Playbook Construction

what should I learn in my first 30-days?

the PLAYBOOK.

Construction Employee

This playbook is designed to get you through your first 30-days in your new role at Aspen Heights! Exciting, right?

We do need to be upfront and let you know that—though still totally awesome—this playbook does not contain every piece of information you need to find success at Aspen Heights. If it did, it may have landed right around 11, 284 pages, give or take a page.

This playbook is a GUIDE to what questions to ask, where to ask them, and how to learn through a bounty of resources including online training, peer shadowing, manager coaching, on-the-job learning (of course), and even specialized training in some cases.

Last thing: if you ever have a question,

ask it.

— A CREATION FROM THE MINDS OF —

© 2016. ASPEN HEIGHTS LEARNING & DEVELOPMENT. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.​

INDEX (CLICK ANY TOPIC TO GO THAT PAGE)

Our Company Welcome from Greg Henry, CEO.......................................................................4 Company History....................................................................................................6 Company Vision.....................................................................................................12 Company Values....................................................................................................14 AH Awake...............................................................................................................22 The Resident Experience...................................................................................20

AH Tools & Lingo Do You Speak Aspen? Word Glossary...........................................................28 Think Aspen: Internal Company Website.......................................................31

Your Role at Aspen Your Job Description.............................................................................................9 Your First 30-Days Checklist.............................................................................25 Understanding How to Use Your 30-day Checklist....................................26

Click this button on any page to return to this index.

from the CEO:

Aspen Heights began as an idea. We saw an opportunity in student housing to do something no one else was doing. We noticed a lack of a resident focused experience in the industry and felt we could add value there. Fortunately, our emphasis on customer experience from the beginning brought us a lot of success, and we are proud to continue the tradition today.

Aspen Heights exists to cultivate human potential and add value to our world by creating and managing spaces where people live, connect, and learn. It’s a bold vision, rooted in a belief that when people are using their innate creativity, and living their purpose it transforms the individual, the resident experience, and the bottom line. While we value “human potential,” we know this is ultimately your responsibility to pursue, and our job to support it.

To help make this vision more concrete we have created a set of four company values CONNECTION, CREATIVITY, PERFORMANCE, and LEADERSHIP. To ensure these aren’t just vague ideas, we have put forth clear definitions and grounded these values in concrete behaviors. When lived out they create a robust culture that we think makes us a great place to work. These are more than words on a wall for us, you will see them built into our work life together in a variety of ways. We hope you will enroll yourself in this vision and these values as they become more clear to you.

In the documents that follow, you’ll find what you need to help you get started at AH, as well as the things you’ll need to build on to become a productive Aspen Heights employee. Feel free to ask your manager or other department members about any questions you might have regarding these materials.

We’re happy to have you!

Greg Henry, CEO & Co-Founder Aspen Heights

FIRST Mo' Money.

Mo' Aspen.

Country Place.

Aspen founders, including Greg Henry invested in an unfinished neighborhood in Waco, TX called Country Place. They purchased the neighborhood and finished out the 4 bedroom singlefamily houses, successfully launching Country Place as Waco’s first all-student rental home neighborhood.

2006

Breckenridge Begins.

After the success of Country Place, Breckenridge Development is formed, and construction, as well as marketing efforts, kick off on the first Aspen Heights cottage neighborhood set to open in the Fall of 2008.

2007

A New Aspen.

Word quickly spread in Waco and the AH cottage concept was a hit with students! Both Country Place and Aspen Heights were put on the market so Breckenridge could reinvest and develop a new property: Aspen Heights College Station. Over 2,000 students joined the interest list in the first semester, and the 500-bed property leased ahead of the market.

Breckenridge began formalizing it’s emphasis around customer service, hearing from thousands of students in focus groups about the low standard of service many of them received at other properties.

They realized that the cottage product, coupled with an innovative focus on customer service, could fundamentally change the industry.

2008

The financial and real estate crisis began to sink its teeth into the American economy.

Investors and lenders were losing millions in bad real estate investments, and money was difficult to obtain for most developers.

