ISSUE 3 | 2022 THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE CONNECTICUT APARTMENT ASSOCIATION Apartment Includes a 2022 Trade Show Recap!
ii www.ctaahq.org Table of CONTENTS 3 6 President's Message Applying Improv Techniques to Life in the Rental Industry 10 2 Board of Directors 2022 CTAA Annual Trade Show & Educational Conference Recap 8 Changing Dynamics in Multi-family Housing
1 ISSUE 2, 2022 ©2022 The Connecticut Apartment Association | The newsLINK Group, LLC. All rights reserved. Apartment FOCUS is published six times each year by The newsLINK Group, LLC for the The Connecticut Apartment Association and is the official publication for this association. The information contained in this publication is intended to provide general information for review and consideration. The contents do not constitute legal advice and should not be relied on as such. If you need legal advice or assistance, it is strongly recommended that you contact an attorney as to your specific circumstances. The statements and opinions expressed in this publication are those of the individual authors and do not necessarily represent the views of The Connecticut Apartment Association, its board of directors, or the publisher. Likewise, the appearance of advertisements within this publication does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation of any product or service advertised. Apartment FOCUS is a collective work, and as such, some articles are submitted by authors who are independent of The Connecticut Apartment Association. While The Connecticut Apartment Association encourages a first-print policy, in cases where this is not possible, every effort has been made to comply with any known reprint guidelines or restrictions. Content may not be reproduced or reprinted without prior permission. For further information, please contact the publisher at 855.747.4003. 12 15 Having fun with Hypnotism Water Cooler 14 13 17 Encore Fire Protection Donates to the American Red Cross Why Being Kind at Work Matters A Conversation with Linda Cohen, The Kindness Catalyst
2 www.ctaahq.org 2022 CTAA Board of Directors President Kelly DeMatteo Trio Properties, LLC Vice President Property Management 624 Hebron Ave., Bldg. 3 Suite 1 Glastonbury, CT 06033 860.430.1966 kdematteo@trioproperties.com Immediate Past President Justin Gaboury Cushman & Wakefield Sr. Regional Property Manager 1180 Peachtree St. NE., Suite 3100 Atlanta, GA 30309 Justin.Gaboury@cushwake.com President Elect Dragana Lacore South Oxford Regional Property Manager 142 Temple St., Suite 207 New Haven, CT 06510 469.283.2638 dlacore@somliving.com Treasurer Brent Reihl Cushman & Wakefield 120 Towne Street Stamford, CT 06902 brent.reihl@cushwake.com Secretary Brian Lemire Paredim Communities Sr. Dir. of Regional Leasing and Operations 430 Eastern Street New Haven, CT 06513 203.469.6337 ext.203 blemire@paredim.com VP of Associate Affairs Jim Brooks 24 Restore Vice President Business Development 9 Corporate Ridge Road Hamden, CT 06514 203.843.0899 jbrooks@nymgroup.com Director of Associate Affairs Steve Weir American Integrity Restoration 60 Village Place Glastonbury, CT 06033 860.657.2100 sweir@1callair.com Director of Associate Affairs Steve Weir BluSky Restoration Contractors, LLC 60 Village Place Glastonbury, CT. 06033 Director of Northern Connecticut Carrie Rowley M.B.A. Balfour Beatty Quality Control Specialist NSB New London Homes 100 Tern Road Groton, CT 06340 860.446.5913 crowley@bbcgrp.com Director of Southern Connecticut Open Director at Large Jessica Doll WinnCompanies Property Manager Huntington Woods 200 Blakeslee Street Bristol, CT 06010 860.768.3500 jdoll@winnco.com Lifetime Director Robert Chesson Landlord Law Firm 215 Broad Street Milford, CT 06460 203.874.4747 203.874.4701 rchesson@landlordlawfirm.com Lifetime Director Andy Lund VestA Vice President Property Management 175 Powder Forest Drive Weatogue, CT 06089 860.325.1702 ALund@vestacorp.com Membership Task Force Anissa Smith Jessica Doll Joanne Aviles Jim Brooks Ben Whittemore Trade Show Committee Chair Andrew Harrison Events and Education Committee Events Co-Chair - Cindy Harrison Education Co-Chair - Adam Schweickert Government Relations Committee Steve Weir THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS!
