a bigger purpose for yourself.
The key is to know your values - the principles, standards, and qualities that guide you. To uncover your values, recall a time in your life when everything was “just right.” You could choose something from your personal life or your work. You might revisit a moment, a particular event, or a whole phase of your life. Once you’ve allowed yourself some time to explore the memory, ask yourself what it was about that memory that made it so memorable, so significant, so right. What made it a peak experience? Write down any ideas that come to mind - words, phrases, images, and symbols. When you’ve finished with your notes, circle the words that meet the definition of values as principles, standards, and qualities. There’s no right or wrong during this process. Simply use your own words and your gut to tell you what your values are.

· Know what it takes to get better.
Motivation comes from constant learning on how to be better. Therefore, you should always be asking yourself, “What am I trying to achieve?” and “What do I need to learn to reach my goal?” Realize that this isn’t about taking a workshop or reading a book. It’s about challenging yourself to take on
something new and to stretch yourself into a new level of results. The
fact is that when you practice learning as an element of personal leadership, you stay motivated and you get better results for yourself and for your work. By learning, you empower yourself to have, do, and be whatever you choose. And with empowerment comes confidence. You don’t second-guess yourself or worry you’ll fail, because you know if you get it wrong, you’ll be able to figure out how to get it right. How motivating is that!

· Find the right support system.
When you’re a leader, all the people below you lean on you. You guide them, support them, and tell them what to do. However, when you’re on top, you don’t have anyone above you to lean on. That’s when you need to look outside of your organization, your role, or even your industry for the people who can cheer you on, mentor you, and help you be your best.
To do so, look for people whose style you like - people who inspire you by the way they lead and the results they get. Seek out people who resonate with you and who seem to mirror parts of yourself. Connect with them to see what’s possible for you as a leader. Learn how you can become more with the help of others who have already done what you want to do.
The more carefully you build your support team, the more powerful it will be. You don’t just ask people to mentor you because you like them; you make them a part of your team because they enhance you. The people on your support team help you stay motivated because they expand you by giving you access to what you don’t know. Remember, it doesn’t have to be lonely at the top.

· Maintain a sense of balance.
While maintaining a work/life balance is not a way to stay motivated, it is a way to keep from becoming de-motivated. When you’re serving everyone else you have to remember to fill your own tank. Remember that being an effective and motivated leader should not come at the expense of quality of life, and quality of life should not come at the expense of business results. Work and life should be able to co-exist, happily and successfully. They can and they have. The key is to define what that balance looks like for you.
If you’re a senior leader, balance may not look very traditional. It might not be 9-5, Monday through Friday, with holidays and weekends off. You need to understand what works for you and what fulfills you in your personal life. What helps you restore your energy and find that sense of peace, rest, and renewal? Depending on your lifestyle and personal preferences, that could be taking a morning job, sleeping in on days off, reading a fiction book, or spending time with family. Even if you can’t carve out chunks of time, at least create some mental space where you can relax, turn off distractions, and let yourself go.

Motivate the Motivator
Staying motivated in today’s economy and work reality can be difficult for anyone. But when you take responsibility for motivating yourself and others, you become a true inspiration and can better reach your goals. As a result, your vision, your potential, and your efforts all leave a mark. Yes, as you progress there will be times you’ll lose heart. You’ll get busy, you’ll get tired, you’ll forget, you’ll have setbacks, you’ll drift away. But you won’t get lost. When you follow these four guidelines, you’ll have a solid foundation for your continued success, now and in the future.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Dr. Joelle K. Jay, Ph. D., is an executive coach and the senior managing partner of the leadership development firm, Pillar Consulting. She strategizes with business leaders to enhance their performance and maximize business results. Her clients include presidents, vice presidents, and C-level executives in Fortune 500 companies. Joelle is the author of “The Inner Edge: The 10 Practices of Personal Leadership.” For a free Sample Chapter, go to www.TheInnerEdge.com or email Info@TheInnerEdge.com.

Tags: Apartment Employee Performance
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No Raises this Year? Secrets to Employee Retention in Difficult Times

Friday, May 14th, 2010

By: Rhonda R. Savage, DDS

Across the U.S., employers and employees alike are struggling. Businesses are fortunate if they experienced growth in 2009. Many are flat in growth or have declined and employers are faced with these tough choices:

·Lay off employees or cut hours
·Decrease benefits
·Reduce pay
·Freeze salaries

By far, the most appealing of the four is freezing salaries. The problem is, no hard working employee wants to hear the words “times are tough…no raises this year.” The question is, how do you keep employees happy and productive during tough times? In addition, key employees may have the opportunity to move to another company. How do you retain, challenge and motivate these key people to stay with you during the hard times?

