" AAMD is a team of like-minded owners , investors , management companies and supplier partners who form the 6th largest apartment association in the nation ! And we ' re rapidly growing !"
FROM THE PRESIDENT
DEREK AVERY | LEGACY PARTNERS
Stay Occupied , My Friends
At June Awards last month , we ran a series of spoof beer commercials that hilariously portrayed me as " the most interesting man in Colorado ." At the end of each video , instead of asking the viewers to " stay thirsty my friends " as the Dos Equis pitchman famously said , I said , " stay occupied my friends ."
" AAMD is a team of like-minded owners , investors , management companies and supplier partners who form the 6th largest apartment association in the nation ! And we ' re rapidly growing !"
This has caught on , as members who were at June Awards continue to repeat the catchphrase in social media and other communication . My goals for this year are to “ stay occupied ” in several different forms .
In Our Communities
We certainly want our apartment communities to maximize profitability by maintaining a consistent level of occupancy . That means retaining our residents and filling the homes of those who move out .
What does this look like for your team ? Does it mean elevating the level of service the resident has come to expect ? Does it mean tweaking your facility standards ? Does it mean overhauling a certain amenity or community event ? AAMD is the place to learn about industry best practices .
Within Our Teams
It ' s no secret that people in the industry tend to jump ship from time to time . It can be for several reasons . Perhaps they ' re recruited ( and I don ' t have to tell you how much AAMD discourages recruiting at our events ), or perhaps they go looking for a new company culture , a bump in compensation , or simply a change of scenery .
Staying occupied as it relates to our team members doesn ' t necessary mean keeping them occupied with tasks . It means giving them the right motivations to keep them engaged so they don ' t feel the need to go looking for another opportunity with a competitor or even outside the industry .
Some questions to consider : What strengths do your team members have that you currently don ' t fully leverage ? Do they understand how their contributions effect the bottom line and the lives of our residents ? Do they know when they are exceeding your expectations ? Are they being compensated fairly ? Is their personal growth being supported through continuing education ? Do they know you care about them and their future ?
I understand that running a community or business means hiring people to do what needs to be done , but I challenge you to simply put yourselves in their shoes and ask yourself if your work environment is fulfilling .
In the Association
Similarly , the Apartment Association strives to retain its members the same way we strive to retain our residents and team members . AAMD offers benefits far beyond a subscription to this magazine and a few forms along the way .
AAMD is a team of like-minded owner / investors , management companies and supplier partners who form the 6th largest apartment association in the nation ! And we ' re rapidly growing ! Supporting AAMD will help you keep your communities occupied and your team members retained through our education opportunities ( next month ' s issue will have a full listing of fall ’ s offerings ) and legislative efforts .
I may not be the most interesting man in Colorado , but I ' m certainly proud to be leading the most interesting industry during this year of growth as we strive to " stay occupied my friends ."
Cheers , Derek Avery 2016 / 17 AAMD President
6 | TRENDS • AUGUST 2016 www . aamdhq . org