Rewards

As many of you  know, in addition to being a Divemaster and swimming with sharks, being a professional magician, and a property management executive,  I provide keynote speaking and workshops.  All of these  things I do I have a passion for, and bring me extreme satisfaction.  The rewards for finding and doing something you love cannot be measured in dollars, and not very often can a person say they have so many things they do well and enjoy so much. 

This past week I was in Tampa teaching a workshop related to leadership, team building, as well as other topics.  Today I put on a rubber suit and swam with nine foot sharks, did a little magic for some guests, and then came home thinking how lucky I am.  Yes, finding a leadership role again in the corporate world is what has been my primary income, but for now I am using the cards I have been dealt with.  After all what job that is legal other than the one I have can you go to work in a full rubber suit...and not worry you might get arrested for it.

Traveling around the country providing training and education has definitely helped pay the bills, and has rewards in so many other ways.  You have heard me write how each time I speak before a group and share information with the intent of others exceeding and excelling, I always find value and "take-away's" which are additional rewards encouraging me always striving to do better.    Whether it be a new way to add humor to a presentation or even a whole new way of presenting a topic, the benefits from interacting with my audience raise the question, "who is benefiting from what I am doing?"  My intention is that both parties are the benefactor, otherwise we cannot evolve with the goal of excellence and therefore maintain our edge for the future. 

The rewards of life cannot and should not be with only a financial purpose, but with a purpose of living and inner peace.  For I believe to be successful in business, you first have to be successful within yourself.  To be an effective and successful  leader and coach, it takes inner success and self-development to keep up with an ever changing world.  It takes the unselfish act of wanting to share information with others, versus keeping it for your benefit only to be used for individual gain.  For the rewards of watching others maximize their potential and benefit from the small part I have played, give me the drive to do what I do and reach for new heights in my career.  For you see leadership is not about getting people to just follow you, but to do it with a purpose and a light that shines on their path to success as well.

Where are your rewards?  What do you see as your purpose?  And one of the most important questions is, "how will you get there and who will you take with you so the journey is not alone?"  

Service with a smile!

Service is something we provide, and something our residents and prospects expect.  It means going above and beyond and not meeting their expectations, but exceeding them.  Keeping your team motivated so they continue to give great service has and always will be a challenge.  I have said it time and time again, I believe if we treat our employees as number one...they will in turn treat our residents and prospects as number one.  So how do we keep them at the top of their game and "in" the game so they score a touchdown every time they come in contact with someone?  I am confident there are some tried and true ways we can facilitate great service, while keeping our team motivated.

1.  Communication - Open, honest, and straight forward!  Communication is the key to success and one of the keys in maintaining a motivational environment.  This includes constant and honest feedback, making sure the team not only knows the goals but the reason behind them, and understanding what mediums to communicate specific messages and how you communicate may depend on who it is you are communication with.  Share the good, the bad, and sometimes the ugly (or also called the challenging). 

2.  Keeping their eye on the target and goal -  While we as supervisors and leaders need to focus on goals an objectives, we must never forget we should also insure our teams can see the target as well.  Sharing budgets, goals related to leasing and resident retention help your team understand expectations and hit the target.  Remember it is impossible for a team or someone to hit a target if they can't hit it.  It is also important that the target be understood as achievable.  As an example if the goal is to lease thirty apartments in a month, team members may see this as a high number.  However, if we say to them this only means one lease every other day with two leasing specialists in the office it now sounds like an achievable number.  One technique I like using is a goal board where not just the current goal is visible, but the progress of reaching that goal is visible as well.  If the goal is thirty leases, I number from one to thirty on the board.  The first person to get a lease in that goal period signs their name through that number showing twenty-nine left to go.  It not only helps them track the progress, it also instills a competitive spirit among the team.

