Reflections on a Career – 7

Tomorrow morning will be my last meeting with my managers as a group – I write this on a Sunday. I didn’t want to schedule this meeting and I put it off, but finally with Lucy’s help it was scheduled and tomorrow it is here. I didn’t want to schedule the meeting because I don’t want to say “Goodbye” to them. I know it has to be done, and I know I’ll see them individually between now and October 31, and I may even see them as part of a larger group, but tomorrow will be the last time that it will be just them and me.

Each one of them has contributed in some measure to my life, some more than others – some have worked for me longer than others. I have seen wonderful personal and professional growth in them. There are those whom I have worked with who have moved on to other jobs; they won’t be there tomorrow but I will think of them, I would have them there if I could but life moves on, seasons change. As I write this I think of a few whom I have had to let go for various reasons; accountability is critical and there are times people just aren’t good fits for a position.

One of my former managers is gone because she stole. Another is gone because she didn’t take responsibility for her property but blamed problems on her staff and treated them harshly. Another only lasted a week or two, she wasn’t a good fit, didn’t know what she was doing (even though she had years of experience elsewhere) – at the level of property manager when you represent yourself as being able to operate a multi-million dollar property and you can’t do it there is no alternative but to move on; you can either play the piano at the concert level or you can’t. I guess her previous company wasn’t playing at the concert level either. I lost two managers when their properties were sold and they remained with the properties, working for the new owners – I still keep in touch with them. Then there was one other manager who I lost; it didn’t have to be that way but it happened, she made the decision; I might write about her at some point because it is an example of what happens when people aren’t held accountable and when they aren’t trained, challenged to grow, and mentored – in Christianity we call it “discipleship.” When we don’t train and challenge and mentor people we do them a disservice, we keep them in diapers – and when challenges come they aren’t prepared.

I’m going to talk to my group this morning and thank them for all they’ve done and do my best to encourage them, I’ve sketched out some points I want to make and I’ll likely follow them up in writing with a sentence of two.

 Put others first

Keep learning

Understand your property, your market, your business

Know who you are

Know your people

Train your people and hold them accountable

Build a ship for the storms, not the calm seas

Say what you mean (or write it!) and mean what you say

Tell the truth

If you have a problem seek a solution – think it out, give recommendations

Friendships and mentors

Know where you are going, where your people are going, and where your property is going. You are the captain of your ship.

You are the example; to be early is to be on time, to be on time is to be late, to be late is unacceptable.

Put others first – they may not always like you but hopefully they will trust you.