3 ISSUE 2, 2022 President's Message Kelly DeMatteo Looking Back … After our first full year of partnering with Markens as our new management company, we have initiated so many new best practices. We focused on investing in our volunteers to make sure they have the tools and resources to continually impact the success of the organization. Our committees came together and set up a solid year of important events and initiatives, which brought many new firsts since the pandemic. Since the kickoff of the fiscal year in July, the association has rolled out Annual Sponsorships for Business Partners, hosted Happy Hours and Government Relations Breakfasts, held the Annual Tradeshow and Education Conference, provided Fair Housing Training, and so much more! I wanted to take a moment to thank our valued Business Partners. Ten of over 65 of our long-term partners are supporting us with the CTAA Annual Sponsorship package. This commitment to our success and viability in multi-family Continued on page 4 housing is critical. We are aware that without the dedication of these businesses, we wouldn’t be able to deliver on our mission: To actively lead the apartment industry in providing quality housing by educating, advocating, and connecting property owners, managers, and business partners. A big thanks to BluSky, Landlord Law Firm, Apartments.com, BELFOR, T.F. Andrews, ProKlean, GoNetSpeed, Engrain, Surface Experts, and Frontier for their yearly support. There are many other Business Members that contribute to sponsoring and supporting events throughout the year as well that we don’t want to overlook. From food and beverage sponsors to events, photo booth, DJs, and all the other details in between. Thank you! This year, Steve Weir entered as the committee chair position for Government Relations. Steve’s passion for our industry and desire for a voice at the table drove this committee to new heights. Hosting their second annual legislative breakfast in October and adding decision-makers to the committee are just some of his accomplishments. Steve has partnered with NAA, successfully started grassroots efforts, enabled training and mentorship from the national committee, and much more. Andrew Harrison pulled off another wildly successful Annual Education and Tradeshow conference at Foxwoods. Attendance was up, and the feedback from our Business What an Amazing Year 2022 Was for the Connecticut Apartment Association
4 www.ctaahq.org Continued from page 3 Members was amazing. The event kicked off at High Rollers with a pre-show party and wrapped up with a little fun with a hypnotist. In between, attendees enjoyed networking, education, and fun. The Education and Events Committee partnered into one in the new fiscal year. Adam Schweickert and Cindy Harrison came together as leaders. They not only supported Steve and Andrew in their event needs, but also hosted a few Happy Hours, a Fair Housing Training, and the Holiday Party and Nutmeg Awards. The October Happy Hour had a charitable giving component, stuffing 200 bags for the American Red Cross. The Fair Housing Training was the first CTAA inperson training outside of the Tradeshow Education since the pandemic. Thank you to the Landlord Law Firm for being the educators, and thank you to all who attended. The Holiday Party and Nutmeg Awards was held at the Omni in New Haven, a new location for CTAA, and was beautifully fantastic. Award nominations were plentiful, and participation numbers were over 300, rounding out a successful year with so many of our valued members. Looking Forward … There is so much happening in 2023! Continue to watch our website: January 17 is our Winter Happy Hour, CAMT is being hosted by CTAA in Connecticut the week of January 23; February should bring legislatures together again at an informal breakfast to discuss how things are going in this long session year. Not to mention the Annual Meeting in March with a special Government Relations Guest and, of course, Maintenance Mania in April to be hosted again as a stand-alone event to focus on our maintenance teams. These upcoming 2023 CTAA events will be supported by our new association Executive Director Jessica Doll. Jessica Doll joined CTAA in this new leadership role in January 2022 and has hit the ground running. Her years of service in property management and volunteer time with CTAA have set her up for much success. I look forward to seeing you soon! Join me in welcoming Jessica and thanking all our volunteers.
