How to Sell A Budget - Part 2

Let me first say the direction of this content you would think is for my property management friends, however, most of the principles I discuss are boilerplate for any general business or organization where you are in a leadership role or preparing a budget for someone else.  We discussed in general how we can make budgets less intimidating with my last blog.  So, much easier said than done!  Actually it is not all that difficult to sell a budget if you've done your homework, checked and double checked your calculations, provide a professional presentation, and supported your theories and projections with solid and relevant data.  Encourage them to prepare throughout the entire year for the next budget.  Budgeting should not be an event; it should be a process.  I recommend setting up a 2017 budget file right after the posting of the 2016 budget.  There are usually things you may have not gotten approved, however, you know will be necessary in the coming year.  Having a copy of scopes and RFP's, taking pictures as the months go by of capital project ideas for the coming year, and anything that could help when the next budget period is upon them.  Part of the intimidation process we have conditioned our managers to face is we all of a sudden give them this crunch period (usually a couple...maybe three weeks), or in some cases coral everyone into a hotel conference room with eight managers over a two day period to produce budgets.  As they graze (sorry that's feast) on the customary chips and high sugar energy drinks, dozens of cookies, and over rated sub sandwiches that are a "one size fits all," you expect them to miracurasouly turn from a property manager into a financial genious, construction estimator, and part gypsy who can fortell the future overnight.   We need to set them up for success, and your ultimate success. 

 I remember a manager who attached a copy of an email related to a project disallowed in the preceding budget.  The email was from ownership saying they understood the importance, and would approve in the next budget year.  Having that in the package made it very challenging for the owners to disallow.  She was also able to show the archive photos submitted in her budget package from the previous year, and how the condition had gotten worsened in just one year.  Even though it was a very large financial investment, the information and details "sold" the project. You have to understand, in this case ownership prior to starting the next budgeting cycle communicated with their regional (yes that's me) their intent to wait another year, and defer the project again.  I simply guided the manager in a teachable moment to focus on putting her sales cap and selling the project and not just presenting it,  Trust me there is a difference between the two aforementioned approaches.  She provided comments from an apartment rating site where on five postings, a former resident mentioned the condition of the drive areas playing a factor on whether they would renew or not.  Her icing on the cake was showing an Excel spreadsheet on how just the turnover costs (with 4 of the 5 requiring carpet replacement, customary turn costs including paint, marketing costs, lost rent, and ancillary costs) totaled $18,175.  When she put that in terms of a capitalization rate and how it impacts the net worth of the property by $279,000, their hearts and minds began to follow.  The last thing she said and simply left as a closing question; How many residents or customers did we lose for this same reason, who simply left because it was the final issue.  If it was even ten residents that would give you a property decrease in value of almost a million dollars.  The project by the way, was going to cost around $300K.     

I previously mentioned their need to understand the goal, as it is impossible to hit a target if they can't see it.  If the goal is 5% revenue growth while maintaining controllable expenses, managers and those preparing the budgets need to know that.  I found if this was communicated, the chances of getting a budget at or near that goal has a better chance of being achieved.  Another key point is making sure we provide the guidance and confidence through direction and education, and letting the team know you are there to support.  Nothing I enjoy more than to secretly fist-bump the manager under the table at a budget meeting after hearing the owner say as he looked up her, "You had me at the net worth."  He then turned to me and said, "Are all your budgets and managers like this?  If they are I may be in trouble!"  I think there might have also been an, "OH YAH!" under my breath, but I could be mistaken.  

We train our managers how to stay within fair housing, how to do reports, how to be safe, how to read a financial, and a whole host of other topics.  I believe there are two courses of importance outside the norm most management companies and associations offer we are missing the boat in providing.  Those courses (not just classes) being leadership and budgets/fiscal responsibility, two areas which build confidence, make them better employees, and provide for our next generation of leaders. Now go lead and create leaders!

PS:  Don't forget my novel is just about to be released.  We'll keep you posted.