Despite this tumultuous environment, many lenders were still keen on the cottage product for students. With the recent success of College Station, Breckenridge was able to secure financing for the development of another property in San Antonio, TX. Marketing began in the fall of 2009 and the 288 bed property was leased before the end of the year.

San Antonio was the first project to feature 2, 3 and 4 bedroom house styles.

2009

T TEN 10-year history of Aspen

Busy Year for Aspen.

After the success of UTSA and College Station, Breckenridge began generating serious buzz in the student housing industry.

The partners decided to sell the majority ownership interest in the UTSA and College Station projects, take on two new projects (San Marcos, TX and Baton Rouge, LA), and create a branch of the business focused on property management.

Additionally, Breckenridge Development formally became Aspen Heights, as the property name had become synonymous with the brand.

Fun Fact: The San Marcos, TX project leased up in 6-days!

2010 More Aspen, Please.

Heading into 2012, Aspen Heights had its sights set on becoming the largest private student housing developer in the country. Construction began in 6 new markets across the country, and the company began looking into expansion markets with diversified products.

2012

Soaring to New Heights.

In Russ' Words.

2013 was a big year for our company. Hear what 2013 was like for Aspen from our Co-Founder, Russ Murphy.

See page 12.

2013

This year Aspen Heights transitioned to Aspen Heights Partners. This transition included diversification of the company's portfolio.

Projects this year included 3 new mid-rise student housing communities (Albany, NY; Lincoln, NE; Springfield, MO) a cottage product student property in Wilmington, NC, 2 multi-family communities in Austin, TX, and a 58-story tower of residential condominiums; The Independent stands 685 feet in the heart of downtown Austin, TX.

The first ten-years of Aspen Heights truly paved the way for great things to come.

2016

whatever it takes.

Russ Murphy, Aspen Heights Co-Founder and COO, recounts the misses and lessons learned that paved the way for the company we know and love today.

A MISSION TO BE THE BEST.

VALUES THAT RESONATE TODAY.

When we realized that we weren’t just working on a few projects anymore, we were starting a business, building a company. We came up with a company mission, values, and even DNA philosophies – which if you get your hands on that card you’ll see it was written by a bunch of young guys who were like ‘ yeah, sounds good, let’s do that.’ A lot of what we created then is reflected in our current mission and values though, the wording is just better, but a lot of it is still there.

Our customer centered sales philosophy is rooted in general consideration of others, like people you work with.

"

Our original mission was “To provide the best student living experience.” It was authentic, but it was short-sighted. Our approach was “we’re gonna build cottage product for students” and when your mission is that focused you can leave yourself stuck where you don’t have the opportunity to go do something like a Concord. In 2016, student products start getting a little higher, a little denser, closer to campus.

With the cottage product we always had to be at least 2 miles from campus because you just can’t find 20-acres of land right next to a university. We started building in our own backyard with our first multi-family project (Concord) and a 22-story downtown high-rise. But it really did take us forever to get through the permitting and investor process because people were like ‘you build cottages, how are you going to build a 22 story building downtown?’ And our answer was ‘through new talent.’ By hiring great people that know exactly what they’re doing and won’t make the same mistakes that we made early on allows us to diversify. And diversification has paved the way not only for multi-family projects, but also acquisitions, third-party management, and specialty housing including Daymark and The Independent.

Volleyball court at Country Place in Waco, TX, also known as Aspen Heights' very first amenity. (2006)

Basically, when you make a decision, think of how it will impact others. Whether that’s your boss, someone that works for you, or beside you: always think about them. 'Whatever It Takes' we threw that in there because that was our mindset. Again, we didn’t have the formal experience so we knew that we were learning from making mistakes.

But our philosophy was ‘that’s ok’ because you do whatever it takes to get the job done knowing you’re going to make mistakes. And when you make a mistake, own it.

Don’t try to sweep it under a rug, just say ‘Hey, I did this and it caused a big issue, can you help me fix it?’

Now, this one ['I’m proud of my professional appearance, language, and behavior.'], I still struggle with cause I curse too much and never tuck my shirt in, but we put those in to remind us that ‘we’re a professional company, damn it.'

We're a professional company, damn it.

"

cont'd

MILLION DOLLAR MISTAKE.