6 www.ctaahq.org Avish Parashar is an improv comedian who recently spoke at the CTAA Tradeshow held Sept. 9-10, 2022. He uses his background as a comedian to teach audiences creativity, innovation and adaptability, and past audiences have included actors, directors, accountants, sales professionals and college students. Avish is also the author of two books, Improvise to Success and Say Yes, And! The following article summarizes some of the material Avish presented at the conference. Life is the ultimate improvisation. Thinking you can carry out every plan you make is an illusion, even though we like to pretend it isn’t. That’s why it is important to think like an improv artist who can take whatever happens and make it work as though the disruption was always part of the plan. I like to play a game with audiences where I start to tell a story. Someone else holds a hotel-style call bell, and I start telling a story. Every time the bell dings, I change the last part of the story to something else. For example: “Two boys had a cat (ding) dog (ding) mouse (ding) emu.” It goes from there. You have to be quick and creative to make it work, and audiences find the process amusing and instructive. What’s the best way to begin thinking like an improv artist? There are three steps: • Start with mindset • Take it one small step at a time • Say “yes, and” even though it makes things harder Start With Mindset The two key elements of the improviser’s mindset are to have fun and be willing to fail. Being playful is an important part of being creative, but it’s hard to be playful if you aren’t having fun. And big success usually involves taking risks. If you aren’t willing to fail, you aren’t likely to succeed. It is hard to say “yes, and” when you are in a “yes, but” mindset. “Yes, and” can invite collaboration. “Yes, but” shuts Applying Improv Techniques to Life in the Rental Industry
7 ISSUE 2, 2022 collaboration down. Saying “yes, and” doesn’t mean allowing people to take advantage of you. It means looking for ways to take a problem and expand the number of possible solutions until you can see at least one solution that works for everybody. Here’s an example. Suppose a tenant makes an unreasonable, outrageous demand. Even if you would be 100% justified in saying no, considering the demand and trying to find a way to make it work on both sides is still the right approach. Taking time to consider the demand lowers the tension, which means the tenant may stay longer than they would if you told them why you couldn’t agree and then went straight to a rejection. Take It One Small Step at a Time “Ding” happens in life the same way it happens in improv. In improv, we focus on what we can control: our one next step. You don’t need to take some massive action. Instead, you will make much faster progress by taking a step, seeing what happens, adjusting, then repeating the process. Trying to figure out everything before you start will slow you down. Say “Yes, and” Even Though It Makes Things Harder When life gets overwhelming, people naturally want things to be easier. We think that if things are easy, we can get motivated and engaged again. I suggest an alternative. Maybe the key is to make things harder in the area that matters. You can do this by setting a goal you don’t know how to achieve and then learning, developing, trying, experimenting and using your creativity to figure out how to achieve it. Setting a difficult goal that matters to you can be the key to feeling energized and motivated again. Summary The improv takes care of itself if you have fun, accept the possibility of failure, and approach problems and roadblocks with a “yes, and” attitude. However, you can’t successfully improvise when faced with the unexpected if you don’t have a “yes, and” attitude. You probably know where to start with changing your mindset. Most of us have a persistent “yes, but” trigger that prevents us from being more successful. We usually have an idea that keeps popping up, and we keep saying, “yes, but” to it. When you switch to “yes, and,” that switch may be the very thing that will change everything about everything. The improv takes care of itself if you have fun, accept the possibility of failure, and approach problems and roadblocks with a “yes, and” attitude.
8 www.ctaahq.org Changing Dynamics in Multi-family Housing Jordan Brooks is a senior market analyst at ALN Apartment Data who recently spoke at the CTAA Tradeshow held Sept. 9-10, 2022. ALN was founded in 1991 as an apartment locator data provider. It serves locators, brokers, lenders, appraisers, asset and fee managers, apartment associations, supplier partners and the government, and its geographic reach has been global since 2015. The following article summarizes some of the data Jordan presented at the conference, focusing on Connecticut. He talked about the multi-family housing industry and other related information. There are several multi-family performance drivers. For example, important drivers include the size of a state’s resident population, the way that size changes over time and the national employment picture in terms of the size of the labor force. The unemployment rate, generally and by sector, is also important. These all help determine the affordability of multifamily housing. Other factors are also important drivers. Stimulus payments made in 2020 and 2021 still caused state-level movement in 2022. Some programs expired in 2021, such as Child Tax Credit changes and federal unemployment benefits that were expanded and increased in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The