FROM THE PRESIDENT
SCOTT KIRKWOOD | GRIFFIS BLESSING
You Can Lead A Horse To Water...
Y
ou have all heard of the saying, “you can lead a
horse to water but, you can’t make them drink.”
There are some parallels in what we do in
property management, especially with millennials and
less experienced staff.
For example, have you ever had a property where
you could not get the staff to see the value of staging
the pool area or setting up a mini-model? You can
demand, you can follow up, do it yourself, even
write up the individuals. It seems like they just can’t
get it done. It turns out the Regional Manager told
the Property Manager, the Property Manager told
the Service Manager, the Service Manager told the
Groundskeeper and the message just did not connect.
This is a lot like taking your horse to a water
trough after a ride. You are ready to move on but the
horse isn’t interested in taking a drink. Not much you
can do but wait until the horse is ready, right? Well
maybe with the horse it's just about patience, but with
staff it's more than patience - it's an investment of time
to explain the end goal! Paint a picture that allows
them to see their role in creating value for
the property.
You have to spend the time with each staff
member involved, taking the time to communicate
and make sure they understand and connect in their
time. Lead them to the goal, explain the opportunity
and wait for them to connect. Life is so much easier
when a staff member becomes self-directed and
connects to the solution.
In turn, hopefully the next time you show up to
the property- the pool furniture is staged, the mini-
model is set up and they have taken it a step further
with a “Wow Fridge."
... but you can’t make them drink
6 | TRENDS AUGUST 2019
www.aamdhq.org