Pay and benefits are not the number one motivational factor for employees.
While important, most rank the need for praise and appreciation the highest, closely followed by the need to belong to a close-knit team. Team members also need to have responsibility and feel like their voice matters in an organization.

Use the following tips to keep employees happy, employee turnover down and productivity up, despite “no raises this year”:

Look towards the future
Ask your employees what skills or training you can give them to better do their jobs and help them set short-term personal goals that are business-oriented. Work with your employees to outline the steps necessary to accomplish the goal and provide encouragement and guidance throughout the process. This gives employees a sense of pride and responsibility for the future success of the company and will motivate them to help the company get through these tough economic times.

Have efficient systems in place for accomplishing tasks If team members don’t fully understand how to get things done, morale will go down. Work on systems like team training, follow-up calls with clients, collections, stocking and ordering, and letters to clients. Focus on improving communication and customer service. Train your employees on the behind the scenes duties that are critical to a well run business.

Hold regular staff meetings
Staff meetings improve communication, goal setting and accountability.
Through team meetings, you can keep your staff informed, motivated and involved. This forum gives staff members the opportunity to discuss the problems they are having or any concerns they have about the company, allowing leadership to solve small issues before they turn into bigger ones.
When employees feel their contributions are valued, they will have a higher tendency to stay with an organization, even if times are tough.

Be a good leader
What employees want from leadership is that you’re fair, consistent and apply the same office policy to everyone. Make decisions and stick to them.
Avoid wavering, but know that if you and your team try something and it doesn’t work, it’s okay to change it. When you make a decision and stick with it, not everyone will agree, but they’ll respect you for making a decision and moving forward with it.

Promote a positive work environment
As a leader, if you consistently have a positive attitude in the office, employees will mirror that attitude. If you sense gossip or issues among team members, take steps to resolve these things before they become an issue. Acknowledging and rewarding team members for accomplishing goals can also contribute to a positive environment. When employees feel appreciated, they are happy and motivated to continue doing a great job.

Be sure each employee has a copy of the office policy manual Be sure the handbook is current and that you stick to the guidelines. If team members learn and understand the office guidelines upfront, they are less likely to break the rules, resulting is less conflict between leadership and the team member.

Do things with your team outside office hours Scheduling regular outings with team members outside of the office improves morale and encourages friendship between employees. In addition, respect increases between your team members. When team members get along, they work together better and are more productive.

Involve your team in the decision-making process Gather input and ask questions, but as the leader, you should make the final decisions, even if you have an “office manager” or “practice administrator”
on the team. Involving your team in this process helps show that you value their opinions, giving them a sense of pride.

Most importantly, as a leader, stay positive at all times. Affect the changes that are needed and be the leader that your staff needs. Speak in positive terms about the company, its leadership and the colleagues who are not in the room. Say thank you more often. When something does go wrong, work through the issue and encourage everyone to move on. Acknowledge people who are accomplishing their goals and encourage those who are not. Show interest and get excited about your employees, your business and the future.

In this economy, encouraging employees to work harder, quicker and more efficiently can be difficult without being able to offer raises. An overworked employee can easily become resentful, negative and walk away, which will affect the rest of your staff. Following these guidelines will help you keep your staff happy, motivated and productive, ultimately helping your business come out of the recession on top!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Dr. Rhonda Savage is an internationally acclaimed speaker and CEO for a well-known practice management and consulting business. Dr. Savage is a noted motivational speaker on leadership, women’s issues and communication.
For more information on her speaking, visit www.DentalManagementU.com or e-mail Rhonda@MilesandAssociates.net

Tags: Apartment Employee Performance, Apartment Management, Apartment Operations, Multifamily Management
Posted in Personal Development | 1 Comment »

Multifamily Management: If I Knew Then What I Know Now, Part Eight

Monday, March 8th, 2010

We asked the attendees of the Multifamily Brainstorming Sessions(tm) to complete the sentence “If only I knew then what I know now…,” and the wisdom and insight that they had to offer was simply amazing. Here is some of what they had to share!

I wish I’d known to educate myself better with multifamily courses (RAM, etc.).

I wish I’d known not to take the derogative statements made by residents to heart. On quite a few occasions in my first years in property management, I allowed this to set me back and to affect my feelings towards management.

I wish I’d known that employees who work for me usually know the answer to their problems and only need a little nudge to get them going. Asking what is the problem and what are our options is usually enough. Also confront your difficult situations no matter how hard. Don’t wait - be proactive.