federal government extended the student loan moratorium to Jan. 1, 2023. Although most eviction moratoriums expired, that wasn’t true in all localities. Finally, people saved more and spent less during the worst part of the pandemic, but that has now reversed. Several things became clear as I reviewed and analyzed the data through the end of August 2022. Although Connecticut’s population growth was much stronger than normal in 2020, we didn’t lose those gains in 2021. However, the labor force and the associated participation rate have not recovered as well in the state as nationally. The Leisure and Hospitality sectors are exceptions. They both bounced back well in the last 12 months. Finally, almost 60% of Hartford MSA renter households earn less than $50,000 annually, and the policy actions throughout the last two years and more continue to affect the industry. By Jordan Brooks
9 ISSUE 2, 2022 How has the multi-family housing industry performed recently? I considered the new housing supply and net absorption before answering that question. First, I focused on the period between 2019 and 2021 on three levels: the U.S., Connecticut and Hartford. Next, I looked at new supply and net absorption on the same three levels between January and August 2022. I also analyzed average market rent, effective rent and occupancy between August 2019 and August 2022. The annual average effective rent change ranged between roughly 5% in Litchfield and 13% in New Haven. I analyzed Connecticut’s price class in terms of net absorption, average occupancy and average effective rent. Next, I considered the submarket view (the net absorbed units, new units, average occupancy and average effective rent over one year). I also looked at new construction for the Connecticut and submarket pipelines. Finally, I analyzed the construction and lease-up duration between 2018 and 2022 for the U.S. and Connecticut. I learned that apartment demand in Connecticut was more robust than at the national level because residents moved to lower-density areas. In 2022 so far, absorption momentum has been focused on the Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk MSA rather than the Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford MSA. Connecticut and the U.S. experienced an average occupancy decline from the most recent peak. However, the average occupancy is still higher than during the pre-pandemic months. The average effective rent for class B properties is closer to Class A than Class C, but the absorption and average occupancy data show that Class B is softening. Finally, upcoming new development has shifted from New Haven and Hartford to Bridgeport. For learn more from Jordan about multi-family housing or the information he presented at the conference, please reach out to him at 813.945.0060 or Jordan@alndata.com. FILLING YOUR VACANCIES HAS NEVER BEEN EASIER Advertise on the nation’s premier listing network! apartments.com/grow 888.658.7368 Maximize your exposure Showcase your property Generate quality leads HAS NEVER BEEN EASIER Advertise on the nation’s premier listing network! apartments.com/grow 888.658.7368 Maximize your exposure Showcase your property Generate quality leads FILLING YOUR VACANCIES HAS NEVER BEEN EASIER Advertise on the nation’s premier listing network! apartments.com/grow 888.658.7368 Maximize your exposure Showcase your property Generate quality leads FILLING YOUR VACANCIES HAS NEVER BEEN EASIER Advertise on the nation’s premier listing network! apartments.com/grow 888.658.7368 Maximize your exposure Showcas your property Generate quality leads FILLING YOUR VACANCIES HAS NEVER BEEN EASIER Advertise on the nation’s premier lis ing network! apartments.com/grow 888.658.7368 Maximize your exposure Showcase your property Generate quality leads FILLING YOUR VACANCIES HAS NEVER BEEN EASIER Advertise on the nation’s premier listing network! apartments.com/grow 888.658.7368 Maximize your exposure Showcase your property Generate quality leads BEEN EASIER Adv rtise on the nation’s premi r listing network! apartments.com/grow 888.658.7 8 Maximize your exposure Showcase your property Generate quality leads Advertise on the nation’s premier listing network! apartments.com/grow 888.658.7368 Maximize your exposure Showcase your property Generate quality leads
10 www.ctaahq.org 2022 CTAA Annual Trade Show The 2022 CTAA Annual Trade Show & Educational Conference was held September 8-9 at the Foxwoods Resort & Casino Mashantucket, CT. The Back to the Future-themed event was fun-filled and provided on-site training, rich networking, and engaging speakers for attendees. A big thanks to our sponsors who made this possible. We hope to see you at our next event. For more information, please visit www.ctaahq.org.
11 ISSUE 2, 2022 Educational Conference Recap
12 www.ctaahq.org Bruce James Francisco, Hypnotist, Author and Motivational Speaker, gave a fun and memorable presentation at the 2022 CTAA Trade Show and Convention. He has entertained audiences as a stage hypnotist for 20 years and became a neurolinguistic programming (NLP) trainer to help people reframe their understanding of their lives and challenges. For those who would like to explore his ideas Having Fun With Hypnotism further, Bruce authored Awaken Your Visionary Mind Power: Thinking Beyond Habitual Thinking, One of the crowd favorites was when Bruce asked participants to "Sing like Whitney Houston" when tapped on the shoulder. It was silly and lighthearted. Everyone in attendance had a good laugh and enjoyed the relaxed atmosphere. To learn more about Bruce, please visit brucejfrancisco.com.
