Education
Where Life Happens
Collective Stories of Apartment Living
Photo by Sandy Millar on Unsplash
Apartments, those clusters of dwelling spaces stacked upon each other, are often seen as large structures of brick and mortar. But within their walls, they hold the essence of life itself. From the moment a person is born to their last breath, apartments become the backdrop for countless stories, experiences, and memories.
As property management professionals, it is our privilege to play a role in the transition of life all around us. Our everyday responsibilities help ensure the stories of life in the places we manage provide a sense of safety, joy, and reliability. Today, we delve into the heart of apartment communities, exploring the profound role they play in shaping the tapestry of human existence.
- Birth and Beginnings: Apartments often witness the beginning of life’s journey. New parents bring their newborns into the world within the cozy confines of their home, creating a nest filled with joy, sleepless nights, and the melodious cries of an infant. The walls of an apartment echo the laughter of a child taking their first steps, the clinking of baby bottles, and the warmth of a loving family.
- Friendships and Community: As individuals grow, apartments transform into social hubs. The communal spaces, be it the courtyard, recreation areas, or shared facilities, become the stage for the formation of friendships and lifelong connections. Neighbors become friends, sharing in each other’s triumphs, and offering support during challenging times. Apartment communities become a microcosm of society, fostering a sense of belonging and unity.
- Education and Growth: Apartments are not just shelters; they are educational environments. Children studying late into the night, college students navigating the complexities of newfound independence, and professionals honing their skills – apartments witness the intellectual growth of the people who reside there. The quiet hum of concentration and the occasional celebratory shouts mark the milestones achieved within these walls.
- Love and Relationships: Love blossoms in apartments – the shared meals, romantic gestures, and quiet moments of togetherness. Whether it’s a couple moving in together for the first time, or an expanding family, apartments bear witness to the evolution of love and relationships. Each room holds the echoes of whispered confessions, shared dreams, and the growth of bonds that withstand the test of time. Sometimes love fails and the walls hold space for the pain of broken hearts – slowing beating on toward healing.
- Loss and Endings: Apartments, in their silent solidarity, also bear witness to the inevitable cycle of life. The passing away of a loved one, the packing of belongings after a job change, or the decision to move on – apartments encapsulate the poignant moments of transition and farewells. They become chapters in the stories of our lives, etched in the memories of those who called them home.
Apartments are more than physical spaces; they are the silent narrators of the human experience. From the cradle to the grave, these structures capture the myriad emotions, relationships, and events that shape our existence. As we traverse the journey of life, let’s not forget to appreciate the profound role that apartments play in weaving the intricate fabric of our stories. Whether for a season or for a lifetime, life truly happens in the heart of our homes – our apartments.
Share this:
Addressing the Tall Poppy Syndrome
Finding Solutions to Combat the Undermining of Successful Leadership and Management
Photo by Susanne Schwarz on Unsplash
Summary
Tall Poppy Syndrome (TPS) — the tendency to disparage or discredit those who have achieved notable success — is becoming increasingly prevalent in business. As successful leaders rise above their peers, they often face criticism and negative behaviors from others who may feel threatened or jealous. This phenomenon not only hampers the growth of talented individuals but can also significantly impact a business’s overall productivity and performance.
Problem
The Tall Poppy Syndrome often leads to a toxic work environment, demoralizes high achievers, and ultimately stifles innovation and growth within the industry. Those experiencing this syndrome often encounter resentment, unjust criticism, or attempts to diminish their accomplishments. Consequently, this leads to reduced motivation, job satisfaction, and a lowered sense of professional self-worth, affecting the overall well-being of successful individuals and team dynamics.
Solutions
- Awareness and Education: By acknowledging the existence of TPS and educating employees and managers about its negative impacts, organizations can foster an environment of support and appreciation for success.
- Encouraging Teamwork: Instead of encouraging competition, companies can promote cooperative efforts. This approach can reduce feelings of threat or jealousy and foster a sense of collective accomplishment.
- Recognition of Achievement: Regularly acknowledging and celebrating the achievements of all team members, not just the top performers, can minimize the effects of TPS. This practice helps build a positive and inclusive work culture.
- Employee Assistance Programs: Implementing employee assistance programs that provide psychological support can help those affected by TPS. These programs can offer tools and strategies to deal with negative experiences.