Before you set out to tell people what you have, wait until you find out what they need.
I wish I’d understood the importance, value, and ease of PR. Public relations allow a company to inform a market about new offerings, special promotions, strategic alliances, etc. at no cost. Other benefits come from networking with publications and learning what’s hot now. With those relationships, you and gain even more momentum behind your PR message (good placement, positive slant, interviews, etc.) PR is a great way to communicate to a market for almost no cost and to strongly position your company within an industry.

Remember when everyone said “Don’t feel like any question is stupid - just ask it!” Well, it’s true! If you feel uncomfortable, then ask someone afterward… but I have learned more from asking questions and probing people than any other way. Knowledge is power - the more you know, the more powerful you’ll become.

I wish I’d known the importance of responding to people and problems in a timely manner. Never put these tow things on hold; but rather address them immediately. Doing otherwise will cause you to irritate residents, lose Residents, disenchant associates, and inadvertently allow problems to spiral out of control. It is human nature to procrastinate or put off unpleasant situations and to avoid hard-to-deal-with people. DON’T! Bite the bullet and respond ASAP. Make this a habit and you’ll be miles ahead of those who take forever to return calls, shy away from fires that need to be put out, and skirt nasty issues that, unfortunately, need to be resolved.

I wish I’d known that there was a group like this one with professionals like myself, doing my job, experiencing the same challenges that are willing and anxious to network and share ideas!!! I wish I’d known not to be afraid to ask my peers for help, ideas, and learn from their experiences. We really don’t ever create anything new - we borrow, embellish, implement and track.

I wish I’d known to learn your unique skills and attributes… then use them. Gain experience that makes you more valuable. And finally, enjoy the journey.

I wish I’d known not to be afraid to be aggressive in raising rents. As long as the market calls for increases, you are confident of your product and it’s easy to raise rents. Sometimes you have to be the first to raise rents - take the lead and your competitors will follow.

I wish I’d known the importance of including staff in solving problems and giving each one pride of responsibility and coming up with better ways to do things. One thing my assistant shared with me is she appreciates having the opportunity to think of a way to do something. When she asks me what to do on an issue, I respond “how would you do it?” and make her solve it herself - with my backup - whereas in my younger years, I would have handled it myself. It was harder to let go of responsibility with my Maintenance Supervisor, but he feels important when I let him watch his own budget for maintenance supplies and tell me how he wants to spend the money. Make your staff feel important and don’t take all the glory!
I wish I’d known that it is very important to be a coach with every staff member. Never assume that they were taught the correct way. Remember to be patient.

I wish I’d known that there is always room to learn. Absorb information from the different people you meet, places you go, and the variety of experience you will compile through the daily life of property management.

I wish I’d known some key words to use to better resolve conflicts rather than draw a line and stand firm on policy or law - words like “reasonable” and “maybe we can…” and “possibly”. Look to resolve issues quickly and fairly without prejudice.

I wish I’d known how important and crucial walking the property weekly and networking with other area managers was. So many times you tend to get too involved in the office and never get out. It can literally be months before you get out - and you really miss out on what’s happening. My advice - get out of the office!

I wish I’d known that the true professional will always be poised, even in the most turbulent situations. Never lose your cool or let your personal feelings enter into a career.

(Editor’s Note: The entries below were transcribed directly from contributors’ handwritten notes. In the interest of best preserving the spirit and full intent of each message, only the most necessary changes have been made to the original content. Grammar and sentence construction have not been corrected. Please bear in mind that in this instance substance is far more important than form, and that nobody’s perfect!)

Tags: Apartment Employee Performance, Apartment Management, Apartment Marketing, Multifamily Management
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Fast Track Your Multifamily Management Career

Tuesday, March 2nd, 2010

By Cynthiann King, C. King Unlimited Education Services

The best way to get onto the fast track in our industry is to MANAGE YOUR OWN CAREER. No one can take as good care of your career as you can. No one has the same interest in your success as you do! Try these proven techniques to managing your career effectively:

(1) Know Your Position Description.
Read or create a written description of your position and its responsibilities. Understand the expectations through discussion with your supervisor and team members. Note what you do well and areas needing improvement or education. Determine which areas will boost your career. Create, write and discuss your new professional goals with people who can get and keep you accountable to these.

(2) Secure Mentors or Coaches.
Most fulltime professionals are too busy today to commit to coaching you weekly. If you approach several potential mentors and secure each person for one hour a week, you will benefit from a variety of talented individuals with a consistent flow of ideas, resources and recommendations. Know and nurture these supporters.

