Blog # 216 Copyright 2012 21 October 2012
Perspective. ‘Land lease lifestyle communities, a.k.a. manufactured home communities, & earlier, ‘mobile home parks’, are the real estate component of manufactured housing.’
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A Lesson in Handling Interpersonal Conflict, from ‘Management 101’, for Land Lease Lifestyle Community Owners, Property Management Executives, Regional & On – site Managers, & Others!
II.
REMINDER: A Unique, Once in Two Decades Opportunity for YOU to Provide Valuable Input to an Author (Not me!) Who Is Researching & Writing the First Definitive Book on Factory – built Housing in General, HUD – Code Manufactured Housing in Particular. How Could YOU Not Want to Participate?
III.
Coming Soon & During the Year 2013: Super Symposiums in States Where They Haven’t Been Held Before; at Least Two New HUD – Code Home Shows, with at least one Featuring Community Series Homes or CSH Models; several one day Manufactured Housing Manager® Classes; and, New, Not for Profit Research & Resource Entities to Serve Land Lease Lifestyle Community (‘LLLCommunity’) Owners & Operators Throughout the U.S. & Canada!
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I.
A Lesson in Handling Interpersonal Conflict, from ‘Management 101’, for Land Lease Lifestyle Community Owners, Property Management Executives, Regional & On – site Managers, & Others!
Here’s how to quickly – if not soon redressed, lose a friend, offend a customer (e.g. land lease lifestyle community resident) or long time colleague; and, severely damage one’s leadership reputation among fellow businessmen and women. Without warning….
• Openly criticize one or more of these individuals by name, in a public forum
• Read from a list of alleged offenses, but don’t share those notes when asked
• Don’t allow opportunity for rebuttal or defense, on the part of the criticized party
• And worst of all, do not apologize for one’s heavy – handed, cowardly actions
It’s unlikely all four travesties will occur during one interpersonal conflict scenario; but taken together, they paint a clear picture of how not to function as a mature business leader.
So, what’s the correct way to handle sensitive, and at times critical matters, of this nature? Well, there’re several time – honed guidelines, that capable, experienced, motivated leaders of men and women, have practiced over the years. They include:
• ‘Praise in Public, Criticize in Private!’ Then, related to this sage advice, apply the…
• Golden Rule: ‘Do unto others as you would have them do unto you!’ Oh, it’s difficult sometimes, to recall, let alone apply, this apt wisdom during the heat of anger and passion of the moment. But STOP and ponder this: ‘How would YOU feel, if someone, without warning, criticized YOU in public – in front of mutual peers and friends, then gave YOU no opportunity to explain or defend yourself?’
• Then there’s the HEAT acronym, used by generations of professional property managers, when dealing with angry residents, even arguments between residents – when they can’t be avoided. HEAT goes like this. First; get everyone to sit down, eliminating ‘flight & fight’ options. Then; H = Hear both sides of the story! E = Empathize with the offended party; attempting to understand his/her perspective on the issue(s) at hand. A = Apologize, if appropriate; and finally, T = Take appropriate action! But also heed this WARNING! If one gets the acronym backwards – as many do, ‘Taking Action’, before executing the key ‘H’ & ‘E’ steps, he/she will find the Apology step, doubly appropriate and painful!
So, there you have it, How Interpersonal Conflicts, especially in business environs, Should Be Handled. In summary: Do so in private, in fairness, in balance, and in preservation of one’s present and future personal and business relationships! Anything less is a clear sign of ignorance, immaturity, and insensitivity.
Next week’s lesson from ‘Management 101’? Pick a topic and let me know where we should go next….
II.
REMINDER: A Unique, Once in Two Decades Opportunity for YOU to Provide Valuable Input to an Author (Not me!) Who Is Researching & Writing the First Definitive Book about Factory – built Housing in General, HUD – Code Manufactured Housing in Particular. How Could YOU Not Want to Participate?
That’s right! Not since Allan Wallis’ Wheel Estates: History of the Manufactured Housing Industry, published in 1991, have we had an academic or author – with – credible – manufactured – housing – experience, launch a project ostensibly relating our nation’s ‘State of (too expensive) Housing’ to the quality, affordable, transportable, non – subsidized housing alternative represented by HUD – Code manufactured housing and, to a lesser extent, its’ land lease lifestyle community component.
Last week’s blog posting featured three paragraphs describing the author’s present ‘take’ on this timely, large subject. Suggest you scroll back into the blog archive at this web site and reread that material. Then, if YOU believe YOU have valuable input for the author, put an outline or summary manuscript together and mail it to me via GFA c/o Box # 47024, Indianapolis, IN. 46247; or via GFA7156@aol.com; or FAX it to me at (317) 346-7158. If you’d like to discuss the matter further, with me, before spending time on preparation, etc., phone me via the MHIndustry HOTLINE: (877) MFD-HSNG or 633-4764.
III.
Coming Soon & During the Year 2013: Super Symposiums in States Where They Haven’t Been Held Before; at Least Two New HUD – Code Home Shows, with at least one Featuring Community Series Homes or CSH Models; several one day Manufactured Housing Manager® Classes; and, New, Not for Profit Research & Resource Entities to Serve Land Lease Lifestyle Community (‘LLLCommunity’) Owners & Operators Throughout the U.S. & Canada!
This paragraph will by shy on details, as most of the title events are in planning stages, even as to dates and symposium, show, and class venues.
• Watch for Super or Power Symposiums to pop up in at least New York, Georgia, Indiana, and quite possibly Virginia.
• New Home Shows, featuring HUD – Code homes in general and Community Series Homes in particular? Look for these in Georgia, and possibly Tennessee – or wherever the 22nd International Networking Roundtable is held during 2013.
• Manufactured Housing Manager® professional property manager training and certification classes are already scheduled for Oklahoma (late February) and Indiana, with more anticipated elsewhere. Interested in earning your MHM® designation? Phone the MHIndustry HOTLINE: (877) MFD-HSNG or 633-4764.
• Center for Manufactured Housing Studies or CMHS is already in place in Athens, OH. Expect to read more about its’ work during 2013. And, it’s become clear, the only way I’ll be able to eventually exit the LLLCommunity ‘resource – servicing’ business, to semi – retire, will be if a new, national, not for profit entity is birthed, to serve our asset class’ education (MHM® program), communication (newsletters & this blog), networking (Networking Roundtable & FOCUS Groups), research (in conjunction with aforementioned CMHS), and deal – making needs, from sole proprietor – owned properties up through the largest of portfolio ‘players’. There’s already a group of a dozen or more LLLCommunity owners in place, to bring that historic development to fruition. Interested in helping? Let me know via (317) 346-7156.
So, is that enough excitement with which to greet the New Year? It certainly is for this industry observer. My only hope, relative to those events, is that our national manufactured housing advocacy bodies would finally ‘get on board’, and actively encourage and support all the above – referenced events, even when they don’t have a direct role in planning and facilitating them.
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George Allen, CPM®Emeritus, MHM®Master
Consultant to the Factory – built Housing Industry,
The Land Lease Lifestyle Community Asset Class &
Affordable Housing Purists & Enthusiasts Nationwide
Box # 47024, Indianapolis, IN. 46247
(317) 346-7156