- Leadership Role: Leaders in the property management industry can take a proactive role in mitigating TPS by modeling positive behavior, endorsing achievement, and standing against destructive criticisms.
The benefits of these solutions are multifold. A supportive work environment helps retain high-achieving employees and fosters a culture of innovation and growth. It also boosts employee morale and job satisfaction, increasing productivity and improving performance within the multifamily property management industry.
Share this:
Don’t Bring Me a Problem
How do you treat people who highlight problems in your apartment management business? Yes – the squeaky wheels.
Do not Bring me a Problem Without a Solution
Is your natural response to those who bring gifts of unrest and disrepair – “don’t bring me a problem without a solution?” Alternatively, do you quietly clench your fists out of aggravation and offer your own set of solutions? On the other hand, do you blow a gasket and start in with the wit and prose of an aggravated leader?
The problem with – “don’t bring me a problem without a solution” – is that people stop bringing you problems. They even let the most catastrophic of all go unannounced, as they would rather eat razor blades than incur the verbal or nonverbal shaming.
Everything that Happens in the World is an Education
I am a firm believer that everything that happens in the world be it to you or another is a chance to learn or lead. In addition, if you embrace it as such, you will be all the richer for it.
Want to Scale?
If the intent is to scale up your apartment management business – pay absolute loving attention to problems and don’t discriminate between the large-scale and small-scale. Big problems need laser-focused action and small problems – well they become big problems with alarming speed and if not addressed can undermine even the best in breed.
As Mills Properties goes all out to scale the business – we will undoubtedly start the hard work of looking at each behavior that can/will hold us back. Giving attention and education to squeaky wheels is one of those areas. Not to suggest that all the answers will be front and center but tools such as resourcefulness and wherewithal will be. Teaching people to use the tools will be in part – a key to Scaling Up.
From the top down, we must learn to invite problems – no matter the nature – with open hearts and minds. Not as a chance to vilify and shame those that work with and for us. We will look at each as an education in progress, greatness and excellence.
Dividends
Taking time to teach today pays big dividends down the road. More times than not people bring you problems not because they want to displace work. Not because they are lazy. Not because fear paralyzes them. No – it’s because they simply have little to no aptitude for solving them. Moreover, the size of the problem doesn’t matter.
A leader’s job is to teach. So next time someone drops a bomb in your lap. Stop. Breathe and Teach. And do so understanding that dividends pay handsomely over time.
Your looking forward to every problem as an education that will pay dividends Multifamily Maniac,
M
Share this:
Multifamily Education
Mike Brewer · · 1 Comment
I often liken the world to a gigantic hotbed of education. And to boot, one of my favorite conversations in the multifamily space leads with the statement, “You have to look at every single thing that happens to you as a chance to learn something. It’s the world’s way of preparing for a conversation you will no doubt have down the road. It’s your testimony. And it’s steeped in the real world.
It’s not some fly-by-night-flamboiant rah-rah cheerleading consultant flavor of the month rhetoric.
No – it’s powerful I am in your shoes so let’s rock this thing together right now kind of stuff.
Your job – everyday of the week – is to explore the education being offered to you by the world.
Testimony
While I am not a church going type – I do love a good sermon. Not the dull put me to sleep bible thumping get it right or else type. No I like the hell fire and brimstone type. The type that makes me walk of the building on fire for the next lesson that life has to offer me. But it goes beyond the message. It’s all about the person delivering the message.
If the preacher is straight-laced never steered left or right of center in their life – count me with the group that is checking email and passing text messages off to the person sitting next to me.
If the preacher is a recovering addict (insert your choice of vices here) – I am all in and all ears.
You see that guy gets me! Period.
Back to the Point
If you embrace the education and you see it as a way of building up your character; somewhere down the road you will sit in a position of awesoemness. Don’t trust me on this; trust the words of the great poet – T.S. Eliot
We shall not cease from exploration, and the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know the place for the first time.
As a leader in the multifamily space; you will no doubt sit in this place one day. You will be the service supervisor, property manager or regional manager that spent time in the trenches. And because you explored the lessons the world taught you along the way – you get to give your testimony to those that follow. And because you have grown as a person and a professional – you will be seeing it for the first time. That is #rockyourworld kind of stuff. Gives me goosebumbs as I write it. Whoa!
Your forever looking for the lessons that life has to offer Multifamily Maniac,
M