(3) Keep a Record of your Successes.
Designate and use a journal to regularly document your small and significant successes. Use this journal to accentuate your positive outcomes. Review your accomplishments and write new goals to challenge yourself. Use your journal when communicating with mentors and supervisors to acquire suitable recognition and secure additional direction.

(4) Develop the Look of Success. Image matters. Review your wardrobe, tools, posture, demeanor, communication skills, and overall image. Upgrade yourself to the next level. Attend a Toast Masters meeting to enhance your speaking skills. Paste a sincere look of interest and a smile on your face – even if you have to fake it to (eventually) make it.

(5) Develop a Professional Network. Take advantage of the network opportunities that exist in our industry: Attend an association meeting, serve on a committee, present a report, participate on a panel, secure and/or introduce a speaker, invite others to attend an event, attend an education conference, volunteer at a charity event, interact on a live CallSource webinar or teleclass, join a live chat on Gracehill.com, pose a question to experts at www.smmonline.com, submit an idea for an issue of Rent and Retain, and organize and meet with a sharing group of professionals.

(6) Become an Expert. Are you a Winner or a Whiner? What do you do when faced with a challenge? Detail its parameters and concerns. Visualize the challenge as resolved. Consider potential resources. Become an expert on the subject so you can pose plausible solutions. Present your solutions verbally and or in writing so others can benefit from your new expertise. Get recognized as a responsible, conscientious, creative team player. Be someone on whom others can really count!

By implementing these strategies you will garner favorable attention, earn deserved respect – and probably a promotion!

About the author: Cynthiann King is President of C. King Unlimited, national Speaker and degreed educator. She provides an array of innovative training seminars and services for multifamily firms and associations. Available for seminars, conferences, curriculum development and policies’ manuals, contact her at (847) 487-8791 or e-mail: cynthiann@ameritech.net.

Tags: Apartment Employee Performance, Apartment Mentors, Apartment Training, Multifamily Management
Posted in Mentor articles | No Comments »

Multifamily: If I Knew Then What I Know Now, Part Seven

Friday, February 26th, 2010

I wish I’d known the level of strategic planning it takes to market and monitor a Resident.
I wish I’d known that I would be in this business when I great up, so that I would have paid more attention to my grandparents when they managed apartments. I guess it’s in my blood.

I wish I’d known to never be afraid to state your ideas in a group of people - it could turn out to be a winner.

I wish I’d known the importance of networking with others in the industry sooner. Sharing ideas, thoughts, and problems with your peers results in better performance.

I wish I’d known how to follow-up on my assignments to others. I found out that we often have others control whether we succeed or not. If we think that others will complete this assignment in a timely basis.

I wish I’d known ways to be more comfortable in presenting myself and my property to as many different prospect personality types as I have subsequently worked with.

I wish I’d known to try to have fun along the way.

I wish I’d known the opportunities available in our industry. The growth and things you learn being in this business. It is truly incredible how big the property management industry is and the people you meet.
I wish I’d known that short 5-10 minute staff chats each morning stating weekly and daily goals would keep enthusiasm and motivation sparked in all staff members.

I wish I’d known the stress level of prospective residents when they walk in the door. As a Leasing Professional, stay aware of this and be considerate, polite, and sensitive while you go through your sales tour.

I wish I’d known how to deal with all the different behavior styles - by knowing you get a better understanding of how to treat others.

I wish I’d known that establishing yourself as a well respected and trustworthy professional should be viewed as your long time goals to achieve success. Maintaining a high level of integrity in this industry is an ongoing process. You should always base the decisions you make on how it will affect long term success.

I wish I’d known how exciting this business is because this would have been my first career choice.

I wish I’d known how difficult it was to get accepted as a marketing director by supervisors or property managers.

I wish I’d known that everything that happens in the course of a day does not require your immediate attention. Not everything is a crisis. Pace yourself and the amount of energy you spend on any given situation.

I wish I’d known to understand what the owner’s needs are and what goals are important to that owner. Property management requires operating the property in a consistent manner to which the ownership goals are.

I wish I’d known that every single day is full of “choices”. The most important choices that you have to make, or will make each day, revolve around being a positive person by making the choice at the start of every day to keep a smile on your face. You will generate that positive attitude from your fellow CO-workers and employees.

I wish I’d known that everything is negotiable! An asking price or list price is not necessarily the price to pay! Understand the product or service completely and have a grasp of the “market” value. Always do your homework prior to discussing the product or service and know how much demand it’s in. With your “homework” done, you’re sure to have the edge. Additionally, know how to read people to get the most out of what you’re trying to achieve.