We wanted to be the best of both worlds, the space and privacy of a single-family home with awesome student amenities like a resort-style pool, outdoor volleyball court— the works! We pulled a photo off the internet of a pool that we felt showcased our vision for this thing and slapped it on our website. We sold the heck out of it during the lease up of these single-family rental homes. People loved it. Then two things happened; we reached out to this buddy of ours who had a pool company, showed him the photo and let him know that's what we wanted our pool to look like. He took a look, asked how much we had budgeted for this think, and then let us know that what we budgeted was about a quarter of the cost of his estimate. In our attempt to be the best, we'd chosen a picture of a million dollar pool.

Whoops! Second thing that happened was we got a call from the company who the pool actually belonged to, who just happened to be a competitor in the student housing market kindly asking that we take the photo of their pool off our website. Whoops, again! We took the pool photo down, but the pool moved forward, way downsized, but still awesome. City comes in to inspect our plans and notices our plans for the pool. 'Can't put a pool there, that's a drainage easement.' Ok, we'll do a hot tub at each house. 'Can't do a hot tubs, violates permitting.' Ok, we'll do one giant hot tub where the pool was gonna be, damn, the drainage easement thing again. So we ended up with a gazebo. (laughs) What made this whole thing worst was that with every fumble, we'd email the future residents, so they got emails that were like 'Ok, so you're not getting a pool, but that's ok cause you're getting a personal hot tub on your porch.'

Then the next week they'd get an email 'hey, not gonna be able to do those personal hot tubs, but hang out with your neighbors at the giant community hot tub.' and this was the roughest 'ok, no pool, no hot tub. please don't hate us. here's a $1,000 gift card.' We really tried doing right by those people, but there was no getting around the permitting, but the gift card was a sign of good will, plus we gave all those residents access to the pool when we opened the first Aspen Heights in Waco, TX. We were cowboys, rolling through the process with big ideas, and grand plans, but through the logistics of it all we really realized that we'd be doing whatever it takes, including making a few mistakes along the way.

SUCCESS BUILT ON SCRAPS.

When building the pool at the first Aspen Heights in Waco, what we didn’t think of was that if you have a swimming pool you have to have a bathroom. And when asked by your city inspector where your bathrooms are, answering ‘don’t need one everyone just pees in the pool’ doesn't get you a permit or even a grin from the guy were dealing with. So we figured if we’re building bathrooms, might as well build an office too, and if are building an office, let's keep going and add on a theater, why not, right?! Problem was we hadn't budgeted for a clubhouse, so we started collecting scrap lumber literally anything we could salvage 2x4s, shingles, windows. A few weeks later, we had our very first Aspen Heights clubhouse. A little bit of a claim to fame that we can say we built a clubhouse out of scrap lumber.

We were cowboys...doing whatever it takes including making a few mistakes all along the way.

"

MOVING MOUNTAINS, NOT GAS LINES.

We had a lot to learn at first about working with third-party vendors in those early days. I remember during construction of Aspen Heights in Waco, TX our crew came across a gas line so we had to halt the process until the line was checked out. Turned out it wasn't an active line, so we contacted Atmos Energy (mime dials phone) 'Hey, um, when can you come get your line off our property?'. And they basically said, that’s not how that works friend. So, long story short the gas line wasn’t moved and in fact there’s a giant knoll in the subdivision where the community was literally built around the gas line. cont'd

"

ASPEN TO AUSTIN.

2008 was the year that me, Greg, Jason & Doug (Sherman), and Jenni Simmons moved from Arkansas to Austin. We all had families and found ourselves traveling EVERY week to Texas. We’d go to Waco for 3 to 4 days, then Arkansas on the weekends – we did this for 2 years.

This was also the year that we started construction on a project at A&M (College Station, TX) so we knew that we were going to be in Texas for the next couple of years. We said we gotta stop doing this travel thing, let’s move our families to Texas. Is it going to be Houston, Dallas, or Austin – we landed on Austin.

2013.