13 ISSUE 2, 2022 WATER COOLER New Hires Henry Lewis – Maintenance Supervisor at Windsor Crossing for Paredim Melissa Durant – General Manager at Willow Grove and The Point at Still River in Danbury for Bozzuto Nicholas McWhite – Service Manager at Willow Grove in Danbury for Bozzuto Yelena Damsky – Leasing Professional at The Place at Catherine’s Way for South Oxford Management Vinnie Ives – Maintenance Supervisor at Sagamore Hills for South Oxford Management Juan Ortiz – Maintenance Supervisor at Lofts at the Mills for South Oxford Management Desirae Williams – Leasing Professional at Mill Commons for South Oxford Management Ivonne Molina – Leasing Professional at Lofts at the Mills for South Oxford Management Tia McCloskey – Leasing Consultant at Harbor Heights for TRIO Properties Jasmine Green – Leasing Consultant at Highcroft for TRIO Properties Chassidy Cote – Leasing Consultant at Rivers Bend for TRIO Properties Desiree Gonzalez – Assistant Property Manager at Broadleaf for TRIO Properties Rachel Cole – Property Manager at Harbor Heights for TRIO Properties Josh Levine – Regional Manager at Cushman & Wakefield Brent Reihl – Area Manager at Cushman & Wakefield Javier Henao – Property Manager at Postmark Apartments for Cushman & Wakefield Henry Diaz Garcia – Assistant Property Manager at Postmark Apartments for Cushman & Wakefield Tara Michalkiewicz – Community Manager at Lakeview Apartments for South Oxford Management Barry Wilson – Maintenance Supervisor at Rivers Edge Apartments for South Oxford Management Promotions Shekanah Williams – Promoted to Property Manager at Brook Hollow and The Fairways for Paredim Yessenia Mojica Rivera – Promoted to Assistant Manager of Vintage at the Grove for South Oxford Management Jose Rios – Promoted to Service Technician II at Dobbs Crossing for Konover Residential Christopher Gerundo – Promoted to Maintenance Supervisor at Tellus Green for TRIO Properties Christian Diaz – Promoted to Maintenance Tech II at River’s Bend for TRIO Properties Kailyn Gonzalez – Promoted to Leasing Manager at The Novella for TRIO Properties Pete Rivera – Promoted to Maintenance Tech II at Rivers Bend for TRIO Properties Alexis Chambers – Promoted to Property Manager at Knoll Crest for TRIO Properties Justin Gaboury – Promoted to Director of Tri-State Region for Cushman & Wakefield Tyeccia Rowley – Promoted from Assistant Community Manager to Community Manager at Rivers Edge Apartments for South Oxford Management Kristen Yeranian – Promoted from Community Manager at 510 Main to Community Manager at Woodcliff Estates for South Oxford Management Special Designations Randy Casiano – Enterprise Income Verification Specialist & Certified Occupancy Specialist Advanced
14 www.ctaahq.org Encore Fire Protection Donates to the American Red Cross One of the CTAA Trade Show exhibitors and Business Partner Members, Encore Fire Protection, pledged to donate $5 for every business card collected during the event to the American Red Cross The final donation was made in the amount of $1,000. CTAA would like to thank Encore Fire protection for this donation. They are a great example of what our association strives to be.
15 ISSUE 2, 2022 Why Being Kind at Work Matters Kindness is a soft skill. Since kindness can be hard to teach, measure or master, many people dismiss it as a nonessential nicety that won’t make or break your business. They value other capitalist-oriented skills more, such as ambition, grit and skill. Consider a fictional example: Scrooge, the main character in A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens; people recognize he is a miserable, lonely man, and no one would want to be like him or be around him. Yet Scrooge also fits the idea of the selfish and ruthless business owner who makes money because he is willing to take advantage of others. As the story begins, he thinks any generous act detracting from profit is foolish. No business leader is likely to make similar claims in public, but when they consider the business ideas separate from the man, some might secretly think Scrooge’s ideas have some merit. But this is a big mistake. The soft skill of kindness is not just an important life skill; it’s also an important business skill. Being considerate, friendly, helpful and generous is a strength. It does not mean being a pushover or finishing last. Kindness means giving people the benefit of the doubt and remembering they may be dealing with difficult issues. Kindness can strengthen business relationships within any culture, and many benefits involve employees. When the workplace culture is kind, communication is smoother and more effective, and employees are more likely to trust their leaders. Employees focus on their work and are less likely to compete negatively with other employees. Not only are relationships in and outside the company improved, but research also shows that employees with opportunities to be kind at work feel more loyal to their company. Companies with a reputation for being kind find it easier to recruit and retain new employees. That’s a huge plus, as there are currently more open jobs than people to fill them, and qualified applicants have their choice of jobs. Who wouldn’t prefer working at a company where they can feel valued and respected? Productivity also improves. Everybody makes mistakes, especially when trying out new business ideas. Employees can safely share information and be more innovative if the work culture kindly embraces learning from failure instead of punishing it. Continued on page 16