3.  Finding variety in what they are doing - Keeping team members motivated is difficult, especially during soft market conditions and challenging times.  Finding creative ways to inspire your team are critical to success and keeping good people at your sites.  Contests can be good, however, sometimes it can be the prize attained and the competitiveness that are more important.  I also like seeing competition between properties in a region where the entire teams are rewarded if the goals are met, taking into consideration maybe more than one site is a winner if multiple locations meet their goals.  I remember one time telling a site team I would dress up in a banana costume and be a human directional on the main street for an entire day if a goal was met for occupancy and collections.  I set the goal high (who wants to dress up in a banana costume in Florida on a hot summer day), and to my surprise it encouraged the team to dig down and not only meet the goal but to exceed it.  By the way, the sign I had to display in the costume was, "We have apartments with appeal!"

4.  Share the successes and feedback -  Too often we are quick to tell teams and team members when goals are not met or when results not attained.  On the other hand, we don't always share success and positive feedback.  Positive feedback can come from our observations, financial reports, goals met, communication from vendors and residents, and even a ratings site (which I will not mention).  If I am visiting on a site visit and see a leasing specialist doing a great job with a prospect or resident, I will go out of my way to let them know my observations.  If I review service request follow up and see consistent high marks or favorable remarks, I will do the same with the service staff.  Acknowledgement of success is in my opinion equally if not more important than quickly responding to unfavorable performance. 

5.  Asking for their input and ideas -  The real definition of a team means soliciting ideas, input, and suggestions from team members...ALL team members.  Getting everyone involved is important and lets all members know their importance as a team unit.  I have also received some exceptional marketing and leasing suggestions from service, and great ideas can some from those you don't expect.  Remember, a leader is not a title...it is a person.  I have had some great leaders as grounds people and porters, just as I have as managers.

6.  Lead by example...get involved yourself -  I am not afraid to do anything I expect other team members to do.  I recently had a service manager I worked with call me and tell me his respect for me was amplified by the fact I would jump in and do things no other regional he had worked with with do.  When we experienced a hurricane and flood in central Florida, I was there in waders helping out.  If I was in the office I would answer the phone and lease an apartment just as quickly as anyone.  As Bryan said, "I admired you because you were there next to us in support, beside us to encourage and understand, and in front of us to lead the way and show us the path to success."  That my friends, is why I do what I do.  Thanks Bryan, your call that day made my day and my respect for you will always be true as I see you as a leader as well.

Until next time.  Keep leading, keep leasing, and keep the faith.

The Four F's

Most of my writing has been related to encouraging others to exceed and excel through practices and principles.  I have shared information about marketing, leadership, communication, team building, training, and a host of topics.  I have a passion for sharing information and for wanting to be the best we can be.  I get excited when someone contacts me about a posting and it energizes them to another level.  That my friends, is what it is all about. Now I want to discuss what I call the Four F's of Success.   I believe there are four key areas which in conjunction with other principles (leadership, communication, knowledge, determination, etc.), are keys to success not just professionally but also personally.  It is about who we are...and not what we are!

The first "F" is Family.  I have been blessed with a loving and caring family and I am so grateful.  Now family can be blood relation, married relation, or can be those that are close to you who are treated as family.   Family members are those that believe in you, and you believe in!  Family members are people you trust and confide in, and someone you can open up to.  I believe to be successful you need people like this who are there beside you to believe in you, behind you to encourage and push you, and in front of you if necessary to help filter the path and shed new light on your travels.  Sometimes they are the bearer of truth, even when we cannot see it.  It is difficult for us to be objective and see who we really are, and maybe don't want to see who we are.  Family can bring a bond that is supportive, enlightening, and a love that digs into our core and sole like nothing else.

The second "F" is Faith.  While I am a religious person and believe in a higher being, faith can play a part in different ways.   It can mean your faith from a religious standpoint, just as it can mean the faith you have in yourself and others.  Believing in yourself is critical to success, especially picking yourself up after something in your life has broken you down.  Believing and having faith in my abilities is important to what I am, but more importantly as to who I am.  A leader must have faith in others, for without empowerment there is not encouragement.  We build faith through our knowledge and experiences, often learning along the way how to build the foundation of success.  Personal faith and religious faith can be  intertwined, and often is with most successful people in business.  I almost added people in government to that sentence, only to think about things like "thou shall not lie, thou shall not steal, thou shall not commit adultery, etc,"  which rules out most of our government officials.   Believing in God, believing in oneself, and believing in others is all part of having the faith necessary to be successful not only in what we do...but how we do it.