We always got our COs (certificate of occupancy) at the last minute. We would build a project, move students in mid-August, get it refinanced, then we’d start our next project. Which means we had less than 12 months, usually like 8 months to START a project and have it ready by the next August for move-in. You call any builder anywhere and say ‘I want to build a house, how long will that take?’ They’re gonna say 6 to 8 months…to build 1 house. We were buying 20-acres, clearing trees, putting in streets, putting in utilities and then building 150 houses, 10 at time, in 8 months.

We. Were. Flying. That’s where ‘Whatever It Takes’ came in.

Before 2011 we’d been doing one project a year,

"

...if you could erase any year of your life, 2013 would be it.

"

in 2011 we began doing multiple projects. We did two that year. Then the next year, we delivered 4. Again, we were flying—multiple deliveries on time and on budget.

But in 2013, we had 6 deliveries (Statesboro, Clemson, Columbia, Harrisonburg, Murfreesboro, and Stillwater) not a one was delivered on time. This year also saw the most rainfall seen in 200 years across all 6 markets: construction and labor costs shot through the roof, we couldn’t find framers, we couldn’t find electricians. We ended up being late on all 6 projects. and if you could erase any year of your life, 2013 would be it. We had to put people in hotels, rent units from competitors, it was just a nightmare. But we came out of it, all 6 are now great projects and we turned it all around.

RUSS LOVES NEW PEOPLE.

Needless-to-say, in our first 10 years, we did a lot, we learned a lot. It’s been an exciting ride. I get to tell our story at onboarding once a month and I absolutely love it. I love seeing the new talent, the new level of professionalism coming through because it’s what’s going to take us to the next level.

Let's talk

VISION Aspen Heights Partners exists to cultivate human potential and add value to our world by creating and managing spaces where people live, connect, and learn.

OUR VISION. HUMAN POTENTIAL, THAT'S DEEP.

Here’s how we think about “human potential.” We believe you have two jobs: Your first job is a forever job, and you were hired the moment you were born!

It goes by many names: to grow, evolve, develop, etc. Whatever you call it, it is a primary task of life— to realize your potential and experience fulfillment.

Whether you're learning to crawl, walk, or run, (literally or metaphorically) it's always happening, you're always growing, and that growth is your responsibility. No one can do it for you, but what others can do is support your efforts to evolve.

That's where the 2nd job comes in.

THE 2ND JOB.

Your second job is the one you have with Aspen Heights Partners (welcome aboard!). We understand these two jobs are related, but distinct.

Ultimately, we want your second job with us to support your first job. We believe as you do your first job, it will have an impact on your second job.

To create an environment that encourages this, we try to provide tools, trainings, and processes designed to support both jobs.

ADD VALUE, IT'S WHAT WE DO.

Our vision also says we “add value.” Value includes money, yes. But it means a lot more than that. Everything we do should add value to our world. We may create beauty, a restful space, connection, or a volleyball court.

That means something for you too. The hope is that your experience with Aspen Heights Partners mixes a set of professional & personal wins that add value to your life, in turn, benefiting our company and customers.

3. WHAT WE BELIEVE ABOUT WORK Work can be divided into two parts: what everyone can see (the Job), and a bigger part no one else sees, but you experience (your relationship to the job). Most companies ignore the second part, but we think it’s crucial to performance, learning, and enjoyment.

The responsibilities, tasks, and demands of work

The Job

This is the inner work life.

The constant flow of emotion, motivation, and patterns of thought. It is how we feel and experience our work, ourselves, and our relationship with others.

Our Relationship to the Job

THE 3 BELIEFS. There are 3 beliefs that help shape our vision.

WHAT WE BELIEVE 1. ABOUT BUSINESS The corporate world is always changing. People no longer accept the wall between making money and making meaning. Same here — Aspen Heights Partners wants to model an approach to business that integrates life, helps people grow ( job #1), contributes good to the world, and generates profit (Job #2). It all starts with how we see people.

WHAT WE BELIEVE 2. ABOUT PEOPLE When people are aligned with their purpose, using innate creativity, and performing at their potential they feel more alive and have a greater impact on their world and workplace. Under these conditions we see transformation in the individual, the customer experience, and the bottom line.