16 www.ctaahq.org Kindness is most challenging when it requires taking the high road and being kind in response to negative behavior. If you are trying to figure out why someone behaves badly, rather than treating them harshly, kindness is more likely to open someone up, giving them a chance to explain their side. Customers respond positively to companies they believe are kind. When customers interact with a kind employee, a bond forms, resulting in increased customer engagement and brand loyalty. Kindness is also helpful during difficult conversations. When speaking candidly to someone about a problem, kindly delivering what you must say is essential if you want the conversation to be a success. Choosing to be kind doesn’t mean avoiding any discussion of difficult things. Balance honesty with kindness. The goal is to be empathetic and curious instead of harsh. All employees should be courteous to everyone, regardless of status. Smile often. Say thank you. Use a kind, pleasant tone when talking, be clear and positive when communicating, and accurately express your feelings and ideas. The cleaning crew deserves the same level of civility as the company owner. Managers might also encourage employees to help others when their tasks are complete and to be generous about sharing space and material resources when necessary. Be a good, thoughtful and kind listener. Listening skills improve communication, reduce mistakes and encourage collaboration. Make time for others when they need it. If employees need substantial help, schedule a time to work with them. Doing little things, like complimenting someone’s work and recognizing others when they do well, shows kindness. Recognize each person’s strengths and abilities. You can also communicate appreciation with food. If appropriate, a manager could bring breakfast or provide a snack tray during an important meeting. And team-building activities create a positive environment and show you want the workplace to be enjoyable. Since some employees are gatekeepers, their opinions and influence may be larger than you think. Please treat them with respect. Start by introducing yourself and asking for their name if you can’t see their name on a tag or desk when you meet them. If they are busy, keep the conversation to a minimum. If they seem open to small talk, keep the conversation pleasant and neutral. Notice photos and awards. The next time you see them, kindly acknowledge them in a way that lets them know you remember your last conversation. Don’t be overly familiar with people you’ve just met. Avoid terms that might be deemed insulting or condescending, such as “sweetie,” “babe,” “son,” or “dude.” When there is an opportunity to talk with anyone, engage in meaningful but not polarizing conversations, such as talking in a general way about weekend plans, previous work experiences and family. Notice when someone is struggling with a door or carrying large packages, and offer your help. Also, help other people succeed. Recommend people, send them referrals, and be willing to provide expert advice if asked. If appropriate, mentor new employees. Mentoring can involve introducing a new employee to others, training them in their job responsibilities and helping them feel comfortable. Being kind at work – and everywhere else – matters because it contributes to creating and maintaining a more positive world. It makes sense from a business perspective, but it also makes sense from a human perspective. There are no regrets about being kind, which is something you can’t say about everything. Kindness can strengthen business relationships within any culture, and many benefits involve employees. When the workplace culture is kind, communication is smoother and more effective, and employees are more likely to trust their leaders. Continued from page 15
17 ISSUE 2, 2022 A Conversation with Linda Cohen, The Kindness Catalyst Linda Cohen, the founder of Linda Cohen Consulting, is a professional keynote speaker known as The Kindness Catalyst. A consultant since 2012, Linda has a blog on her website (https:// lindacohenconsulting.com). She has written two books; 1,000 Mitzvahs in 2011 and The Economy of Kindness in 2021. It seems clear that you’ve made kindness your life’s work. What is the story behind that? My father called me in April 2006 after his terminal lung cancer diagnosis. He was a family therapist, and he had just turned 70. I was 38, with two young school-aged children. We had a difficult relationship, but I flew to Burlington, Vermont, and we started working to heal our relationship. He lived eight months after that call. Those months and the healing process were a gift. We both found peace; he died Dec. 1, 2006, on my son’s sixth birthday. Five weeks later, I woke up in the middle of the night with the idea that I would do 1,000 mitzvahs (good deeds) in his honor. Completing them was transformative. When I was more than a year into the project, my rabbi suggested that I write a book about it. I thought the project was just a personal experience to help me process my grief, but it changed my life. In 2011, I did a TED talk to share the idea of kindness with other people. My first audiences were nonprofit groups like Girl Scouts, houses of worship and schools. Eventually, I realized how important kindness is in the workplace and why kindness is so important to business leaders. Kindness is important everywhere. Why did you choose to