How to sell a buget

Why is it this time of year property managers start getting cold sweats thinking budget season will soon be here?  Going to work on budgets next week!  Sorry, I have a root canal scheduled  so maybe you can find someone else to do it.  Managers would rather deal with grumpy residents or walk across broken glass with no shoes on than have to go through the budget process.  Part of the reason our management teams are frightened of budgets is we have failed as leaders in teaching them how to not be afraid of them as well as how to prepare them. 
How many times has this happened to you as a property manager?  You spend days, maybe weeks, crunching numbers, getting proposals for capital projects, only to submit your budget and have it slaughtered like a sacrificial cow.  Or maybe you sit in a room with the other managers in your region in front of a computer over a couple of days, squeezing out a budget you know will get buzzed like a cheap act on Americas Got Talent.  So what can leadership do to prepare out managers?  A few simple steps can make the process less intimidating. 

1.  Give them the goal.  If the goal is a NOI improvement of 3%, tell them this is the goal.  It is impossible if not at least very difficult for a manager or team to hit a target if they can't hit it. 
2.  Set your team up for success.  If you need the budget no later than September 30th, let them know and give them enough time and the resources to meet that goal.   Send "fair warnings" out to the team and your mangers weeks before they process is to begin.  Set up a checklist so the know the steps and processes that will assist them in hitting the target.
3.  Show them what a great budget looks like.  We teach our managers to market, how to hire, how to handle disasters, how to read a financial, and even what hazards to avoid when it comes to fair housing and risk management.  Why is it none of the CAM or CAPS courses or general topics we teach up and coming managers is how to prepare a budget?  What should be included, in what format is it expected, and what should the final product look like?  Again, let them see the target and they have a better chance of hitting it.
4.  Provide the tools that will assist.  How can photographs help tell the story and support what you are budgeting?  Within that photograph what can you do or include that may get a project approved that normally would be cut?  What do you need proposals for and what pitfalls are there in getting budget proposals (i.e. proposal now, project maybe 6 months or more later)? 
There is so much more we can do as leaders to set our teams up for success, and there are just four of the ten major points I have identified to take the fear out of doing budgets and really how to sell a budget.  Naturally there is so much more to each of these points and I could write an entire book chapter on budgeting....Oh wait, I did!  I could also spend several hours covering the key aspects of budget preparation so managers don't run and hide when budget season comes around....Oh wait, I do that in a workshop I conduct.  Just think of it this way, leadership is helping and empowering your management teams so you get a better budget,  and in the long run working smarter and not harder.  Also do not forget budgeting should be a team event where everyone at a site is involved.  If they are involved they will care.  Once they care, there is no stopping them.  Now go lead!

Never be afraid!

I have had a few write me and say, "Haven't seen anything posted recently."  Well, there is a reason why I have not updated my blog.  Over the past couple of months I have been finishing putting on the final touches to my first novel, which began almost eight months ago.  It has been a long journey, however, now complete except for the final editing and review.  And no, it is not on leadership or property management having two publications already on Amazon in those areas.  

Writing is something I have a passion for, and as the saying goes, "Nothing ventured...nothing gained."  The original concept was first written as a screen play, and I had several production companies looking at it but nothing optioned as of yet.  Since a movie screenplay cannot be protected because it is a concept, I decided to add protection by turning it into a novel.  They say you should write based on what you know, and there are two primary areas in the novel which add credibility to my writing.  These areas include military intelligence and the art of magic and illusion.  Having both a former military career and being a professional magician, I decided to combine the two into what I believe is a great storyline.  The first book is called Wizard: Dirty Secrets, and is about terrorists who acquire nuclear material and have plans on detonating three dirty bombs off in the United States in different locations all on the same day.  The primary character is Jonathan Barrow, a world famous magician and considered to be the best of the current period with the code name "Wizard."  David Copperfield, you have just been dropped down a notch.  What is not disclosed to the world is he is also an agent for a secret government organization known as M.A.G.I.C, or Military Assisted Global Intelligence Command.  Only the President of the United States and a few in the Pentagon even know this agency exists.  His team made up of former CIA operatives, Hollywood special effects award winners and stunt directors, a former Navy Seal, a magician protege of Jonathan's, and a member of MI6 on loan from the Brits.  The team uses magic, illusion, stunts, special effects, and some special technology even James Bond would be proud to have in order to make the threat simply...disappear.