Know what your product is inside and out. If you don’t feel comfortable with questions that might be asked, it gives you an overwhelming feeling and bad habits emerge to overcome your sense of being uncomfortable. Know all objections and learn to overcome them professionally!

I wish I’d known it’s okay to be different. New ideas are the lifeblood of our business. Your own unique personality is an asset to your company. Always shine! You never know whose attention you may gain. It can move you up the ladder of success. I know - it happened to me!

Tags: Apartment Employee Performance, Apartment Management, Apartment Training
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12 Ways To Increase Performance During Soft Markets & Shrinking Budgets

Tuesday, February 2nd, 2010

With soft markets and shrinking budgets, the focus on retaining Residents and saving money is at an all-time high. Since our Service Team members are the key to achieving this goal, here’s 12 ways to make it happen!

1. Why most people don’t perform as expected: My basic premise is that 98% of all Employees REALLY WANT to do a good job (when you find you have hired one of the other 2%, arrange a transfer for them to the unemployment department). The people who want to do a good job thrive on training, knowing what is expected of them, receiving positive feedback, getting effective leadership, and being compensated appropriately. So, when someone isn’t performing, here’s where to look:

A. They don’t know what you want them to do: We must make certain that we are CLEARLY communicating what we want done; we also have to communicate our performance expectations so our Employees know what is expected of them.

B. They know what you want them to do, and they don’t know how to do it. Training is the answer here - just because someone has experience doesn’t mean they are TRAINED. It is our responsibility to make certain we train our staff in how we do things HERE.

C. They know what to do, they know how to do it and they think you don’t care whether or not they do it! Make certain that you acknowledge ALL performance, good and not so good. For the good stuff, thank them SPECIFICALLY, and in front of as many of their team members as possible. For the not so good stuff, you should be even more specific, and do it in private, behind closed doors.

EXAMPLE: Just saying, “Thanks – you’re doing a great job” doesn’t really say anything, does it? What behavior are you trying to reinforce? Be SPECIFIC – saying, “Hey Doug, thanks for handling that broken disposal in Mrs. Smiths’ apartment today. I’m sure she was very pleased that you got there so quickly!” tells Doug that you appreciate promptness – so, if Doug is one of the 98% that want to do a good job, he will now know that promptness is something you value!

2. Keeping the faith: Yes, times are tough, some policies are dumb and some supervisors probably should be prohibited by law from ever interacting with another human being for the rest of their lives – AND, none of that gives us permission to join the whiners. A good leader keeps the faith, no matter what the circumstances, and is a source of inspiration to their team. If things are SO BAD where you work that you can’t keep the faith, then you can’t keep the job – move on!

3. T/T/T (Train/Transfer/Terminate): As I said above, most people don’t perform because they lack training – so, TRAIN THEM! If they are still not performing up to expectations once you’re certain that they’re fully trained, then maybe a transfer to another job or another property is necessary. I’ve had incredibly talented people who were ineffective Managers and became brilliant Assistant Managers. And, since every property has its own personality, we need to match our Employees to our property profile. Finally, if someone is trained and is in the right job/at the right property and STILL isn’t performing, FIRE THEM!! Sure, I know how hard it is to find competent people and I’ve made more than my share of “Well, someone is better then being short-staffed” mistakes, and, every time I’ve done that I’ve been bitten right in the butt! The non-performers will drive away the performers, since the performers will get angry and resentful that the non-performer is able to do less and still get paid.

4. They don’t know what you want them to do, Part 2: Who is taking service requests in your office? Probably the Leasing Professionals, right? Great, so what training have they gotten in writing a clear, concise and complete service request? Have you sent them out with the Service Team for a day, observing and getting some hands-on maintenance experience? One of the MOST frustrating things for a Service Tech is to get a service request that doesn’t clearly identify the problem, so the Service Tech can bring the right tools and parts with them and handle the problem on the first visit. How motivating do you think it is for the Service Tech to have to go back to the shop for tools and parts 10 times a day, and then get questioned by the Manager about why they ONLY completed 10 service requests that day?

5. They don’t know what you want them to do, Part 3: OK, pop quiz time – Who has the MOST CONTACT with our Residents? The Service Team, right? So, how much CUSTOMER SERVICE training do your Service Techs receive? Our Service Techs spend most of their day in Resident apartments, so what are we doing to improve their communication skills? We train them to handle a broken compressor; do we train them to handle angry Residents? Enough said on this one!