Let's talk

VALUES VALUES : MORE THAN WORDS ON A WALL

For us values are more than words on a wall. They help make our vision a reality. Values help set clear expectations for each other and create our culture. That’s why each value has a specific definition as well as a set of concrete behaviors. We want clarity and shared meanings. When there is organization-wide clarity, alignment, and commitment it transforms team member engagement and the bottom line. And that’s what we’re after.

THE LEARNING LADDER

We expect it will take some time for you to really get acquainted with these values and figure out how they fit in your work life and relationships.

This is a map we use sometimes to help us figure out where we are on the journey. If you find yourself at “Leadership” that’s gravy, but at minimum we hope you get to “Enrollment.”

We're not a cult though; We are a company. That means we are allowed to be human, we are going to have good days and bad days. All of us are in a relationship with these values. Some we feel closer to than others. Some days we may not live up to them. The point is that we agree what we’re trying to move towards. This is direction, not destination. Progress not perfection.

Leadership Ownership Enrollment

I’m an advocate, catalyst, and co-creator

It’s not just yours anymore, it’s mine too I am part of what you are doing

Understanding I’m clear on what you’re trying to d Awareness

o

VALUES CARD (PRINT + DIGITAL)

As part of our continued values initiative, Aspen leaders are encouraged to incorporate values recognition cards regularly into their team meetings. Each person takes time to complete the values recognition card (shown on right), and then shares with the rest of the team why they are recognizing the individual they have chosen. Recognition can be given to ANY Aspen Heights Partner employee, not just people on your team. Cards completed at the Aspen Heights corporate office, recognizing both site team and corporate employees, are displayed on a Recognition Wall. Digital cards can be emailed to the employee being recognized, as well as posted to our company's Facebook page.

NAME

ASPEN

HEIGHTS -PARTNERS-

VALUE (CIRCLE ONE) CONNECTION I PERFORMANCE CREATIVITY I LEADERSHIP WHY IS HE/SHE A VALUES LEADER?

FROM Aspen Heights Partners exists to cultivate human potential and add value to our world by creating and managing spaces where people live, connect, and learn.

VALUES CUBE

These are as fun to play with as they are informative!

Sitting on desks, in break rooms, anywhere you find one of these small foam cubes,it'll provide a quick reminder of our company values and vision.

VALUES VALUES RECOGNITION DRAWING

Each month a drawing is held and a winner is selected from each of the value categories: Creativity, Connection, Performance, and Leadership. Each winner is rewarded with a $25 giftcard.

Digital recognition cards also go into the drawing pool if they are uploaded to Yammer. Winners are announced through a companywide email, as well as posted on the Talent tab on our internal company website Think Aspen.

in action

do

CONNECTION. LEADERSHIP. CREATIVITY. PERFORMANCE. The next four pages provide details on each of the 4 Aspen Heights Partners values.

Our Company Values

CONNECTION (relationships)

A commitment to collaboration, play, and healthy relationships • Find the positive in yourself + others.

• Have honest + respectful conversations.

• Get to know your customer.

• Have fun.

LEADERSHIP (selfhood)

Self-awareness, integrity, & compassion • Know what you want.

• Be resilient + flexible.

• Be authentic.

• Foster your growth.

Our Company Values

CREATIVITY (thinking)

Continuous learning, imagination, & curiosity • Identify tensions + generate solutions.

• Be open-minded.

• Be innovative.

• Be adventurous + take risks.

PERFORMANCE (business)

Excellence, accountability, & responsibility • Think strategically.

• Go above and beyond.

• Own your results.

• Recognize + celebrate success.

Communication is an important part of every company and human relationship. At Aspen Heights, we want to ensure communication with our customers builds a solid, trusting relationship. From the way that we greet and interact with customers, to our empathy and responsiveness to situations, to our online presence -- we want effective communication.

Our goal is to ensure that every customer’s maintenance requests are addressed within 4 hours of reporting. This is a huge differentiator between Aspen Heights and our competitors.

We ensure that the customer knows where we are in the process; then we follow up and follow through to make sure the request was addressed and completed. In addition, we always ensure that all amenities are in good shape and operable, the property is clean and tidy, and communication is clear so that there is no room for error.

