Multifamily Blogs

If innovation and technology are the keys to creating a more efficient workplace environment, why are we still so busy all the time?   I believe time allocation plays a significant role... Not from the individual associate but from the decision-making process used to determine what workplace responsibilities are required, how much training is actually “required” for implementation, and how the time requirement was determined.    This is where the UI/UX playbook comes to mind. Just in case you were not sure, the UI/UX acronym equates to User Interaction & User Experience. When software and applications are being developed UI/UX plays a significant role in determining the outcome.   Part of the UI/UX design process is finding the right connection between business needs and user experience. It is a rational target for consideration.   Now, think about the decision-making process at your company, when determining what responsibilities should be required to meet the business needs, are those determinations taking into consideration the needs of the associates?   If not, you should.   From a completely empathetic perspective, we should be showing our teams that we consider their needs in our decision-making process. From a business perspective, employees that feel that their time is valued are more committed and focused.   UI/UX Designers ask tons of questions to better understand how the user will interact with the software or application and what the experience will be like for the user. Then, they use those answers to determine what direction they should take to ......

  The next critical coaching skill is teaching. Truth be told, this isn’t something that comes naturally for everyone, but it’s necessary. If you find yourself in a teaching position and don’t feel comfortable doing so, get some training of your own. You won’t regret it! When you are comfortable enough to incorporate teaching into your coaching style, be patient. Let’s say that again. Be. Patient. No coachee wants to feel rushed or threatened or invalid especially while learning something new. Whomever your coaching is going to mess up from time to time. You’ve made a mistake before, right? Go ahead and nod. Rather than scold or reprimand, try turning that mistake into a learning opportunity. By doing this, you’re building confidence while you teach. When you’re teaching, encourage them to try their new skills at every opportunity. Take advantage of your workspace and get your hands dirty. Attribute what they’re learning to everyday situations, this can create those awesome aha moments.   The last critical skill of a coach is to challenge them. Sometimes people don’t like to be challenged but to grow we need to get better, learn more and do more. Always keep in mind, your role is to help an employee reaching their fullest potential. I’m sure it goes without saying but just in case, challenging them doesn’t mean unreasonable expectations. Be realistic and take environmental factors into consideration. When you challenge them, have a clear expectation in mind for yourself and communicate those expectations clearly to the employee. The last thing you want......

Coaching continued… Last time, we ended on interpersonal communication, there is more to the critical skills of a coach, for instance, there’s helping. When we help, we make sure the person we’re coaching has all the necessary tools to be successful. We’re asking them to identify options and make recommendations about those options. Then we’re playing the game of cause and effect to weigh each option. Helping also means becoming good at asking questions and digging deeper into situations. This is such a key part of coaching because it not only announces your intention to find a resolution; it helps the person you’re working with feel listened to. When you’re coaching, you’re going to come across ideas that aren’t yours. Learn to accept them with an open mind. The next critical skill is mentoring. It’s something we’ve all come across at some point in our lives. Someone actually might be coming to mind right now as we begin talking about it. If you have pen and paper in front of you, go ahead and write that name down. One part of mentoring might not be for you to mentor them, rather it might be for you to show them how to build a relationship like that on their own.   From the Coaches Perspective Rather than coach you and mentor you, I might invite you to my next business luncheon where you’ll have full access to mingle with the people I work with closely on a weekly basis. Or maybe you’re new to the company and are nervo......

