Care for your staff like you would want them to care about you.
Caring comes from the top. Ever wonder why you quit your last job. Maybe there was no opportunity to advance, or maybe the last boss treated you like a lower caste citizen.
You needed room to breathe, and your job was not working for you. You mentioned it to your boss, “maybe you could laterally transfer to another opportunity”, and she said, ”take it or leave it’, and so you left.
Now you are building your own firm and hiring staff. You are doing everything to can to attract talent.
You cannot offer as much pay as your competitors, what can you offer?
A safe place to work.
A challenge getting your product to market.
A competitive working environment
A caring working environment.
Recognition for a job well done.
Self-actualization ( a la Maslow)
What does a caring work environment look and feel like?
As a former employee you know what it does not look like.
It does not look like
Parties every Friday
And every other day off
Loud music in the office
Lack of respect
Lack of operational discipline
Filthy restrooms and a dirty working environment
Air conditioners and heaters don’t work.
In a caring environment,
The office is clean,
Smells good,
Garbage is emptied.
The carpets and flooring are cleaned.
Restrooms are bright and clean without graffiti on the walls.
Lighting works
All office supplies you need to work are available,
Including the appropriate hardware and software.
Potential for future profit sharing
Potential for the agency, not for profit organization or company to grow.
Most important, the supervisors are well trained and appreciate their employees.
All employees are treated equally.
There are employee policies and an employee policy handbook.
There is room for advancement.
There is training available.
What the employee needs to bring to the table is a good attitude, a desire to work, a sense of caring for their fellow employees, the clients and vendors that you work with, punctuality, honesty, thriftiness.
Grocery Store
Store #1 As an example, I had to use the restroom in a large chain grocery store. I was given permission to use the employee restroom. It was filthy and crowded with supplies. It had not been cleaned in weeks. Half of the lights were burned out.
Store #2 In a competitor’s restroom, they were cleaned every hour, no problem with toilet paper, paper towels or lighting, there was a level of respect for the employees and the customers. It makes a difference.
In store #1 the employees were surly and could not care, in store #2 everyone was happy. Leadership comes from the top. And in this case, you need to inspect or delegate inspection of restrooms it’s a clear metaphor for respect for your employees.
Great leaders will tell you get what you inspect, not what you expect, and caring comes from the top.
Recognize your team.
You have the chance to mold your own place under the sun. You can create improved performance by acknowledging and recognizing your team members. Love them!!!!! and they will love you back.
Just ask Pam Hill, the leader of the condominium management department at Bluestone Real Estate Services. Who has been working with the same team for over ten years and kept most (not all) of them together by having dinners, lunches, golf and other outings together. She is the team cheerleader and as a result has been able to keep growing her business without losing key players. It is an amazing thing to watch.
You can do this too; your employees are your most important resource; don’t squander that resource by ignoring them, just ask Abraham Maslow.
Clifford A. Hockley, CPM, CCIM, MBA
Cliff is a Certified Property Manager® (CPM) and a Certified Commercial Investment Member (CCIM). Cliff joined Bluestone and Hockley Real Estate Services 1986 and successfully merged that company with Criteria Properties in 2021.
He has extensive experience representing property owners in the sale and purchase of warehouse, office, and retail properties, as well as mobile home parks and residential properties. Cliff’s clients include financial institutions, government agencies, private investors and nonprofit organizations. He is a Senior Advisor for SVN | Bluestone.
Cliff holds an MBA from Willamette University and a BS in Political Science from Claremont McKenna College. He is a frequent contributor to industry newsletters and served as adjunct professor at Portland State University, where he taught real estate-related topics. Cliff is the author of two books, 21 Fables and Successful Real Estate Investing; Invest Wisely Avoid Costly Mistakes and Make Money, books that helps investors navigate the rough shoals of real estate ownership. He is the managing member of a real estate consulting practice, Cliff Hockley Consulting, LLC., designed to help investors and commercial brokerage owners successfully navigate their businesses. He can be reached at 503-267-1909 , Cliffhockley@gmail.com or Cliff.Hockley@SVN.com.