Even though I believe I am an effective writer, there are times when all of us could use a helping hand or an expert to guide us.  This is where a best selling author comes into the picture to assist in making sure it is the best story possible.  One thing I have always said, you cannot be afraid to ask for help and let your ego not drive your passion.  This comes into play no matter if you are a leader, property manager, or writer, as none of us knows it all.  Knowledge is not having all the answers, it is knowing where to find them.

Not that we are in the final stages I have started the sequel and the next chapter for the M.A.G.I.C team. I will not stop writing about my other passions, that being property management and leadership.  Just for now, it may take a back seat to something I am truly excited about.  Never be afraid to find your passion and act on it.  Never be afraid to do something out of your norm.  Never be afraid to ask for help.  And never be afraid to admit you may not know it all and ask for help.  Even the best leaders and influential people in history have needed a helping hand in reaching their goals and dreams.   

We'll keep you posted on the release, and hope you enjoy the book as much as I have in writing it.

Constantly learning and teaching

First let me thank all of my readers as well all of the wonderful people I have had the chance to work and associate with.  I never would have believed my blog page would have almost 32,000 viewers from 18 different countries, and I so appreciate the comments and feedback you have provided.  You inspire me to write and to learn.  

"If you learn one new thing ever day, you become a better person every day!"  A very influential person in my life said that to me when I was young, that being my father.  With every workshop or seminar I provided with the intention of helping others learn something new or a new way of looking at their operation, I always found I was also a student.  It never failed that questions I would get or discussions I would lead always provided new insight into how we do business or how we lead others.  When the opportunity came after being selected to the Walt Disney Emerging Leader program and attend Disney University, I jumped at this chance to learn.  Now I have always considered myself to be an effective leader, however, you have no idea how much it enhanced my leadership and management style by having this opportunity.  Disney has been at the top of companies who have a reputation for developing employees for leadership, innovation, and customer service skills.  It all began with a vision!  One man, one mouse, and one mission.  That mission as has been said by Disney executives was, "Not to build the larges entertainment company in the world...but the best!"  Isn't it amazing that through that "best approach" was also built and maintained the largest and most respected organization.  I was one of thirty two cast members (they don't call them employees), out of sixty-five thousand in the Orlando area to participate in Emerging Leaders. Quite an honor, but more importantly quite an experience to learn.   I had to accept what I though I may have known, was only a portion of what I needed to know.  Now in my in the list of things I can say I have as a leadership quality I can add, "I have pixie dust in  my veins."  Not a bad thing to have.  In a nutshell, you can teach an old dog new tricks!

With all the opportunities I have had the most rewarding have been in teaching others, sharing information, and developing others to achieve greatness.  With the last property management company I had tenure with, I had the opportunity to work with an amazing team and amazing leader.  I looked up to this person, admired her, learned from her, and more importantly respected her.  She recently contacted me and asked me to write her a letter of reference which I was honored to do.  Everything I said about her was from my heart, and in respect for her and her position.  What I received back from her brought a smile to my face as well as a tear in my eye because I learned we all learn from each other if we allow it to happen.  She said, "I am humbled and appreciative of your letter. It truly touches my heart. I do try very hard to be a good leader and to hear from someone I respect, as I do you, that I was really means a tremendous amount to me."  This came from a person that had the hard task of telling me my position was being eliminated back in 2009.   Even though it was a hard pill to swallow knowing I had one of the top performing regions in the organization, it also in some ways opened up the door I talked about previously with Disney.  Life may give you lemons, but add a little vodka (or sugar for those that don't partake in adult beverages) to it and it's easier to swallow. 

