Team-Building and Traffic Generation x2
Our goal at Newport and Concord Village is to cross-train all our staff, increase qualified traffic, encourage return visits, and improve our closing ratios. In addition, by cross-training, we will be able to improve the market-ready condition of our vacant apartments and decrease the response time to our maintenance requests. Our team members include the Newport and Concord Village... Read More

Increase Renewals 10%
Offer your residents an incentive to renew their leases early. This can be, and has been, done during an open house, or you can set aside a special month, like February or March, for the renewal incentive. This is how it works: Advertise to your residents through your newsletter, emails and notices that you are offering a special rental increase if they sign their leases early... Read More

12 Ways to Increase Performance Anytime
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%...  Read More

Unique December Promotional Ideas
Operation Santa Paws Month; Root Vegetables and Exotic Fruits Month; Safe Toys and Gifts Month; Tomato and Winter Squash Month; National Hand-washing Awareness Week; Gluten-Free Baking Week 19-25: a local baker can offer some wonderful tips and recipes; National Chocolate-Covered Anything Day Dec. 16: no explanation needed on this one but lots of PR opportunities... Read More

Raise Rents, But Offer an Early Lease Discount
None of us want to pay more money for the apartment or house we are renting. Most of us have trouble increasing our customers' prices when we ask for a new renewal commitment. One of the things I've learned is that perception is reality. So the key to raising the rents while keeping resident retention high is to help your residents perceive that they are getting a bargain... Read More

The Case Against "Business Casual"
"Employees who don't dress appropriately cap out a ceiling on their careers really quick," says professor Dennis Tootelian of California State University, Sacramento. According to the study done by Tootelian, nearly two-thirds of Americans have felt inappropriately dressed at a business or a social function; and more than two-thirds are uncertain about the differences among business attire, business casual... Read More

How To Quiet the Twitter Noise
Twitter is my news stream. I use it to get the best news and information from people that I trust and admire. I barely even use my Google Reader anymore because I carry my Twitter with me everywhere I go. As you find more and more interesting and valuable people to follow, you're going to find it difficult to keep track of all of the tweets you receive. You're going to need something to help you manage all of the noise... Read More

Register for Brainstorming 2011 Before January 1 and SAVE!!!
Registration is now open at http://brainstorming.multifamilypro.com/2010-sessions/register-now/. We're offering an UNHEARD OF special Super Early Attendee rate of ONLY $395 for paid registrations before December 30, 2010!!!  Hurry and reserve your seat now for our next event, September 13-16 at the Renaissance Glendale in Phoenix! It's the best Holiday gift you can possibly give yourself.  We'll see you there! Read More

On the list of things that are done for all the wrong reasons in organizations, performance reviews would have to rank near the top. They end up being “check the boxes” exercises that have little influence on performance because they take place after the fact. The typical performance review is the equivalent of landing an airplane and asking, “Now, where are we?” It’s a little late in the game for that question.

One of the worst things about reviews is the use of numerical values to rate performance. You have probably met more than one manager who refuses to give the highest rating to anyone using the excuse, “I don’t believe in giving perfect scores.” Recently an employee of a major corporation related the bizarre example of this attitude he experienced in his most recent performance review. After the end of the evaluation, his manager said, “Nobody scores that high!” He then proceeded to lower the employee’s scores.

If the scale is 1-5 and no one ever gets a 5 then that means you’re a lousy manager. Why can’t the people who report to you ever hit the mark? What’s sad is that the boss who is afraid to acknowledge someone has met or exceeded expectations never quite understands why people quit trying to meet or exceed expectations. If you never give a 5 (or even a 4) when it’s deserved you create a culture where 3 becomes your standard of excellence. Mediocrity is not only acceptable, it’s as good as it gets.

On the flip side is the failure to let someone know that they’re just not getting the job done. Too many bosses are so fearful of conflict or hurting people’s feelings that they will ignore bad behavior and poor performance even when it’s detrimental to the organization. Once people understand that no one will ever call their hand when they fail to meet expectations, the tail starts wagging the dog. Guess what happens when a supervisor gives a 3 or a 4 when the employee deserves to be shown the door? Pretty soon you end up with a group of employees that makes The Three Stooges look competent.

