Focus on One Thing
By Jen Piccotti

Focus on One Thing

Last year, when I stepped into the role of President at Swift Bunny, I was honest with our CEO, Joe Bailey, when I let him know I was trying to figure out where to begin. There were things I wanted to keep pushing forward that were already in motion, there were themes I had heard from my team members on what was missing or where they saw opportunity, and there were new ideas I was interested in exploring. While a journey may begin with one step, how was I to know which step and in which direction?

Talk about deer in headlights.

And then Joe said the last thing I ever expected him to say to me:

“Well, Jen. Just do what you always tell the leaders you’re coaching. Focus on one thing and make progress there.”

My boss actually quoted me… back to me. And suddenly I knew exactly where I wanted to start.

Focus on one thing.

Here’s what I know: In my 17 years of doing research on residents and employees, their relationships, their frustrations, and company successes and opportunities, the most profound thing I have found to be true is that when a leader focuses on just one thing for a period of time – 2 months, 3 months, 6 months – positive change happens. And not just in the area they’re focusing on; there’s a ripple effect that impacts and influences other areas in a positive way.

Now, I understand that some people will point out that, taken literally, it just doesn’t work. A leader at any level doesn’t have the luxury of having one solitary focal point. Business must be conducted. There are people and processes to manage, customers (internal and external) to serve, bills to be paid, etc., etc. Yes, it’s true, one must continue to conduct business. But in order to effectively implement change or improvement, the priority list must be narrowed to One.

A common situation I see (and experience) when it comes to setting goals and priorities is that there is so much that we could do. The reality, however, is that every organization has limited time and limited resources, so the question must be: what will have the greatest positive impact on the organization?

One of the best examples I’ve witnessed this year of focusing on One Thing is a client who is primarily a fee manager. When they rolled out their first Ingage Employee Feedback Survey three years ago, their company culture was really struggling. Some of their greatest challenges revolved around a perception of limited development opportunities, a lack of support or resources for the on-site teams, and very little collaboration between departments or communities. After much discussion with our client strategists and within their own leadership team, they chose to focus on identifying and providing the tools and resources their on-site team members felt they were lacking. To understand the specific needs of each position category (i.e. Property Managers, Assistant Property Managers, Leasing Team Members, Maintenance Supervisors, Maintenance Techs, etc.), they created a custom survey using the Swift Bunny Inquire Custom Survey Builder. The results of these custom pulse surveys uncovered the greatest obstacles in their day-to-day responsibilities, as well as suggestions on what tool or resource would be most useful.

Once they identified the common themes within each position, the leadership team immediately got to work creating videos, worksheets, reference materials, and templates, which they loaded on a Microsoft Teams resource channel available to all employees. They also created additional training around those resources, including a full education for the Property Managers on their financials.

The result?

Within one year, the score for having the resources needed to do their jobs increased by 22%! And that’s not all. Remember the ripple effect I mentioned earlier? Here are just a few of the ripples created by focusing on the One Thing:

  • Knowing how to be successful in their current role – increased by nearly 10%
  • Positive relationships with other departments – increased by 10%
  • Perception of having access to training needed to do their job well – increased by 13%

An additional interpersonal bonus was that once the property managers understood and were given responsibility for their own financials, the accounting team became the loudest defenders and supporters of the property managers instead of always seemingly trying to catch them in a mistake. Collaboration and camaraderie skyrocketed.

They had one priority focus, but it impacted so many facets of the employees’ work experience!

I have been known to share my observation on why New Year’s resolutions often feel unsuccessful. It’s because most people make a resolution to lose weight. And start working out. And improve their vocabulary. And spend more time with their family. And. And. And.

When you focus on too many things, you don’t make much progress on anything.

To make a positive, tangible impact, narrow your priority focus to One Thing and see what happens.

So, what was my One Thing when I started my new role? Team communication. But I’ll leave that story to another day.

If you’d like to better understand what your employees and residents like most about your organization, as well as what they’d like to see you focus on for improvement, we can help. Check us out at Swift Bunny, or contact us HERE. We’d love to support you in achieving your goals. ?

- Jen Piccotti

Denise Tremmel

Sales & Marketing Executive for Telecom & IT | B2B Thought Leadership | Go-to-Market, Content Marketing, Social Media Strategies | Pragmatic Certified

9 个月

So true, love this!

Maureen Sullivan

Registered Nurse at Reconstructive Surgery Recovery

9 个月

Well said Jen. Thank you for your insight!

Mary Gwyn, CPM

Chief Innovator at Apartment Dynamics

9 个月

This is such a WOW, Jen Piccotti! Thank you for this!

Suzanne Hopson

Founder & Principal | Leadership Developer | BOS-UP Coach | People Advocate | Strategic Business Advisor | Industry Expert

9 个月

Jen, really spot on. Thanks for the reminders and your vulnerability & courage. You are a true leader!

Judy Bellack

Chief Consultant, Judith Lawrence Associates

9 个月

This is so insightful, Jen! Thank you for sharing your experience with us, not to mention the exceptional results with your team. Kudos, my friend!!

要查看或添加评论,请登录

Jen Piccotti的更多文章

  • Building Trust One-on-One

    Building Trust One-on-One

    One of the most common frustrations employees express is a lack of communication and timely performance feedback…

  • The Sound of Silence

    The Sound of Silence

    The top frustration for all multifamily housing employees, behind wanting a higher salary, is the lack of adequate…

    8 条评论
  • It's Not About Recognition

    It's Not About Recognition

    “These employees are so entitled! They want to be thanked for everything! Isn’t their paycheck thanks enough? Does…

    14 条评论
  • Maintenance: Wasted Wisdom

    Maintenance: Wasted Wisdom

    The average tenure for Maintenance team members is 3.9 years, but the average time spent in the industry is often…

    15 条评论
  • Ask the Question

    Ask the Question

    I’m sure you’ve all been seeing and hearing as much as I have about AI over the last several weeks. Everyone is trying…

    1 条评论
  • RESPECT Wins

    RESPECT Wins

    “How do we reduce employee turnover?” It’s a question that most multifamily industry leaders ask themselves on a daily…

    5 条评论
  • Let's Stop Calling It "Work-Life Balance"

    Let's Stop Calling It "Work-Life Balance"

    I was once asked on a leadership panel, “How do you manage work-life balance?” My response? “Work-life balance doesn’t…

    21 条评论
  • 2024 Voice of the Employee Report

    2024 Voice of the Employee Report

    It is that time of year known as “Budget Season,” when every expense is being scrutinized, every spend evaluated for…

    7 条评论
  • "Help Me Help Them" - What Frustrates Leasing Teams About Your Tech Stack

    "Help Me Help Them" - What Frustrates Leasing Teams About Your Tech Stack

    My friend’s son recently moved into his first apartment where they strongly encouraged him to submit rental payments…

    9 条评论
  • Collaboration: A Strategy for Success

    Collaboration: A Strategy for Success

    It played out like one of those prime-time TV dramas. Our team was in the board room, re-examining and questioning…

社区洞察

其他会员也浏览了