The move-in experience sets the tone for the entire year and reminds our customers why they chose to live at Aspen Heights. Moving isn’t fun for anyone, so our goal on move-in day is to create a quick and easy process for customers to get to their home, feel welcomed, and receive a few signature “above and beyond” elements for move-in.

Loyalty to our customers means loyalty to our brand. Our goal is to think of the best customer service experience and go “Above and Beyond” for our customers. In order to achieve this we always have our radar on and antenna up, listening and remembering those things that are important to our customers.

The Resident Experience

is a key factor that separates Aspen Heights from competitors in the industry. Some of this comes from physical structures like amenities, or interior finishes of units, but ultimately our teams (including YOU!) have the biggest impact on a resident's experience. There are 4 categories that frame The Resident Experience: Move-in, Customer Loyalty, Maintenance, and Communication. Your contributions to each of these areas will mold the experience for the residents at your community. This isn't the full experience though, it's an introductory preview!

As part of your 30-day checklist (page X), you will complete a training exercise in Toolbox that's much more in depth and will help you really dig into what shapes The Resident Experience,

Aspen Heights Awake is a human development initiative which inspires and equips individuals to awaken their greatest potential. We want to be Awake to the needs of local and global communities, inspired to take Action, and Engage others to do the same. We believe in local and global action and engagement.

Aspen Heights Awake actively participates in LOCAL communities in every city where we have properties across the United States, partnering with our residents and contributing time and resources to see our communities change for the better.

Being engaged in GLOBAL communities expands our worldview and inspires the way we serve locally. Our strategic partnerships provide individuals relief from the burden of poverty and access to a brighter future through education, leadership development and job creation.

LEARN MORE AT

ahawake.com

LOCAL EFFORTS At every Aspen Heights property, we strive to be awake to the needs of our residents, campuses and the broader community. Since our inception we have supported the community engagement efforts of our residents, and joined their endeavors, by creating space for meetings and events, donating financial resources and volunteering our own time.

Our staff also regularly gets involved in community service opportunities and partners with impactful organizations like Habitat for Humanity and Boys & Girls Club. We believe in offering our staff, residents and the larger Awake community an opportunity to grow as individuals and cause others to flourish also.

We volunteer our time, space, and resources.

We partner with local student and community organizations.

We fundraise for meaningful causes locally and in East Africa.

GLOBAL EFFORTS We sponsor children in Rwanda to receive primary education, textbooks, and balanced nutrition.

We equip entrepreneurs through higher education, leadership development, and small business training.

We provide education and housing by building dormitories and classrooms to educate more students.

We coordinate an annual trip AWAKE trip to Africa for a group 6-8 Aspen employees.

AFRICA TRIP Since 2009, we have applied the passion we have for the development of young people in our Aspen communities to communities in East Africa. As a first step we partner with local organizations and leaders that provide relief from poverty through access to housing and education. We build on that investment through initiatives which support next generation leaders as they move from secondary into higher education, and then into meaningful places of service and employment.

We are committed to balance our efforts between TRADE and AID, equipping entrepreneurs to be "job creators" prepared to change the future of Eastern Africa while tending to the reality that many young people need access to quality education and nutrition as a foundation for individual growth and future impact.

HOW Y OU CAN GET INVOLVED Follow AWAKE on social Facebook /aspenheightsawake Instagram /aspenawake Twitter /aspenawake

Sponsor a Child

Sponsorship is offered through Africa New Life at a cost of $39 per month. However, Aspen Heights Partners reimburses 51% of the cost, which reduces your monthly contribution to $19 per month.

Talk to Your Ambassador

Each Aspen community, and corporate department has a designated AWAKE ambassador to help you LIVE awake, Take ACTION, and ENGAGE others.

Africa Trip

The AWAKE Africa trip group is comprised of about 5-7 Aspen employees. While each employee is responsible for the cost of the trip, Aspen Heights Partners assists with fundraising efforts and provides each employee the opportunity to take an interest free loan from the company which is paid back from paycheck deductions over the course of year following the trip.