The annual review is not going to go away, but the real performance review should be taking place in real-time every day. Good or bad performance needs to be recognized immediately and consistently. The manager’s role should be like that of a flight instructor. The employee’s role is like that of a student. The instructor and student fly side-by-side.

Clearly Define Expectations.

First, there needs to be a flight plan with clearly defined expectations. To establish the plan, the manager should ask the employee to complete a list of expectations of the job from the employee’s perspective. This should include what he believes the responsibilities are and what authority he possesses. The manager should do the same from the manager’s perspective. Then, a discussion needs to take place to reconcile the two lists until both are in agreement. The manager also needs to learn what the employee believes he needs from the manager to successfully do his job.

Measure Behavior, Values, and Skills.

In addition to establishing these expectations, assessments should be completed to measure behavior, values and skills required for the job. Then corresponding assessments should be completed by the employee to see how they compare. This establishes a benchmark that helps the employee to understand his strengths and helps the manager understand how to capitalize on his strengths. It also identifies areas which need strengthening. It’s important to remember that the employee has to be a good behavioral fit for the job. No amount of coaching can remake someone into something he is not.

Communicate Constantly and Consistently.

Now, that there is a flight plan in place it is the manager’s responsibility to provide a system and process for constant and consistent communication. He has to coach the employee, not just evaluate his performance to keep the plane on course. In my first job out of college, my sales manager called me every Monday morning. His questions included: What’s going on? How are you doing? What can I help you with? This provided him with what he needed to know to help me do my job. It provided me with the help I needed do my job.

Provide Specific Feedback.

When employees meet or exceed expectations they should be told they are on course. This needs to be specific. There is nothing in the world that will inspire you more to keep doing a great job than to hear from the boss that you are doing a great job. The only exception is when those words are either insincere or untrue.

When employees fail to meet expectations they need to be told they are off course. Again, this needs to be specific. If you don’t hear what you need to improve on the only assumption to be made is that you doing what you should be doing — or your boss doesn’t care what you do. I know of a case where employees describe their manager as a wonderful person but do not think he is a good manager. They like him but dislike working for him because he gives them no direction. They feel like they are flying blind. This creates a high level of anxiety for the employees and the manager.

Choose Your Direction.

Employees need and want direction. How and when it is done is what makes the difference — for the employee, for the boss and for the organization. Like flying a plane, reviewing performance should be a matter of constant course adjustments. If you wait until the end of the flight to make adjustments to the course you will always be disappointed with where you land. Worse yet, someone else will probably be sifting through the wreckage to figure out why the plane crashed.

About the Author:  Jim Whitt is an unapologetic people provoker. For more than 20 years as a speaker, consultant and author Jim has provoked people and organizations to reach their full potential. He is cofounder of Purpose Unlimited which is in the business of transforming lives, leaders and organizations through the power of purpose. To find out more about his speaking and consulting please visit www.PurposeUnlimited.com or call 918-494-0009.

Make Your Community a Stop on the Tour Route

"If you're marketing to families, why not host field trips to your community from the local schools. This can be an educational opportunity for children to see how a community runs. Have your head service technician explain maintenance. Let the grounds people show off their work and explain their positions. Your office staff can talk about job skills and career opportunities ..." Read More

A Tiny Apartment Transforms Into 24 Rooms

"Our good friend and top Brainstorming Facilitator, Tina Cavaco, sent us this AMAZING link! In Hong Kong, because of the space, apartments are small and expensive. Gary Chang, an architect, decided to design a 344 sq. ft. apartment to be able to change into 24 different designs, all by just sliding panels and walls. He calls this the 'Domestic Transformer." ... Watch The Video Here

Social Media Success for Apartment Communities

"I have a few thoughts to share on the topic of social media today, and I should tell you up front that I intend this post to provoke conversation, and I hope you'll participate! You all know how passionate I am about the need to begin using social media now, because I truly do believe it will play a major role in not only our relationship/retention efforts, but also our marketing strategies. I also happen to believe that its value..." Read More

The Power of Place

"If you've had doubts location-based social networking services were going to really catch on, you should know that Foursquare whizzed past the one-million member mark back in April and just passed 1.8 million; and raked in $20 million in venture funding just a couple of weeks ago. That buzzing sound you hear is the Power of Place, about to go mainstream." Read More