So many of us have had life changing situations, but the true character of someone is not how they dealt with that situation but what they did to learn and better themselves from it.  Constantly learning, continually teaching, and always in pursuit of excellence in ourselves and others is critical to success.   I recently heard someone explain character as what you do when no one is looking.  The problem is there is always someone looking, including yourself every day you look in the mirror.  What have you learned today and just as important what have you shared what you have learned?  One of the hardest human traits to overcome is to open your mind and your heart to the idea there is always something to learn.  I have had hundreds  of people tell me I am a great leader and exceptional at creating a motivational environment.  I have presented workshops and provided keynote addresses on leadership for many years and before thousands of people.  Just as leadership is evolving as times change, we must as well.  This means opening our minds, putting aside what we have done, and focusing on what we can do if we are always looking to learn and teach it to others.  Returning to property management?  Those that know me understand my passion for the industry and how I have thrived on staying active in the business.  Writing, reading, teaching, and more importantly always keeping an open mind excite me and inspire me.  Where the future will take me I cannot say, however, my goals and confidence in my abilities tell me there is so much more for me to do.  And as you have heard me say so many times, "Now go lead!"

Hiring for Success

Hiring successfully often is like completing a difficult puzzle: It requires managers to identify the right piece and then determine where it fits best. Following these important steps in the hiring process will help ensure that managers minimize their risks and improve their chances of creating the perfect office masterpiece.

Find Someone Who Fits

When hiring a leasing consultant, for example, managers probably realize the person needed is someone who is personable and can persuade others through effective salesmanship. While that is important, it’s also important to find someone that fits into the office culture and overall team. Leasing and selling apartments is only a portion of this position. The best candidate also is outgoing, knows how to handle unhappy residents or difficult prospects, has the right attitude about learning, is organized, can manage his or her time and communicates well both verbally and in writing. Managers too often think they know what they are looking for on the surface and do not take the time to determine which candidate meets the most—if not all—of the skill requirements.

Have Multiple People Conduct the Interview

The more staff involved in the interview process, the greater the chance of finding the best candidate. Including others in the process provides different perspectives of the candidates. With a variety of interviewing styles and questions, managers have a greater opportunity to learn about a candidate. Including other team members in the process improves the chances of overall buy-in when welcoming the new employee. Everyone wants to feel they are a part of operations, and involving others can be extremely rewarding.

Ask the Right Questions

Ask the same series of questions to all candidates. This provides for a comparison of answers and provides an equal playing field when interviewing. Never ask questions that can simply be answered “yes” or “no.” For example, when asking about a candidate’s ability to be a team player, try “Please share with me specifics as to why you believe you are a team player and provide examples.”

Also, have candidates validate their strengths through follow-up questions such as, “You say you are an excellent service person. What, in your mind, are the specific qualities that determine excellent service?”

Test the Candidate

This does not necessarily mean psychological profile tests, but the candidate’s ability to do the job. To be able to adequately test performance, the manager must be knowledgeable in the area being questioned or involve someone who is. For example, before hiring for a maintenance technician position, suggest that managers take classes on HVAC refrigerant certification and swimming pool operations certification. This will enable them to better understand the position’s responsibilities and ask relevant questions during the interview. In the case of HVAC, ask candidates to troubleshoot a problem. For example: An interior blower unit is working, but the outside condenser is not. What are you going to check first?

Candidates who say that they will check the refrigerant levels would indicate they are not fully knowledgeable about air-conditioning systems, because checking the electrical components comes first. Managers who are not confident in their knowledge of maintenance systems must find someone who is knowledgeable to conduct the interview. Another option is to have candidates accompany service technicians during onsite service calls.

Ask Difficult Questions

If managers ask easy or “softball” questions, they will probably get “softball” answers. Apartment employees do not work 9-to-5 jobs and don’t always deal with happy customers. The character of an employee shows not only when things are going well, but also when they are challenged. For maintenance technician candidates, try, “Accepting this position means you will have to be on-call after normal office hours. A very angry resident may contact you at 2 a.m. In addition to being a qualified service person, you also have to act as the property’s ambassador during times of need. Are you prepared for this? What do you believe is important when handling this type of delicate situation?” Answers to these types of questions also help define the manager’s expectations of candidates.  My experience has always been do not measure someone by when things are going well, but when it counts and in the heat of battle (so to speak).

Check References

Checking references is where being Sherlock Apartment Homes is important. Unless this function is outsourced, it is the manager’s responsibility to verify and confirm information provided by applicants.

