The Sky is Falling...or is it?

I have a popular story I share in my presentations to various groups around the country that attests to what I have deemed, “The Chicken Little Syndrome”. For those of you not up on your Aesop’s Fables lore, Chicken Little makes an assumption based on one event and single-handedly convinces the masses that the sky is falling.
I would like to share my version of this story enhanced with a property management twist.

Once upon a time, the great and all-knowing vice president of property management opened his many reports and began a thorough line-by-line evaluation of the properties in his care. All seemed well until he arrived at Whispering Woods. Alas, it appeared move outs and a strange drop in traffic plagued Whispering Woods. To his horror, the vice president realized exposure at the community would reach 13% within 2 weeks if something wasn’t done.

The vice president of property management hurried down the hall to his portfolio manager’s office and said, “What is happening at Whispering Woods? If the current trend continues, we are faced with a disaster. You need to do something, and fast!”
Then he raced back to his office to wait for a visit from the king.

The portfolio manager immediately picked up the phone and called Whispering Woods. After the usual pleasantries with the community’s property manager, the portfolio manager said, “The great and all-knowing vice president was just in my office and we were discussing Whispering Woods. We are very concerned at the way your property is trending, and if we don’t stop it, it is going to be a disaster. You need to get your team together and do something!” After answering a few more questions about the upcoming visit from the king, the portfolio manager hung up and continued managing her portfolio.

The community property manager grabbed her walkie-talkie and immediately summoned her entire team. “We are facing a crisis of monumental proportion,” she began, as her subjects grew wide eyed, “Not only will the king be coming next week to inspect his holdings, we are trending to a 13% exposure and that is not good.” (Her subjects were thinking, “I am not sure what she means,” but they kept this thought to themselves and assumed it was very, very bad. One subject thought about the resume he would post on Monster later that day.) “In addition to getting ready for the king’s visit, which is taking most of our time and energy, we need to find some traffic.” The community property manager turned to her newest subject, a small and pleasant leasing sprite who always seemed eager to assist. “You will be in charge of outreach marketing. Every day, you will go out between the hours of 9 and 11 and reach out to the community. I will get you some brochures and trinkets to take with you. You will start today – now get out there and do something!”

The small and pleasant leasing sprite took a deep breath and with a weak smile and loads of determination, got into her car and drove to the town square. With her trinkets in hand, she meekly approached a dry cleaning establishment. “Hello,” she said, “I am with Whispering Woods and am wondering if I may leave these brochures and trinkets with you so the townspeople will see them and remember that they should live at my community.” The merchant coldly said, “no”. Not to be dissuaded, with the command to “do something” present in her mind, the small and pleasant leasing sprite continued on. She had to save the kingdom. With each establishment she entered, the sprite grew wearier as no one seemed willing to help her or display her trinkets or her brochures. Finally, she returned to the community, and when asked by the community property manager what she did for the last two hours, and how many merchants agreed to work with her, she admitted defeat and said, “I know you told me to do something, and I tried my best, but I just don’t’ know what to do!”

The morale of the story
It’s time to stop telling your people to “do something” and start showing them what to do. Do what it takes. Bring in an outside trainer. Pool your resources. Roll up your sleeves and innovate. Go where it’s uncomfortable. Be the mentor you aspire to be so your people don’t have to worry the sky is falling but don’t know what to do.

And if you are the king, the next blog will be for you.

Next up – A Visit from the King