Build the Model Organization of the Future

"Before you invest time and money in traditional strategic planning consider this - only 5-10% of strategic plans are ever implemented. The reason most organizations engage in strategic planning is to reduce anxiety. It's like taking a couple of aspirin for a headache. In this case the headache is the future. The aspirin is a couple of days locked in a room putting checkmarks in the appropriate boxes." ... Read More

Partnerships That Work

"I created and facilitated a one-day workshop called 'Partnerships That Work.' This class was designed for Apartment Community Managers and their Assistants and focused on synergy, teamwork, and delegation. Our challenge and reason for needing such a workshop was that Assistants either felt as though they were not being trusted with enough to do while other felt as though the Manager was dumping ..." Read More

Better Training Through Skill Gap Analysis

"One of the best things you can do to improve your team's training plan is to add Skill Gap Analysis. This step helps the trainer to identify gaps in performance and areas for added training and development.The first step in conducting a thorough Skill Gap Analysis is to create a picture of what ideal performance looks like. This step-called Competency Profiling-takes a look at the attitudes ..." Read More

Five Multifamily Training Ideas

"The Idea - As part of our new manager training we have implemented a Manager Mentor Program. After each new manager comes in for a day of training on company policy and procedures, we select a Resident Manager from the Property Manager's portfolio to provide another eight hours of training at their community or at the new managers community. Both managers are provided with an Agenda ...." Read More

Form An Alliance at Brainstorming 2010: Reality Check!

It's not your typical seminar, conference, or workshop. Unlike any other national Multifamily event, only Brainstorming connects you to the vast power of many individuals working together with one goal: to solve your toughest challenges! You'll receive thousands of ideas worth millions to your company, communities, and career, guaranteed to repay your investment and more! Register for Brainstorming Now!

July Door Hanger Special

Stock up now! All our fabulous door hanger designs (except one - the Halloween design) are on special until July 31st! Buy any two packages at our regular low price of only $25 per pack of 100, and get a third pack absolutely FREE ... that's a whopping 33% discount, making NOW the best time of the year to buy and stock your shelves! Call 727-784-9469 with your order or Click Here to Find Out More!

Motivating Your Millennial Employees
By Dr. Joanne G. Sujansky and Dr. Jan Ferri-Reed

When Amanda Ross learned that her company was planning to place several recent college grads in her customer service department she started to worry. Amanda herself had joined the company right out of college. Now 37 years old, Amanda has supervised Customer Service for the past five years and has worked almost exclusively with employees her age or older throughout her career. The prospect of supervising these “20-something” employees fills her with dread.
Part of Amanda’s fear is based on stories she’s heard about how different (and difficult) the younger generation is proving to be. Other supervisors in the company have suggested that Millennials expect instant job promotion and aren’t afraid to challenge company practices if they don’t agree with them. They also say that Millennials are constantly asking for feedback on their performance and demand a lot of face-time with their managers. One supervisor in another department even told Amanda that his new employees have the audacity to request flexible work schedules, even though they’re brand new to the job and the organization. Amanda’s worried that the challenge of dealing with these demanding new employees will eat up a lot of her time and disrupt the high department morale that she’s worked so hard to achieve.
It’s not that Amanda lacks managerial skills. She understands how to conduct effective performance reviews and she is skilled at confronting employees to solve job-related issues and problems. However, with this new batch of Millennial workers coming on board, Amanda realizes that she is going to have to figure out how to motivate her new, younger employees before their job performance becomes an issue. But guess what? Amanda isn’t the only supervisor facing this dilemma these days.
With Millennials now entering the workforce in large numbers your employee team could turn into a volatile mixture of four different generations. But, employees from the Mature generation (born between 1909 and 1945), the Baby Boomer generation (1946 to 1964) and Generation X (1965 to 1979) have all had time to adjust to each other in the workplace. It’s the newest generation – Millennials who were born between the years 1980 to 2000 – that are now shaking things up.
Millennials possess a unique set of skills and a somewhat different work ethic than previous generations. They will have a profound impact over the next five years. There are already around 35 million Millennials populating the workplaces of America and by 2014 there will be more than 58 million members of Generation Y employed in U.S. organizations.
Without question the culture clash between Millennials and earlier generations has already ignited. Veteran employees from the Mature, Boomer and Gen X generations frequently complain about the different attitudes and workplace expectations of Millennials.  Many do not understand why they are the way they are, hindering Millennials’ full engagement in the workplace.  Often this biased thinking prohibits managers from finding Millennials’ unique talents and skills that can contribute to company growth and profitability.
Yet … writing off your Millennial employees before they have a chance to prove themselves is a big mistake! Generation Y is already one of the best-educated generations in American history. They’re technologically savvy, embrace diversity, and have a strong preference for collaboration to solve problems and seize opportunities. They also have a strong sense of work-life balance or, as they would say, “we work to live” philosophy. If Millennials seem over-confident that’s because they’ve been taught to expect success by teachers and by “helicopter” parents (so-called because they hovered over their children).
In short, Millennials may be a challenge to integrate into your work teams, but over time they’re just as likely to become among your most energetic and successful employees. It is important, however, to adjust your  management strategies to take advantage of Millennial preferences and strengths.
Following are four strategies to help leaders adapt to the unique needs and perspectives of these new Millennial employees:
•    Ramp Up Your Onboarding Process – This is not your father’s new employee orientation program! In the old days new employees watched a video on company history, received a policy and procedures manual, and heard a welcome speech from the CEO or senior manager. Today we bring new employees “on board” by assimilating them into the company culture, providing exposure to different parts of the business, providing resources on the intranet for them to use at their own pace, and helping them to build relationships with current employees. Onboarding is ongoing, with lots of feedback, plenty of checkpoints and close mentoring. The goal is to ensure that all new employees – especially Millennials – become valued contributors while reducing turnover and increasing morale.