In one case, a manager said she had called the candidate’s last two employers at least three times apiece, faxed the authorization for information and could not even get a return phone call. That’s a red flag. Within a few weeks upon hiring that candidate, it was very apparent that a poor hiring decision had been made.  Most employers today are in fear of litigious consequences and will  only provide hire information and in some cases salary.  Now I realize someone is only going to provide you with good references, but the questions you as related to specific performance may assist in determining if the reference is valid or not.

Don’t Rush

One big mistake managers make is not taking the appropriate amount of time to ensure they are finding and selecting the best candidates for positions. Being short-staffed, many managers wear blinders and focus on filling the position immediately. Working smarter has a lasting benefit and makes up for challenges brought on by short-staffed teams. Consider that if the wrong candidate is hired, the process to find their replacement sets the community back even further. Take the time now to hire the right person, for the right job, and for the right reasons.

Wizard - Dirty Secrets

Below is a synopsis of the novel I just completed, hopefully to be released soon.

Magician Jonathan Barrow has more secrets than being a world renowned stage magician.   He is also an agent for a government organization known as the Military Assisted Global Intelligence Command, also known as M.A.G.I.C.    This organization is only known to the President and a select number of high level intelligence and military officials, and is used to challenge high level threats to our national security.  Jonathan assisted by a team of illusionists, technology experts, intelligence specialists, and special effects masters who are the best in the world. 

Jonathan is on stage before a packed house in Atlanta, Georgia performing some of his greatest illusions.  He is known throughout the world as the foremost illusionist, having made one of the great pyramids in Egypt disappear in front of a live audience.  While performing one of his death defying tricks called “swing blade,” he sees a familiar face in the front row of the huge auditorium.  Jonathan knows, this man is a courier for a message that means the M.A.G.I.C. team is about to be activated for a mission as directed by the President.  After escaping death to the audience’s amazement, Jonathan magically appears in the audience having vanished from the illusion and stage.  As he returns he shakes hands with many of the audience members.  He approaches the courier and is secretly handed a message.  Ending the show, Jonathan returns with his personal assistant Alexander Reed.  Alex is not just is trusted confident, he is also a former CIA operative and part of the M.A.G.I.C. team.  Back in his elaborate motor coach, Jonathan and Alex contact the M.A.G.I.C. central command unit under the direction of Major General Marcus Thompson.  General Thompson only has person he reports to, that being the President of the United States.  General Thompson informs Jonathan intelligence has discovered the incident in Russia and inside information pointing to a group responsible called Rising Sun, an Islamic group associated with ISIS and al-Qaeda.  General Thompson also reveals the discovery of a freighter bound for the United States was found adrift off the Georgia/Florida coast with all members assassinated.  Jonathan and his team are given the task of finding the plutonium, taking care of the terrorist threat, and doing it without anyone in the press or general public ever knowing of the threat.   Basically their job is to make the threat simply disappear.

Go back two weeks from the receipt of Jonathan’s assignment to the Northern Russian border.  The border along the Barents Sea is an extremely cold environment.  Russia has been decommissioning lighthouses along its northern border with the final three under the supervision of Colonel Andreas Tyransky.  These lighthouses were run for decades by using Plutonium 238 as their energy source.  Plutonium 238 has a half- life of eighty-eight years, can be easily disbursed because of its composition, and makes an excellent material for making a dirty bomb.  These sites are now highly radioactive locations and the threat of further contamination,  or use for illicit purposes has put pressure on the Russian government to complete the project.   What no one knows is Colonel Tyransky has fallen to greed after being offered a large sum of money to hand the material over to what he believes to be a Russian para-military group.  

After containing the material, the caravan of vehicles leaves the Mys Teriberskiy lighthouse site.  Along the road they meet a stranded woman whose car appears to have been broken down.  Against orders, the Colonel asks the convoy to stop and assist the young woman.  Shasha is Colonel Tyransky’s contact, with everything pre-planned for the turnover of the material and delivery of his funds.  A brutal killer for hire, she wastes little time in killing the soldiers in the vehicle assisted by the Colonel.  Because of the near white-out conditions, no one in the following vehicles has any idea as to what is about to happen.  The Colonel and Shasha go down the line of the four vehicles, killing the occupants one by one.  After dispatching all of the Russian soldiers guarding and transporting the three plutonium containers, Shasha and the Colonel return to the lead vehicle to settle up.  The Colonel believes he is about to receive his money and passports in an alias name so he can exit the country.  Shasha has other plans as after showing him a briefcase full of cash shoots the Colonel to insure there are no witnesses to the event. 