6. Give the gift of time, Part 1: Want to get all of your service requests completed on the same day you receive them? Well, either hire more people or receive less service requests! Since most of us can’t afford to hire more Service Techs, let’s reduce the number of service requests! How? By thoroughly training our Residents, AT MOVE-IN, about how to work everything in the apartment. “Disposal jammed? No problem, here’s how to fix it.” “It’s 120 degrees outside and your HVAC will only cool your apartment to 82 degrees? No sweat (well . . .), let me explain the laws of physics to you.” Walk the Residents through their new apartment home and show them where everything is and how everything works – it will definitely cut down on your Service requests.

7. Give the gift of time, Part 2: Anyone who has ever been “on-call” for the weekend knows it’s no fun! Your pager might as well be plugged into the wall, because you can’t go far, right? Well, why not schedule a Service Tech to work Tuesday – Saturday or Wednesday – Sunday? How about having someone work 12:00 noon – 8:00 PM two days a week? After all, our Residents seem to be home when we are closed, so why not be open and turn overtime into regular time?

8. YOU CAN’T MANAGE WHAT YOU DON’T MEASURE: What’s the deal with annual reviews? I can’t even remember what I had for lunch last Tuesday, yet I’m supposed to sit down with you and review 365 days of your performance? GET REAL! At a minimum, review each of your Service Team members monthly: schedule a 15 – 30 minute meeting, and review where they are, where they need to be, and what they can do to improve. Sure, we need to have an annual review for salary; however annual reviews will not help improve performance tomorrow (unless the review was yesterday!)

9. YOU CAN’T MOTIVATE ANYONE BUT YOU: Look at the “typical” motivation programs in place today – bonuses, contests, ETC – are these REALLY motivation or are we just creating a new generation of Pavlov’s dogs? TRUE motivation comes from WITHIN – we want to do a great job for US, not YOU! The only way to TRULY motivate someone is to create an environment where people feel appreciated, valuable, informed and an integral part of the overall success of the property and company. How do we create that environment? By HONESTLY and OPENLY sharing our vision, showing how everyone is vital to achieving the overall goals, and communicating frequently about where we are, where we need to be, and what we need to do to get there. Your Service Team’s performance will dramatically increase when they EXPERIENCE how important they are in making the goals real.

10. Give the gift of time, Part 3 – PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE: Here’s another way to reduce the number of service requests you receive – maintain the physical plant so stuff doesn’t break. According to Mel Schneider, CAMT, an effective preventive maintenance program can reduce service requests by as much as 80%! As the old saying goes, “You can pay me now or pay me later – you’ll have to pay at some point”. If you’ve cut back on preventive maintenance because of staffing or budget, you’re just kidding yourself. You’ll spend more time and money (and create more frustration for your Service Team, who know that the extra time and money could have been avoided) fixing it WHEN it breaks, than taking care of it BEFORE it breaks.

11. ELIMINATE THE “LITTLE” FRUSTRATIONS: Frustration negatively impacts performance, so let’s look for stuff that creates frustration and eliminate it. How about not having an adequate inventory, so you have to stop in the middle of a service request and drive to Home Depot or Ace Hardware - 3 or 4 times a day? Or as I mentioned earlier, getting to an apartment and discovering that the service request is incomplete or incorrect, so that you have to go back to the shop to get the right tools or parts? Or not having a two-way radio, so that the people in the office page you when you are wedged underneath the kitchen sink and you have to wiggle out and call them back because your pager went off? How about meeting up with a Resident who was promised something by someone in the office – and that someone in the office never told YOU what they promised the Resident? C’mon, let’s deal with this stuff so our Service Team can SHINE!

12. PEOPLE DON’T LEAVE THEIR COMPANY; THEY LEAVE THEIR BOSS: Read almost any survey about turnover, and you will learn that the number one reason that people leave is THEIR IMMEDIATE SUPERVISOR! How can we even think about improving the performance of our Service Team when we’re spending time replacing Team members? Here’s the bottom line: Would YOU enjoy working for YOU? Yes, enjoy – we spend the better part of our waking hours at work, and if we don’t enjoy what we’re doing and who we’re doing it with, eventually we’ll make a move.

Doug Chasick, CPM®, CAPS, CAS, Adv. RAM, CLP, SLE, CDEI
Certified Synchronous Learning Expert
Certified Distance Education Instructor
Licensed Real Estate Broker: Florida & Georgia
Licensed Fair Housing Expert Instructor: Virginia

Senior VP, Multifamily Professional Services CallSource
(888) 222-1214 Toll-free
dchasick@callsource.com
www.Twitter.com/Aptdoctor
www.LinkedIn.com/in/DougChasick

Tags: Add new tag, Apartment Employee Performance, Apartment Management, Apartment Operations, Apartment Training
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Multifamily If I Knew Then What I Know Now, Part Six

Saturday, January 30th, 2010

Part Six: We asked the attendees of the Multifamily Brainstorming Sessions(tm) to complete the sentence “If only I knew then what I know now…,” and the wisdom and insight that they had to offer was simply amazing. Here is some of what they had to share!