If you have any questions regarding the trip, talk to your Ambassador. They can help answer questions, as well as connect you with former trip participants that can share a first-hand account of the experience.

learn more at ahawake.com

The 30-Day Checklist

a how to guide for completing the checklist that will help you navigate your first month in your new role.

What you need to learn + where to learn it.

step 1: download DOWNLOAD the checklist.

Role

Each checklist is unique to the role it corresponds to so make sure you complete the checklist that corresponds to your role.

To Do or To Know

Since the checklist lists everything someone on your site is responsible for, when completing your checklist keep your eye on the orange dot . Each dot has a distinction of “To Do” or “To Know.”

To Do. Generally, these are things that your role is expected to complete. When reviewing your checklist with your manager, they may clarify expectations based on your property’s needs.

To Know. These items are either non-action items that just require to be familiar with concepts -OR- they ARE action items, just not your actions. In those instances, you are asked to know how something is done, even though someone else on your team will actually be executing.

100% Know It

After you’ve learned a topic, either through one or multiple resources, you will initial that you are confident you 100% understand. The goal is to initial all of the topics for your role within your first 30-days in this role. Remember, if you learned something from one resource and an have an 80% understanding, utilize the other learning tools to get to 100%. The better you know these topics, the more they will help you succeed in your role.

BROUGHT TO YOU BY:

Let’s learn a little, about a lot!

Important Action Item. Once you‘re at 100% on all of your checklist topics, remember you only need to complete the ones with the , please upload the completed PDF to your Toolbox. You will have a ‘New Hire Checklist’ task assigned to you with a due date 30-days from your start date in your new role. This helps your manager (and regional manager) know that you are rockin’ your role and no additional training is needed.

Checklist Topics

The checklist lists every thing that helps with the success of your property. Look for the items marked with a to identify which topics correspond to your role.

s k y

Where Can I Learn It? Previous Knowledge. If you are brand new to Aspen Heights, most of the information in your checklist will be new, but your previous knowledge may serve as a foundation for the topics on your checklist. If you are a current Aspen employee transitioning to a new role, you may find that you are a pro at some of the items on your checklist. Feel free to draw on previous knowledge to complete your checklist.

Peer or Manager. The people you work with day-to-day are an amazing resource in helping you settle into your new role. Peers and managers can help you with most items on your checklist, so don’t be shy: ask questions, shadow a peer, or have someone shadow you!

Toolbox. Toolbox is where the Think Aspen Learning & Development team houses “tools” to help you learn including guided videos, compliance courses, and knowledge check modules. It’s accessible through the ‘Learning’ tab on Think Aspen.

SOPs on Think Aspen. Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) are basically stuff everybody does the same way at Aspen. Learn a process for the first time, or get a refresher, using the hundreds of step-by-step tutorials filled with detailed instructions and screen shots. And not to worry, you don’t have to comb through hundreds of SOPs to find the one you need, just use the keyword search function!

SOPs live on the home page of Think Aspen.

Think Aspen. Think Aspen is our internal company website.

Every department at Aspen Heights has a tab loaded with helpful info and documents. Access this wondrous place with with one click by visiting ThinkAspen.com. If you aren’t sure which tab houses the info you need, use the search bar to narrow it down.

Shadow Program. Hangout with someone in your role at a sister Aspen property for 1-week and learn from a pro. Shadow visits are coordinated by the L&D team.

Requires travel. Available to AGM & GM roles.

Checklist Categories

The checklist is sectioned off into categories. The concentration of ‘To Do’ or ‘To Know’ dots within each category will vary from role to role.

Orientation. Hosted quarterly at the AH Austin, TX office, this weeklong program is designed to equip AGM and GM level roles with a broad understanding of the company as they prepare to lead a team.

Requires travel. AGM & GM new hires or promotions eligible.