Having taken identities as part of the ship’s crew, members of Rising Sun put their plan of getting the Plutonium 238 from decommissioned lighthouses in Russia into the United States.  Their plan is to set off dirty bombs in three locations within the United States.  The group is led by Akmad Hassan, a terrorist known to have affiliation with several Muslim groups.  The plutonium is aboard the freighter Sea Avenger destined for the United States port of Savannah, Georgia.  Akmad and his primary associate Mohammad El Jazar along with other Rising Sun members terminate the ship’s crew, killing the captain first.   After the ship is cleaned of all of its crew, contact is made with a fishing vessel which is scheduled to rendezvous with the freighter to offload the material before it enters the United States port.  Their mission is to arrive in the United States undetected and deliver the material to a Muslim Cleric near Jacksonville, Florida named Hassan Hammad.  Hassan was thought to be associated with the events in the United States on September 11^th, 2001, however, nothing was ever proven by intelligence officials.  After offloading the material onto the fishing vessel, the ship is sent adrift in the Atlantic ocean and the fishing vessel returns to its home port of Jacksonville, Florida with nothing apparent except it returning with a bountiful catch. 

Jonathan meets one of the lead members of his M.A.G.I.C team in an unusual location, Sea World in Orlando, Florida.  What appears to be an elderly gentleman sweeping the seating area where whales perform for the delight of the crowd sits down next to Jonathan as the whale trainers go through their practice session.  Ollie Rodriguez is not only great at disguise, he is also a well- known magician and special agent for M.A.G.I.C.  Ollie is also a former Navy Seal, and pretty handy with weapons and special tactics.  The combination of agent, illusionist, and military knowledge make him a great asset to the team.  Jonathan slips Ollie a computer disk shaped like a coin, as they briefly discuss the intelligence that has been given to Jonathan.  After Ollie makes the coin vanish, he returns to his clandestine job of sweeping the area before going to an office to download the data off the coin. 

The M.A.G.I.C. team is pulled together with orders from the President of the United States to track down the material, prevent a radioactive disaster from happening, and simply make the terrorists and their plot disappear.  To have the American public find out about the intentions or to have the bomb threat executed would cause mass chaos within the country impacting personal health for hundreds of thousands of citizens, financial instability world-wide, and possible contamination of thousands of acres of territory within the United States.  The team is also made up of Megan Turner known for being one of televisions greatest stunt doubles and movie special effects artists, Ferguson Nicholas a member of MI6 and a well- known physicist, and Jason Lang who is not only a technology expert but also a special effects master and stunt person within the motion picture industry. Gaining additional intelligence is of primary importance if they are going to be successful, and in the garage of a home near Jacksonville makes a great local command center for the team.  Here they will work together to assess the situation with the aid of highly complex tools along with misdirection and some movie magic.

After the radioactive material has been smuggled into the United States, Hassan Hammad provides them safe haven for Akmad and his associates.   Preparations are made in a secure compound owned by Hassan in Orange Park, Florida near Jacksonville which has highly sophisticated surveillance systems and armed guards at every entry point.  The large compound owned by this Islamic Cleric had multiple buildings and covers almost two acres.  Large garage facilities house the trucks used for delivery of the devices, and special contamination rooms were secretly built underground when the location was developed almost fifteen years ago.  The plan is to place the containers at raised elevation locations near Ft. Bragg Army base in North Carolina, the Daytona 500 during the race in Daytona, Florida, and from a mobile platform above Walt Disney World in Orlando.    From there, the terrorists will deploy their teams to the three locations for detonation at the same time, on the same day.  Nasseif and Saleim will deliver the device and detonate it in North Carolina, two of the Rising Sun members who came on the ship, Naseiff and Saleim are to detonate the device in Daytona, and Mohammad is to going to set the device over Disney World.  Three devices capable of releasing a large quantity of radioactive material into the air and contaminating people, crops, and assets for many years are ready for delivery. 