The next "F" is Friendship, which also ties into respect.  Friends can be at different levels and mean different things to different people.  You can have close friends, distant friends, friends that are acquaintances, and friends that are like family.  Sometimes your family can also be your friend, as an example with my wife who is also my best friend.  True friends like family are not afraid to tell you like it is, and be there for you in both good times and challenging times.  A true friend will take your call at two in the morning, and also be one who is not afraid to call you at that same time should they need comfort and advice.  A true friend will not sugar coat something for your benefit, and is someone you may not always agree with but respect.  You can have friends at work or those that work with you, however, I would much rather have "respect" than friendship  from those who are business associates.  It does not mean they are not still friends in some ways, but it has a different processing and status related to friendship where respect is the focal point and intended result.

The last "F" is Fun.  I know too many business executives that live, breath, and eat their jobs...and it shows.  They are so tied up with power and success, they forget how to live life and how important others are to their success and happiness.  Most of the time I find that these individuals are missing in the three previous F's (Family, Faith, and Friendship), and therefore cannot  maximize this element.  I remember my Dad telling me, "If you do not enjoy what you are doing, do something else.  For your lack of enjoyment will transfer to those working with you and for you, and it will burden your ability to be as successful as you can be."  I hear the wise words of my father resonating in my head often, and unfortunately find it too late to thank him for what at one time I did not understand...and now cherish.  Fun is taking life to the maximum!  It is finding things you are passionate about and enjoy and doing them.  It is sharing your passions with others, and about getting inner satisfaction.  As an example, "I am a property manager and leader."  While this is something I do professionally, it is also something I enjoy and have a passion for.  Even though doing what I do takes long hours, sometimes extended travel from my family, facing significant and new challenges, and sometimes when you do your job you are the least liked, it is rewarding in some of those same ways.  For the diversity of my profession means I never have two days exactly the same, I am constantly learning from the experiences I am faced with, I am stronger from the challenges I face, and the reward from knowing I am fair and consistent in my dealings (my ethics) no matter what others will think because I am at peace with myself  gives me joy.   It also means having a life outside of work, finding out what brings you happiness.  Everyone that knows me understands my passion for diving and magic.  Being a professional magician and having the ability to provide wonder and amazement is fun and exciting.  Being a diver allows me time to hear nothing but my bubbles for hours at a time.  No cell phone, no pager, no computer, no telephone, just my bubbles and nature to bring me to a peaceful state. 

Being the best and always striving to exceed and excel takes many qualities and traits.  It takes knowledge, drive, determination, ethics, abilities, passion, and a strong inner core to be successful in business as with in life.  It is these four "F's" I believe are the building blocks to that strong inner core, which can be the foundation to your success...no matter what you do.

Hire Today...Gone Tomorrow

I have written on hiring before, however, I was recently asked by a manager for more details about making the right choice.  None of us has a crystal ball or can foretell the future of those hiring decisions we make.  What we can do is everything within our power to make an educated decision that is right for our team.  As I interview for what I hope will be a stable company I can be with for many years if not for the rest of my career, I reflect on what others may be looking for.  I used to judge differently if I had a candidate who had been with two companies over the last six years, only to then be in a position such as with events in my career where "downsizing...or up-profiting," may have been the answer and not performance.  When you are one of the highest improved and occupied regions in a company and your position is eliminated, extenuating factors may at play outside of someones control.  Still, it was a hard pill to swallow and you pick yourself up and keep on trucking.  It also makes the resume reviews and considerations for the best candidate more challenging.

