Life as a Prospect

Expectations. Professionalism. Client centered. All of these words are important to someone currently focusing on finding, securing, and starting employment with a new company. All words I want to attribute to a new company with whom I want to forge a new relationship, not unlike being single looking for love. Maybe there is no difference. Certainly there are many similarities.

The past two weeks have found me traveling all over the country for various interviewing opportunities. Each company has varied in its approach to interviewing, its level of professionalism, in the amount of attention given to me, the hopeful, though decidedly wary of the process prospect. It is so important that I do not make a mistake in this process. After all, I want this relationship to LAST. It has occurred to me, on more than one occasion, I am representative of the apartment hunter – surely they, too, are wary of the process of walking into our Leasing Offices, of meeting with a leasing agent, hopeful of locating the perfect home where they can set up a place to LIVE, not just exist.

I know one thing. The next time I stand up to greet someone who walks through the Leasing Office door, I truly will understand their trepidation, their fear of the unknown, their questioning of whether or not I care about them and their needs and wants. I am also looking for a new place to live, so by virtue of being in the same place they are, I do understand. I can commiserate. I can empathize! This will make me a better Manager. I think it will also make me a better person.

No longer will I settle. This is not the time in life to settle for “just enough.” It is the time to seek the challenge and to figure it out. It’s time to put into practice, again, the tried and true and also the unique approach to issues. Now that I have found The Company and will soon decide on a Home, I am ready for 2013: all the pieces will soon fall into place and my picture will be complete. I cannot wait to get started.

Everything Teaches Us Something We Need to Know

When I turn off the lights at 6:00 tonight, it will be the last time I do so under the name of Freestone, so today is a bittersweet day for me. It’s a great day for the Owner! Doesn’t matter how you get your profits, it only matters that you do. And I understand that. What is a little more difficult to understand is an Owner who does not come in person to say, “Good bye.” Maybe that is normal … to have no definitive closure, no formal way to bid someone a fond farewell. I have never experienced it this way, to be sure.

As I look out the window at this gray, windy day that is neither warm nor cold, I think the somber mood is reflected in the little puddles of rain collected in an indentation on the ground. But inside, I feel not sad, but hopeful. I am really more of an optimist than a pessimist. (When I was twelve I could be a Debbie Downer extraordinaire, but nowadays, I choose to look up, rather than down!) It’s much more fun to see the bright side of things (when you can) than to dwell on the negative.

I believe that every experience I have had is leading me somewhere. In just two short years, I have the opportunity to learn so many incredible things. Just think. If this happened (my company selling off all "our" properties) when I was just starting out (and to see "your" company come to an end) I would have given up, thrown in the towel, said I could not do that again. After all, it is not often you find a great mentor who teaches you the business as mine has, or one who allows you to run with your marketing ideas full force, one who says, “Make us a website! Hook us up on Facebook! Create brochures - do it. Do it all! Supervise this construction project! I don't need to handle that; you can do it." You can do it. Magical words! It is rare to find someone who criticizes in a kind and gentle way and lets you make a mistake or two and then allows you to fix it. I have the utmost respect for this person.

After eight plus years, this is the hardest part about moving on; it’s leaving behind people you care about and admire. I know this isn’t the end of my relationship with my boss (hey, I know he will be there if I want to bounce an idea around, even at eleven at night and there’s always email) but it is the end of our day-to-day working relationship (for now.) I wonder if he will feel the effects of his own “Empty Nest,” but perhaps this is good preparation for him for when his oldest leaves for college next year. It just goes to show you, for everyone, everything that happens prepares us for the next step, the next adventure, next job, the next radical, awful, wonderful or special event that will happen. Personally, I am looking forward to seeing what new is being planned for me in life!

Change

While death and taxes may be the only two Sure Things in life, there is another and most people do not look forward to it, not at all. And that Third Thing is called change. I know everyone says change is scary, and it can be, but it can also be a reason to try something new. Really, I think the reason why it takes people time to embrace change is simply due to fear and the fact that they may not have chosen to change in the first place.

Change is emotional. It stirs up longing. With reflection, it can also stir up courage.

Okay World, hear me roar! (I always did like the Lion in The Wizard of Oz....)

A Note Of Thanks From a Resident

When I was going through my divorce and hard financial times, for two summers between the start and finish of the new school years, I took summer jobs working as a teacher in a childcare facilities. One year I worked with the Two-Year Olds (my favorite!!!) and one year with special needs Four-Year Olds (very challenging and rewarding.)

At nap time, I would write notes to each of the children’s parents telling them all about how their child’s day had been. I would write things like, “Micah enjoyed the story we read at Story Time so much! I suggest you take Micah to the library and check out these books.” Then I would list some books to be read together. Or, I might write a note about Elizabeth "seems very interested in learning to tie her shoes. We practiced this morning together – she was so interested in learning that she chose this activity instead of playing in the Housekeeping Corner! Her fine motor skills are well ahead of her age level.” Sometimes I would have to say that Benjamin had had some sadness that morning so I helped him work through his aggression by letting him play at the Water Table for an extended period because the water play seemed to lessen some of his stress. Pretty soon he was happy with his whole underwater sea adventure. Maybe he was a bit tired? He went to sleep right away!”

These notes apparently were much different from what other teachers wrote. Theirs usually consisted of “We played, had snack, lunch, no potty accidents.” My parents loved the notes and told me they kept them in their children’s Baby Books and oftentimes thanked me for writing so many details of their children’s days.

When I fell into property management, I continued to write little notes to Residents. Generally these were little notes of cheer if I knew someone wasn’t feeling well, or notes of condolence if someone’s loved one or pet died, or even thank you notes for planting flowers in the community’s empty container (admittedly it takes me a while to get to all the containers in the community!) Since the news has now broken through the veil of silence about the impending property sale, Residents have started to come in to ask me if I am staying or going. One wrote me a particularly touching note that in part, I will share:

 The note reads: “You’ve created a community of care and consideration, of respect for residents, a place (especially your longer-stay residents like me) are happy to call home. If the new owners or managers let you go, they’re crazy and losing one of the best things about living here.”

I know though that all the time spent writing those little notes do make a difference in our Residents’ lives. We touch lives every day. No one may tell you this, but it doesn’t make it any less true. My entire goal as a Manager and the one aspect of community management I hope to instill in others is training the teams I work with to think of each Resident as a vital part of the community. Sometimes all it takes is a smile or the special little note slipped into the door jamb to make our Residents feel appreciated. After all, we ALL need to feel appreciated every once in a while. And I am grateful of this little note I received!