•    Profile Your Talent – An important part of onboarding, as well as career management, is to make sure your people are filling positions that are well matched to their talents, skills and interests. You can’t always rely on a resume to find the right fit, but you can use employee profiles and assessments to make a good match. But make sure you use well-designed instruments with high reliability and share those results directly with each employee. Profiles are not tests in the strictest sense of the word, but rather learning opportunities that can increase job satisfaction, provide valuable coaching suggestions to employees, and guide career pathing.

•    Correct Your Corrections – No matter how carefully you onboard your new employees and create a good job fit, the potential for performance problems always exists. But you have to be careful when providing corrective feedback to Millennials.  They’re accustomed to receiving a great deal of praise from parents and teachers and some may have a hard time accepting seemingly negative feedback, especially if overloaded with it or if provided in absence of recognition for work well done. Your corrective feedback needs to be specific and concrete, creating a clear picture for the employee of what was done well and what needs to be improved. Also be sure to refocus on your Millennials’ job goals and career path with the feedback so they can see how their actions affect others in the organization. When you keep your corrective feedback specific, solution-oriented and forward-focused, you can keep your Millennials motivated and engaged.

•    Create a Fun and Challenging Atmosphere – Millennials, like most employees, prefer to work in an atmosphere that’s productive but also fun. That can mean everything from changing the office layout to creating new opportunities for social interaction. Instead of classic “cubicle farms,” many organizations are adding open workspaces to encourage more employee interaction and collaboration. Managers can also reinforce teamwork by sponsoring “social” events, such as Friday afternoon “happy hour” (alcohol-free, of course) or teambuilding activities, such as scavenger hunts, Nerf battles, etc. Fun social activities are also a good way to celebrate victories, such as an important project milestone or a major goal achieved. The only limits are the leader’s imagination, but looking for ways to encourage social interactions is a powerful way to build a productive, high-energy workplace.
As you begin to recruit and integrate Millennials into your work team don’t be afraid to “change up” how you orient, train and manage new hires. Too often in the past, the members of preceding generations were thrown into a new job without much guidance. This “sink or swim” approach won’t work for Millennials, who have experienced extremely attentive teaching and parenting styles as they grew up. Given a fair chance they’ll make strong contributions to your organization and may lead the way to a more collaborative, productive and energetic environment.

ABOUT THE AUTHORS
Dr. Joanne G. Sujansky, CSP (Certified Speaking Professional), has more than 25 years of experience helping to create cool workplaces that attract, retain and get the most from their multi-generational talent. As founder of KEYGroup, she and Dr. Jan Ferri-Reed, KEYGroup president, provide businesses with insightful information to create engaged, productive and profitable organizations. Together, they’re co-authors of the best-selling book, “Keeping the Millennials: Why Companies Are Losing Billions in Turnover to This Generation and What to Do About It.” To hire them, visit: www.KEYGroupConsulting.com or call 724-942-7900.