One of the tricks is to get intelligence from inside the highly secure compound without being discovered.  This is where special effects, movie magic, science, and a few specialized toys the M.A.G.I.C. team have at their disposal come into play.  The team uses a flying platform to perform surveillance before attempting to physically enter the site, a special piece of equipment that has cloaking technology.  Using some movie makeup magic and hocus pocus, Jonathan enters the compound as one of the Rising Sun members.   After placing two guards into slumber land using chemicals found in the Far East which produce an amnesia effect, Jonathan enters a tunnel system and discovers detailed information about the sites and devices to be used. 

With plans laid out, the terrorist depart the compound for the three locations.  Ferguson and Ollie have their sites on the vehicle headed to North Carolina with intentions of using illusion and deception to stop the terrorists in their tracks.  Jason and Megan are assigned the task of preventing the device from detonation just north of the Daytona 500 site with the help of a street luge and Megan’s beauty, while Alex and Jonathan must take to the skies to insure Akmad is not successful in Orlando.  All of their efforts require timing, deception, and not allowing communication within the terrorist teams who have dead man devices in each of the vehicles in case any of them or their counterparts are caught. 

The exciting finale ends with Jonathan fighting for his life and attempting to board a hot air balloon while in flight.  The threat is neutralized with, magic, cunning, deception, and some very special effects.  The M.A.G.I.C teams averts a national catastrophe risking everything to insure the event appears to have never happened, and the devices and terrorists simply “disappear.”  Just when you think it has all ended  there is a hint of the next mission which is revealed to Jonathan as he performs another exciting show.

Don't focus on the past!

Called a headhunter after seeing a position posted for an RPM. The headhunter said, "The downside is I see you haven't been in the industry for a while." I replied, "Isn't great leadership about taking people forward and not focusing on the past, especially if you have a record of meeting goals and objectives at whatever position you have held." There was a long silence before she said, "Point well taken. Let me see what I can do." Sometimes you just have to show people the tunnel so they have a chance to see the light at the end of it.

How many times do we focus on the past, only to miss the opportunities we currently have or will have in the future?  Getting your finger on the pulse of a market or a property is something any good leader can do.  There is no magic wand to waive that makes a person the best leader they can be, especially in property management.  We have so many variables and areas of opportunity to understand for a property or a region to be successful.  We have markets to monitor, insuring we have an understanding of our competition and how to be position the asset.  We have marketing to provide the best possible campaigns in attracting new residents.  Our resident retention must be thought of as a process not an event.  Otherwise we have too many good residents leaving because of one event that made them consider moving to another location.  Our maintenance and service teams need to have the tools and training to insure they provide Class A service each and every time a request is made.  We have financials to monitor and budgets to prepare, insuring we are fiscally responsible through maximizing income and minimizing expenses.  We have an entire team that is depending on us to lead them to excellence, creating a motivational environment, and empowering them through support and education.  We have owners and shareholders that expect us to perform, holding us accountable for each and every action we take with their investments.  Our residents expect us to maintain their apartments and community, communicate with them, and provide service to just not meet their expectations...but to exceed them.  We are expected to be our best each and every day, developing those we work with so they some day can walk in our shoes. 

These are all things in the present tense, not in the past.  These are all leadership characteristics and things a great leader brings to a position, not something ever forgotten or something that changes with time.  Some of the best people I have ever worked with left the industry to return with more passion, additional training, and a thirst for what this industry brings and never leaves your blood.  In finishing my conversation with the recruiter I also let her know I had something others did not bring, the Disney difference. When it comes to service, very few companies can hold a match to how this organization develops leaders and understands what exceptional customer service is all about.  Having been selected for the Emerging Leader program and having "pixie dust" added to my veins, I bring an aspect of guest/customer service others pay tens of thousands of dollars to go to Disney University for.  I have never been one to look away from a challenge or opportunity, nor have I ever been willing to accept defeat knowing inside I am a good leader.  Circumstances are what they are and my focus is on the future, sometimes needing to remind others that is where their focus needs to be as well.