I wish I’d known that an angry Resident is not upset at me personally. Most dissatisfied Residents tend to direct their displeasure at the person who happens to listen to their problem. Do not let their frustration and anger become yours.

I wish I’d known that no matter what your product, service, or occupation is in the multifamily industry, it is and will always be about people.

I wish I’d known to pay more attention to the needs of our Residents. It doesn’t really matter what you want - what matters is your Resident.
I wish I’d known that in the course of planning a new development that it is very important to bring in a highly skilled professional to help coordinate the entire process.

I wish I’d known not to be afraid of trying new “out there” ideas because of fear of embarrassment or being told no.

I wish I’d known having a positive attitude wears off on all employees for better performance and service throughout your communities.

I wish I’d known that everyone does things differently — you can’t control it.

I wish I’d known the value of a mentor and the attitude that everything will work out so just enjoy it and stop stressing.

I wish I’d known the endless struggle associated with quality employees in such a large industry. Training and marketing areas of this business are an absolute must. Sending unqualified team members who are not coached and trained properly will cost you money!

I wish I’d known that my ideas are as valuable as anyone’s.

I wish I’d known to surround yourself with people (CO-workers, boss, staff who work for you) whom you can learn something from. When hiring, it is especially important to hire those who have talents that do exceed or potentially will exceed your own. Always strive to place yourself in the company of talent and true visionaries. Ego and need for control and power will only limit, if not extinguish your career.

I wish I’d known about the 1-800 number for leasing. All leasing advertisers should have a 1-800 number. People love to make a FREE call, especially from outside your area. You would be surprised how far out newspapers reach, along with rental publications, and your 1-800 phone bill will track where the phone calls come from. If your property has a 1-800 number and others don’t, who do you think prospects will call first?

I wish I’d known the importance of getting support and input form all levels of the organization prior to implementing major projects. Just because the president buys off and gives the go ahead doesn’t mean everyone else buys off. Gather input and suggestions from middle management, on-site employees, etc. and follow up and continue to communicate progress with results.

I wish I’d known that people are often not as well intentioned as I am. When delegating, never assume that because someone agrees to do an assignment, it will get done. Positive, encouraging and non-confrontational follow-up along the way is crucial to seeing a project through to completion.
I wish I’d known that the resident isn’t always right. Although most of their concerns are valid and need to be addressed, they are not always right. Listen, listen, listen and then show the appropriate concern, sometimes they just want you to listen.

I wish I’d known how exciting and progressively moving a career in property management is. I would have started my career earlier. Learn as much as you come up with; the wildest, most creative innovations and ides and don’t be afraid to use them. This industry is continually growing and changing and can offer a host of challenges that innovative thinking can overcome.

I wish I’d known the value of employees. Starting out in this industry, I thought everyone that worked for me automatically had the same values, work ethic, and drive to work that I did. I quickly realized the importance of hiring the right people, and training, training, training. Rewarding employees with education, praise and growth has proven a very successful management style.

I wish I’d known that in everything you do, being humble and treating people right is the ONLY way to go. Also, don’t get to close (party) with your staff!

I wish I’d known the importance of being “workable”. Just think of he time we’ve all wasted dwelling on dead end situations instead of shifting our thinking pattern directly to solutions.

Tags: Apartment Employee Performance, Apartment Management, Apartment Operations, Apartment Training, Multifamily Management, Multifamilypro, On-site Management
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The Root Causes of Low Employee Morale

Wednesday, January 27th, 2010

The Root Causes of Low Employee Morale - Focusing on communication can fix them By John Schaefer

In the movie Multiplicity with Michael Keaton and Andie MacDowell, the character of Doug Kinney (Keaton) clones himself so he can get more work done while having more time for his family and to enjoy himself. As you can imagine, everything goes wrong and at the end there are four Dougs and craziness ensues! Things are pretty stressed at his job as a foreman for Del King Construction. One of the best lines is when his counterpart Ken comes up with an idea to get things moving (and to brown-nose the boss a little). Ken states proudly, “At my old job they used to say, ‘if you don’t show up for work on Saturday, don’t even bother coming in on Sunday!’” It was hysterical in the context of the movie (actually Doug wasn’t laughing), but it does lead to one of the root causes of low employee morale.