“They are not your employees, they are your people.” Stephen Covey could not have said this better.  We all can agree the business environment we work in is not for everyone.  The decisions we make about potential employees are considered by many as the most important decision you can make.  Property Managers make decisions every day about marketing, property and product positioning, suppliers, scheduling, risk management, maintenance, and a whole host of other critical areas. However, the most important key to our success as leaders and managers is the people we place in the positions that support our decisions. Since we do not operate, manage, or lead in a vacuum or by ourselves, hiring the right people could not be more important…of course followed by keeping and motivating the right people.

Any manager can say they have made good hiring decisions, and likewise can also say they have made bad ones.  I know most of us can say they have hired Dr. Jekyll, only to find Mr. Hyde after a period of time.  The key to success in hiring the right people is like solving a difficult puzzle. It is finding the right piece to complete the picture for success.  The question I hear asked time and time again is, “How do I minimize my risk and improve the chances of hiring the right person?”  The answers can be found in viewing the hiring process in several steps, all of them important. 

Know the difference between what you need and what you want!

This first step is often not taken seriously.  You say you need a leasing consultant.  You probably say you first need someone that can lease!  That is important, however; you also need someone that fits into the team. You need to understand and look back at what characteristics make up the best person for the job, the community, and your team.  Leasing and selling apartments is only a portion of this position if we think about it.  We also need someone who is outgoing, not afraid to and knows how to handle an unhappy resident or prospect, someone that has the right attitude to learn, is organized and can manage their time, can communicate well both verbally and in writing, and so on.  This step is often cut short because we “think” we know what we are looking for on the surface, or we are rushed to fill a position and do not take the time to fill it with the “right” person. This works for any position in multi-family management.

 Have more than one person conduct the interview!

It should always take more than two people to hire and make hiring decisions.  Studies show the more people involved in the interview process, the greater the chance of finding the right person.  Including others in the process does several things.  First, it provides a different perspective of the candidates other than our own.  With a variety of interviewing styles and questions, we have a greater opportunity to see a candidate for who they may truly be.  Second, including other team members in the process adds to creating a motivational environment.  Everyone wants to feel they are a part of operations, and involving others can be extremely beneficial and rewarding.  Remember, the interview process is to confirm the person being considered is competent and compatible, and is a good fit with the rest of the team. 

Ask the right questions…get the right answers!

Have a series of questions you ask every candidate.  This provides for a comparison of answers and provides an equal playing field when interviewing.  Never ask questions that can simply be answered by a yes or a no.  For example, when asking about their ability to be a team player I might ask, “Please share with me specifics as to why you believe you are a team player and provide examples which will help me understand your belief.”  Never ask about their strengths without follow-up validation.  Having been an interviewer as well as an interviewee, I know this type of question often comes up.  I don’t want to know just what someone views as his or her strengths, but confirmation that it is a positive attribute.  Anyone can say they have strengths; I want them to prove it.  Never be afraid to ask follow-up questions.  “You say you are an excellent service person.  What in your mind are the specific qualities that determine excellent service?”   Now, I may get the answers I am looking for.

 Never be afraid to test the applicant!

I’m not talking about psychological profile tests.  If you’ve taken enough of them you probably know how to answer them without revealing your true self.  What I am suggesting is testing their ability to do the job.  Two key points are critical to performance testing.  One, you have to be knowledgeable in the area being questioned.  Second, if you are not knowledgeable you need to involve someone who is.  Let’s look at two examples.  You are hiring for a service position. Anyone can say they are good at heating and air conditioning.  To consider myself as an effective leader in managing our valued service team members, I took the class for HVAC refrigerant certification and Certified Pool Operator.  Don’t ask me to change out your compressor; you might not be as warm in the winter as you would hope to be.  I do, however; know important information related to HVAC operation that helps me understand what our service personnel must do, which allows me to ask questions in an interview other regional’s may not be able to.  I will often tell a service candidate I need them to troubleshoot a problem.  The situation is the interior blower unit is working, however; the outside condenser is not.  What are you going to check first?  If the candidate says they will check the refrigerant levels, I know they are not my next employee; as you always check the electrical components first.  If I am not confident in my knowledge of maintenance systems, I am going to find someone who is to conduct an  interview and ask the verification questions.  I have even had service managers take the candidate out on the site on service calls to see if they really know their “stuff.”   If I am hiring a leasing person and they say they can lease ice water to Eskimos, how do I know they can perform as stated?  I provide them with all of our prospect information, let them review it, and then take them to the model or an apartment.  I always leave them alone in the apartment home, and tell them to return to the office and provide me their thoughts.  What I don’t tell them is when they return I am going to say, “Now show me that apartment as if you were going to lease it to me, starting with me walking in the front door.”