Unlike what you might’ve thought, we’re not talking about coaching little league baseball today. Rather, using critical skills, the “must haves” to make you an approachable person. Let’s face it, if you’re not approachable, you’re not going to make a good coach. We’ll begin with Interpersonal Communication—and it’s so important we’re actually going to talk about it more again in a follow up article. But interpersonal communication is such a vital tool when it comes to coaching because within it, you’ll find so much. There’s verbal and non-verbal communication. There’s body language. There’s dialogue with those around you. There’s choice of words, tone of voice, eye contact, gestures, and the list truly does go on and on. It’s with your interpersonal communication that you can make the greatest statements about your coaching. Let’s make an example of it real quick, because we are going to dig deeper into the topic in a later article. I realize we joked about little league earlier but hang with me here. You’re the coach of a little league baseball team. The game is close in the last inning and one of your best hitters is at the plate. You’re confident they’ll knock in the tying run. You’ve got the bench cheering them on. Parents are standing. The other team knows this kid is a hitter so they’re dead silent. The count is full and they’ve fouled off a couple balls. The next pitch comes in and although it’s in the dirt, your player swings and misses hard. Your team has lost. Already miserabl......

Have you ever found yourself reverting back to the negative side of things? If so, this article is a great place to examine possible reasons and identify ways to kick that habit. Did you know that low self-confidence is linked to fear or many fears regarding professional and personal life? Let’s address a few of those fears, and if they hit close to home, think about that and think about how together, we can overcome them. Not being effective in our interactions with peers or supervisors is a big one. No one wants to be looked down on as inferior or feel like they’re always going to say the wrong thing. In that same breath, the fear of offending people while you communicate with them can be crippling. It can hold us back from sharing honest and helpful opinions. The key to beating that is by using our words in an optimistic way. Worrying is another common reason. Worrying too much about rules, or etiquette can stress us out to the point we second-guess ourselves. Many of these centers around our perception of how others think about us. We might avoid disagreements out of a fear of being wrong, or because we think others find us uneducated or uninformed. The number of fears we could list is truly countless, and while those fears might not fully disappear, there are ways around them, which give self-confidence, and boost self-esteem.   This first one sounds funny: “Fake it ‘til you make it”  This age old saying often comes with......

Let’s explore the importance of workplace communications by highlighting how to create positive relationships in your workplace. Let’s start with interactions with your co-workers. We’re talking about communication; obviously some of which will be non-verbal, such as a smile, a nod, or other small gestures like that. But we’re also talking about direct, good old fashioned, work banter, chatter, and water cooler talk!   First and foremost, talking with your co-workers. This could be the language you use around them or toward them. How can we harness the power of speaking with someone to improve workplace communication, create positive relationships, and show self-confidence? How about this for starters? "Good Morning!"   Yes. Good Morning. The simplest, most basic form of a greeting you could offer to a co-worker could also be one of the most powerful, sparking positive emotions that starts the day off on the right foot. Go ahead, give it a shot with someone close by. If you’re reading this in the afternoon or evening use that greeting instead.    Did you smile while greeting them? If you smiled, you just helped usher in the second strategy for building and strengthening workplace relationships. Smile. It’s not something we always feel like doing, but it’s beneficial in one way or another and will always pair well with that “Good Morning” greeting. You see, your smile makes you appear more approachable (even when through clenched teeth), and as a result, your co-workers might begin to feel more comfortable around you.   Another tactic which plays well into the morning greet......

If you are looking for the right time to make positive change in your life, now is that time! Don’t get me wrong, it's a good way to kick off the New Year but why wait!    Making a resolution is the same as setting a goal, there’s no reason to wait for the stars to align before acting, just go for it!   Like many of you, I have many goals that I’ve already started to push forward with (some of them have me in a lot of pain right now). I’ve enjoyed talking about resolution goals with others, however; I'm surprised at the number of people who have simply stopped making resolutions for the simple perspective that they will not be successful.     Sometimes we fail when trying to make better decisions or implement positive change but that’s no reason not to try. If you have a history of not reaching your goals, at least you have a history of goals and that should never change. Therefore; my recommendation is to keep pushing forward! If you need to start with small goals and work your way up, go for it.   I’ve got 3 tips for positive change and you don't have to wait until the new year to get started. Maybe you could incorporate one or all of them with your plans for a prosperous year.   1. Self-Awareness: If you can easily find reasons to not be successful, ask yourself if your reasons have a solution. To be truly successful we are going t......