focus on kindness in the workplace? I could see that there were real challenges in the country and the world. Rhetoric was more challenging, and conversations were becoming more divided. Since people spend so much of their day in the workforce, I started looking for good business cultures and organizations that focus on kindness because I wanted to see their results. Also, I started working to bring kindness to the workplace. My first paid opportunities were with local government, health care and long-term health care, and then credit unions. I have continued working with many of these industries. Why does kindness improve the bottom line? My three Rs are reputation, recruitment and retention. When an organization gets a reputation for being unkind, its customers and staff often leave. In contrast, organizations with good reputations have an easier time recruiting talent. The third R is retention. If you tell people that your culture is one way, you hire them, and they discover it’s not true, they will usually leave. What is the easiest way to help business cultures turn toward kindness? Start by listening. Some organizations listen to find out what is happening before they make changes. Schedule multiple sessions of active listening. What’s the next step after the first one? Implementing what you can. For example, a fairly small company had its employees working remotely in the spring of 2020. They couldn’t do their jobs because the schools were closed and their children were home. Childcare is a huge challenge for most women. It should be everyone’s problem, but it falls mainly on women. The company solved the problem by temporarily making the headquarters into a school. Employees dropped off their children at the temporary school, then went home to work. Continued on page 18
18 www.ctaahq.org What are your favorite stories about kindness in the workplace that have inspired you? I met a volunteer manager during the first six months of the pandemic. She coordinated 75 working hospice volunteers. April was the usual time to honor volunteers, but she couldn’t do a luncheon and provide recognition in the usual ways. Instead, she put together what she called a porch project. She got some cookies and mugs with the hospice logo, and then she and the other professionals in her organization drove over a large geographical area to thank the hospice volunteers by delivering the cookies and mugs to them. Everyone wore masks and stayed socially distanced, but they could see each other eye to eye. I heard the second story when I spoke at a women’s leaders event for a major retail chain. I addressed 250 women, with only three men in the audience: the CEO and two vice presidents. They were working in the grocery market, and I asked them to share a time they had received kindness from a manager. A woman raised her hand. A decade earlier, when she was in her 20s, she worked in a different state than her family and missed them very much. The manager called her in at Christmas and instructed her to buy a ticket the company would pay for, take a week and visit her family. That was a huge gift; you never get that holiday week off when you are in the retail business. One of the three men in the room was the boss who made that Christmas trip possible. I got choked up, witnessing that. It reaffirmed the rippled effect and how long somebody might hold on to a remembered kindness. Most people don’t forget. What is the most important lesson about kindness that you’ve learned? I have three lessons, not one. 1.The size of the kindness doesn’t necessarily matter. 2.Kindness has a ripple effect. Even one act can make a difference. 3. It is harder to receive kindness than it is to give kindness. Many people struggle with receiving, but when we receive kindness gracefully, we let them give us an important gift. Thank you is a complete sentence, and we should practice it regularly. Do you have a story to share that you heard after a presentation? In my book, I wrote about one gentleman who was in the senior living world before the pandemic. He was the franchise owner of a home care business. He wanted to recognize When people are surrounded by kindness in the workplace, they are healthier, happier, less stressed and less burned out. Real-life research in the last decade supports that conclusion, and more research is continuing to come out. Continued from page 17
19 ISSUE 2, 2022 people in their work because he knew they were working with elderly adults. This business owner would meet on Mondays at the beginning of the pandemic with front-line home-care workers. It was still unclear how contagious COVID was, so he made sure he knew what they needed and gave them hand sanitizer, lunch and water. Later, when the staff returned to the office, he had them work Fridays at home that summer, beginning in June 2021. He knew they could work remotely and get their job done. He made people feel valued and appreciated. Do you have other mentors who have helped you along the way? When I began speaking professionally, I joined the National Speakers Association. Keynoters, trainers and consultants are all members who have helped me 100%. I wouldn’t be at my current level without their encouragement, and I have encouraged others, too. What are some lessons you have learned from them? A fellow speaker once said, “Curiosity didn’t kill the cat; comparison did.” Celebrate your wins before you start working on conquering the next mountain. Also, build a bigger pie