 Ask the hard questions and don’t just emphasize the good!

Anyone can ask “fluff” questions, and you will probably get “fluff” answers.  We do not work 9-5 jobs, and we do not always have the happiest campers to deal with.  The character of an employee shows not only when things are going well, but also how they handle themselves when they are challenged.  For a service candidate I may ask, “Accepting this position means you will have to be on call after normal office hours.  You may get a call at 2:00 AM from a very upset and angry resident.  In addition to being a qualified service person, you also have to act as the property’s representative and ambassador in times of need.  Are you prepared for this and what do you believe is important in handling this type of delicate situation?”  We tell candidates about our benefits, how good the company is, how the team is, etc., but we fail to remind them everyone will be challenged at some point in time.  It is how these times are handled that impact not only the perception of an employee, but the entire team.  These types of questions also set the stage for what our expectations really are.

Don’t trust the resume or forget to check references!

Now, I realize many companies are hesitant about providing reference information other than if the candidate worked for them and their hire date.  This is where being Sherlock Apartment Homes is important.  Unless you have a company that will do this service for you, it is up to you to verify and confirm what they tell you.  When checking their credit file, it often has address information listed.  If they say they have been working in Denver and you see they have had credit with an address from San Francisco for the past nine months, you might want to ask some questions.  A recent study showed 68% of candidates exaggerated accomplishments, and 45% were not honest about their position responsibilities.  You must at least make the attempt to contact former employers, ask the questions, and do everything you can to provide verification.  I asked a manager once about the hire she had made and if she had checked references.  She said she had called the candidate’s last two employers at least three times each, faxed the authorization for information, and could not even get a return phone call.  Can you say “Red Flag?”  Within a few weeks it was very apparent we had made a poor hiring decision, and there was more to the story. I had a candidate for a position, and after calling Human Resources at her previous company, I asked if I could verify some information. The Human Resource representative said, “I’m sorry I am not allowed to talk about her departure from our company.”  She did not say they were not allowed to give out previous employee information; she was very clear about anything dealing with this previous employee.  Nothing ventured…nothing gained, so take make the effort.

Don’t just fill the position, fit the position!

One of the biggest mistakes made today is not taking time to insure you are finding and selecting the best candidate for the position.  We look at being short-staffed and for some reason have blinders on, focused on filling the position immediately.  Other team members may have to compensate for the missing employee, or we as managers may have to work harder.  This is where working smarter will have a lasting benefit and make up for overcoming the challenges of a short-staffed team. The fact is if we fail to find the right person, we very well may be going through this process again in a short time.  We should realize the average cost of an employee replacement is estimated to be well over $4,000, which includes finding and training a new team member.  This is not to mention what impact it can have on the cohesiveness of the existing team members by hiring the wrong person.  Take your time, which will save time later by making sure you fit the position with the best candidate.

 

Hire the wrong person for the wrong job and it will have an impact on operations, your team, and even resident retention.   The financial costs in making the wrong decision can be in the thousands, including time and resources.  This does not include what impact the wrong decision can have on disrupting and in some cases, dismantling an entire team by bringing in the wrong player.  Hiring is both a management decision and a leadership decision.  We need to manage the process, while placing leadership principles into the equation.  Anyone in management can make decisions.  Making good decisions in a timely manner shows you can be an effective leader.  Don’t forget, it’s about hiring the right person, for the right job, and for the right reasons.