8 Tips to Stay on Top at Work

Every day at work, you run the risk of damaging your personal brand - even if you don't think you have one. How is this possible? Well, your personal brand is the way people perceive, think, and feel about you in relation to others. The people you work with already have perceptions, thoughts, and feelings about you, so just by virtue of being "you" in the workplace, you already have a personal brand.

The question is whether you have the personal brand you want. Is your brand bringing you greater success, or is it actually holding you back? Not knowing the answer to that question can mean the difference between a career that stays land-locked and a career that skyrockets.

So, what are the best ways to keep personal brand damage under control?

1. Get clear about what your current brand stands for right now. This means discovering how people perceive, think, and feel about you in the present moment. Enlist a friend you trust to ask several work colleagues for the top five words they would use to describe you. Are you described the way you want to be? If not, your personal brand needs some adjustments.

2. Determine where you need to make changes. If you aren't happy with the results of your research, that's good news. Why? Because it will clarify exactly what you need to change in order to create the brand you want.

3. Define carefully what you want your brand to be. Once you have an idea of where your current personal brand is failing, you need to define your desired personal brand. Most people struggle with their personal brand because they haven't taken the time to clearly define it. Not having a personal brand definition is like meandering from point A to point B without a map. You might get there eventually, but you'll make a lot of wrong turns along the way.

So, take some time to consider: How do you want to be known? What are your strengths, and how can you best fill the needs of your brand's "target audience" - i.e., your boss, your colleagues, and/or your customers?

4. Learn how to communicate your brand effectively. Defining your desired personal brand is an important first step, but if it remains on a piece of paper in a drawer, it won't do you much good. In other words, no one's perceptions, thoughts, or feelings about you will change unless and until you communicate the personal brand you really want. So, keep your personal brand definition in mind as you go about the top five activities that all of us do every day. These activities best communicate what you stand for: Your Actions, Reactions, Look, Sound, and even your Thoughts. The key to success is being consistent with these five activities - in what you say, do, and think - day-in and day-out.

Do you act like someone with your desired personal brand would act? Do you stop yourself before reacting negatively to situations that arise? Do you look and sound like someone with your desired personal brand? And yes, do you think like someone with your desired personal brand? Thoughts are incredibly powerful and can not only affect your own feelings but how others perceive, think, and feel about you as well.

5. Avoid damaging your personal brand. After you have defined your personal brand and created a plan for communicating it, you also need to take special care to keep it intact. How do you do that? One way is to watch others, and learn from their mistakes. Even if you don't know anyone personally who has damaged their personal brand, you have certainly heard of celebrities who have made serious blunders. For some of them, the damage has been so severe that their careers have never bounced back. So, pay attention to what others do that damages their personal brands, and avoid doing the same things.

6. Be aware of your own mistakes, and fix them quickly! If you do commit a personal brand blooper, do whatever is necessary to fix it. Apologize for it, show that you take responsibility for your errors, and go out of your way to correct them. This works wonders to promote a positive personal brand.

7. Learn from your errors to avoid making them again. When you realize your brand has taken a beating after a mistake, ask yourself: "What did I learn from this?" Write down the lessons, and make a commitment to never make that mistake again.

8. Keep a good sense of humor! Most importantly, if you make a personal branding mistake, be willing to laugh at yourself. Everyone likes to work with someone who doesn't take themselves too seriously.

Remember: 24-7-365

The truth is: Your personal brand is either working for or against you 365 days a year, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. If you aren't taking control of it by consciously defining and communicating a brand that brings you greater success, you may actually be damaging it. You may even prevent yourself from reaching your full potential. So, create the personal brand you want today, and learn how to harness it. It can be one of the most powerful ways to move forward in your career.

Brenda Bence, branding expert and certified executive coach, is the author of "How YOU™ Are Like Shampoo," the only start-to-finish book for defining, communicating, and taking control of your personal brand at work. After graduating from Harvard Business School, Brenda developed mega brands for Procter & Gamble and Bristol-Myers Squibb. She now travels the world speaking, training and coaching on corporate and personal brand development.For more information, visit: www.BrendaBence.com.