in your life. I try to live a life of abundance, not scarcity. Choose to live in a place of abundance. Tell yourself different work and a better client are coming when something doesn’t work out. What do you want readers of this article to remember about you and your work when they finish reading it? What is the main takeaway? I invite you to become a kindness catalyst, too. Humanity wants more kindness, and we are disenfranchised without it. When people are surrounded by kindness in the workplace, they are healthier, happier, less stressed and less burned out. Real-life research in the last decade supports that conclusion, and more research is continuing to come out. Linda lives in Portland, Oregon. She and her husband have two adult children and one Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. To learn more, please visit lindacohenconsulting.com. Savol Pools, serving the swimming pool service needs of the apartment industry for over 40 years. 91 Prestige Park Circle East Hartford, CT 860-282-0878 www.SavolPools.com CT SP1 Lic 288171 • CT HIC Reg 584241 One Stop Source for All Your Swimming Pool Needs • Equipment Repair & Replacement • Tile / Coping • Painting • Plaster • Leak Detection & Repair • Openings / Closings • Safety Covers • Pool Chemicals Delivered to Your Door • Certified Pool / Spa Operator® Classes
To learn more, visit ByeByeMattress.com/Commercial-Recycling Contact Dan McGowan (860) 397-4800 dmcgowan@mrc-us.org If you operate in Connecticut, we can recycle the old mattresses that your tenants may leave behind at no-cost. Ask us how. WE ARE TAKING A LOAD OFF OF CONNECTICUT APARTMENT OWNERS. EVERY UNIT. EVERY APARTMENT. EVERY FAMILY. MATTERS. er strikes - whether caused by a fire, water leak, major storm or some other reason - you BELFOR - day or night - to provide disaster recovery and property restoration services that efficient and compassionate. Because every unit, every apartment, every family and your ers. TER RECOVERY AND PROPERTY RESTORATION FIRE•WATER•WIND CY BOARD-UP AINMENT (SAFETY BARRIERS) EMOVAL ON SOOT REMOVAL TRACTION MOVAL TROL CLEANING RESTORATION ICE RECONSTRUCTION T RECOVERY & LEAD REMOVAL US WASTE REMOVAL ENE CLEANING G & DECONTAMINATION UD SUPPORTER OF CONNECTICUT APARTMENT ASSOCIATION 24-HOUR EMERGENCY RESPONSE 800.856.3333 Commercial • Residential Licensed and Certified 75+ Years Of Experience BELFOR CONNECTICUT 30 North Plains Industrial Road Wallingford, CT 06492 203.949.8660 800.952.0556 Connecticut Licenses: MCO 0902208, HIC 613688 S THAN ANY OTHER CONTRACTOR When a disaster strikes - whether caused by a fire, water leak, major storm or some other reason - you can count on BELFOR - day or night - to provide disaster recovery and property restoration services that are effective, efficient and compassionate. Because every unit, every apartment, every family and your business matters. DISASTER RECOVERY AND PROPERTY RESTORATION FIRE•WATER•WIND EMERGENCY BOARD-UP SITE CONTAINMENT (SAFETY BARRIERS) DEBRIS REMOVAL DEMOLITION SMOKE & SOOT REMOVAL WATER EXTRACTION MOLD REMOVAL ODOR CONTROL AIR DUCT CLEANING CONTENTS RESTORATION FULL-SERVICE RECONSTRUCTION DOCUMENT RECOVERY ASBESTOS & LEAD REMOVAL HAZARDOUS WASTE REMOVAL CRIME SCENE CLEANING SANITIZING & DECONTAMINATION PROUD SUPPORTER OF CONNECTICUT APARTMENT ASSOCIATION 24-HOUR EMERGENCY RESPONSE 800.856.3333 Commercial • Residential Licensed and Certified 75+ Years Of Experience BELFOR CONNECTICUT 30 North Plains Industrial Road Wallingford, CT 06492 203.949.8660 800.952.0556 Connecticut Licenses: MCO 0902208, HIC 613688 MORE SERVICES THAN ANY OTHER CONTRACTOR When a disaster strikes - whether caused by a fire, water leak, major storm or ome th r rea on - you can count on BELFOR - day or night - to provide di aster recovery and roperty r storation services that are effective, efficient and compassionate. Because every unit, every apartment, every family and your business matters. DISASTER RECOVERY AND PROPERTY RESTORATION FIRE•WATER•WIND EMERGENCY BOARD-UP SITE CONTAINMENT (SAFETY BARRIERS) DEBRIS REMOVAL DEMOLITION SMOKE & SOOT REMOVAL WATER EXTRACTION MOLD REMOVAL ODOR CONTROL AIR DUCT CLEANING CONTENTS RESTORATION FULL-SERVICE RECONSTRUCTION DOCUMENT RECOVERY ASBESTOS & LEAD REMOVAL HAZARDOUS WASTE REMOVAL CRIME SCENE CLEANING SANITIZING & DECONTAMINATION PROUD SUPPORTER OF CONNECTICUT APARTMENT ASSOCIATION 24-HOUR EMERGENCY RESPONSE 800.856.3333 Comm rcial • Residential Licensed and Certifi d 75+ Years Of Experience BELFOR CONNECTICUT 30 North Plains Industrial Road Wallingford, CT 06492 203.949.8660 800.952.0556 Connecticut Licenses: MCO 0902208, HIC 613688 MORE SERVICES THAN ANY OTHER CONTRACTOR
To advertise in this magazine, contact us today. 801.676.9722 | 855.747.4003 | thenewslinkgroup.org | sales@thenewslinkgroup.com It’s your time to grow. Ad space available.
This magazine is designed and published by The newsLINK Group, LLC | 855.747.4003 PO Box 271381 West Hartford, CT 06127 ONE LAST THING ... Did you know that you can enjoy your association news anytime, anywhere? Scan the QR code or visit: apartment-focus.thenewslinkgroup.org Check it out! The new online article build-outs allow you to: • Stay up to date with the latest association news • Share your favorite articles to social channels • Email articles to friends or colleagues There is still a flipping book for those of you who prefer swiping and a downloadable PDF.
www.thenewslinkgroup.orgRkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy ODQxMjUw