In these hectic, overworked, understaffed times, it’s easier than ever for managers (who are usually even more overworked than their subordinates) to come across something like the Quintus Arrius line to Roman slaves from Ben Hur, ” . . . we keep you alive to serve this ship, so row well and live!”
It demonstrates how easy it is to come across as a leader who believes that everybody is lucky to have a job, so you better suck it up, keep your nose to the grindstone and don’t complain.

Sadly, this view, while effective during this struggling economy, is killing your productivity today, and will lead to significant retention, recruiting and training costs down the road. The moment your employees begin to feel that you don’t appreciate them and that they’re only on board to row, you have amplified the root cause of low employee morale and it’s going to cost you big time.

Here are five suggestions that will help you to avoid destroying morale and experiencing both the hard and soft costs of poorly engaged employees:

Suggestion #1 - Form Relationships Built on Trust
Strong, effective relationships are built on trust. If you don’t have strong, trust-based relationships with your people, everything you do to recognize them will be seen as manipulation. When employees feel that you are using recognition to “get more out of them” rather than to show that you value them personally, they begin to emotionally disengage and morale suffers. It’s not hard to develop trusting relationships with your people, but it does take time, consistency and integrity.

Suggestion #2 - Show them Respect
The book The One Minute Manager introduces a theory of personal responsibility that allows managers to get maximum results with a minimum of time invested with each staff member. The secret is in showing them respect, defining their expectations and avoiding micro managing. Most employees respond well to being given enough rope to hang themselves, as long as their job is well defined and they are allowed to fail periodically without fear of unrealistic retribution. Respected employees are more alert, creative, and productive. When they do make a mistake, they’ll fix it, move on confidently and don’t make that mistake again.

Suggestion #3 - Nurture Creativity
Once you’ve built trusting relationships and developed a foundation of respect, employees with automatically respond with more creativity. The best way to nurture and benefit from their new-found creativity is to go by the philosophy that there are no bad ideas, only undeveloped ones. Trusted and respected employees with managers who reinforce the fact that they have some flexibility to try new things will surprise you with the creative ingenuity that they bring to their work. The best part is that you get this for the same price you’re paying unhappy employees who are doing just enough to get by.

Suggestion #4 - Build Effective Teams
Team building is a more complex challenge than fostering high morale in individual employees. Here are five problems that many teams develop that keep them from being as effective as they want to be in accomplishing company goals:
·    Absence of Trust - due to invulnerability
·    Fear of Conflict - artificial harmony
·    Lack of Commitment - ambiguity
·    Avoidance of Accountability - low standards
·    Inattention to Results - caused by individual status and ego issues

In the absence of trust, morale is at its lowest and self protectionism becomes the rule. It doesn’t take a PhD in Psychology to realize that this will limit productivity and make work a lot less rewarding for both employees and their managers. This “every man for themselves” attitude destroys teams and makes it impossible to optimize goal setting and achieve corporate objectives in a timely manner; if at all.

By learning to communicate more effectively based on honesty, consistency, vulnerability and respect, your teams will be able to focus unselfishly on common results. This in turn keeps individual egos and agendas in check.

Suggestion #5 - Make it Real
One of the first things to stress with your management team is what’s called “Making it Real”. This means to be genuine and believable in interacting with their people. Employees tend to fall into some common negative habit patterns that employees experience when they feel underappreciated. When your managers understand how to be more open and vulnerable with their staff they work towards trust, respect and improved communication.

“Making it Real” is the answer to the question, “What is the root cause of low employee morale?” Maybe it’s because it’s so simple that it is so often missed, but without your people believing you are genuine, honest and practicing high levels of integrity, any efforts you make to improve morale will be suspect. If you keep this in mind in your dealings with your people, you will be surprised how easy it is to improve morale, so you can enjoy the benefits of higher productivity, better retention, lower costs and an overall happier, more satisfying workplace.

About the Author:
John Schaefer is a Consultant with more than 20 years of experience helping companies realize and react to what he calls the Employer/Employee Disconnect. John is the author of “The Vocational Shrink - An Analysis of the Ten Levels of Workplace Disillusionment,” as well as The Vocational Shrink The Game and Manager Training Program “Why Should Supervisors Care?”
which gets to the bottom of what they’re really thinking, “what’s in it for me?” www.VocationalShrink.com

Tags: Apartment Employee Performance, Apartment Management, Apartment Operations, Apartment Training, Multifamily Management, Multifamily Mentor, Multifamilypro, On-site Management, Property Management
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