DO YOU SPEAK

ASPEN? In your first 30-days, you’re going to hear a lot of words you may not know. Just smile and nod, then consult this list. Kidding, if you hear something you don't know, just ask but consider the list a helpful backup in case you forget! :: Acquisitions – A function of the development department, the process of acquiring land or property. :: Advisory Council – a group comprised of one representative for each department at the Aspen Heights corporate office, as well as one representative for each role at our properties. This group meets throughout the year to ensure alignment and clarity are achieved as a company, as well as make recommendations for improvement. :: As-Is – When a resident (current or new) needs to move in to their unit prior to the standard community move-in date, which prevents the managment team from completing the turn process on the unit. The resident agrees to accept the unit in the condition in which it's left by the previous residents. This type of move-in is rare and requires managment approval. :: Breckenridge Development – Sometimes referred to as “BRG Mgmt,” Breckenridge was the first company formed by the Aspen Heights’ founders, with the first product being marketed as Aspen Heights.” Over time, this was abandoned, as most in the marketplace knew the company as “Aspen Heights.” :: Closing – (1) The process by which loans are closed. Can be used in reference to development, construction or property sales closings. (2) The process by which leases are secured. A closing ratio measures the number of prospects that are converted to lease signers through effective closing strategies.

:: Cold Lead – Cold leads are those people whose contact information you collect by way of brand interest, not necessarily product interest. An example of this would be a student who attends your marketing events, but has already secured a lease elsewhere.

Cold leads are still important though because they can refer "hot leads" by being a brand ambassador, or even become "hot leads" themselves if their circumstances change, :: Constant Improvement – One of the original Aspen Heights values, "Constant Improvement" reminds us that there is always growth potential for ourselves, our processes, and our company. :: Cottage – A designation for the freestanding and duplex Aspen Heights’ product. :: Dashboard – Homebase in our property management software, Entrata. Your dashboard provides a property pulse and helps you effectively manage your "hot leads" i.e. prospects. Each dashboard is customized with data designated by your user settings. :: ELT – Executive Leadership Team; comprised of the chief leaders in our company. :: FMO – Financial Move-Out Statement given to a resident upon move-out. Statement inlcudes move-out damage charges if applicable. :: Guarantee/Guarantor – When an applicant cannot financially qualify on their own for a rental space, they must secure a "guarantor" to "guarantee" the lease agreement. :: Interest List – Prior to a lease launch our properties direct interested prospects to an interest list until the application process opens up for the new lease term. After lease launch, the interest list serves as a place to house "cold leads." :: KPI – Key Performance Indicator; a measure of how effectively a performance target is being met. KPIs will be communicated by your manager. :: Leadership Team – Similar to the ELT, the Leadership Team is comprised of department heads at the Aspen Heights Partners corporate offfice in Austin, TX, primiarly VPs and Directors. :: Lease Incentive – A benefit the prospect recives for signing a lease. Terms of the incentive vary from monetary, to waived fees, to tangible product giveaways. During a lease up, a property may offer leasing incentives to help increase their pre-lease percentage. Leasing incentives can be recommended by the corporate office, or requested by a site team. :: Lease-Up – The process of securing leases for the following lease-term. :: NOI – Net Operating Income; calculated by taking the revenue from a property and subtracting all reasonably necessary operating expenses :: No-Show – A future resident who has signed a lease, but come move-in does not show up, does not pay their first rent installment, and is unreachable.

:: O Drive – Internal company server where any employee can save documents frequently shared with and accessed by various Aspen Heights Partners employees.

It's very big and holds lots of files, but it's a protected server so it can only be accessed when connected to a secured Aspen Heights internet connection. :: Orientation – Quarterly "Welcome Aboard" training hosted by the Aspen Heights Learning & Development team at the corporate office in Austin, TX. Invitees include newly hired and promoted employees in property manager or corporate support roles. :: Phone Shop – Method of measuring whether site team members are successfully executing sales calls. Entrata records calls which allows us to complete "phone shops" on real-life calls with real-life prospects. :: Reassignment – When a lease is transferred to a new resident. :: Renewal – A resident who signs a lease for the following lease term in their same unit. :: Renewal Transfer – A resident who signs a lease for the following lease term in a different unit, but is allowed to remain in their current unit until their new unit is available.

Typcially these residents have 1-day to complete their move. :: Returning Resident – A resident who signs a lease for the following lease term in a different unit, but moves out on their lease end date, and moves back in on the standard move-in date. They are responsible for their living accommodations for the period in between move-out and move-in. :: ScoreCards – The property scorecard is a daily snapshot of the most important operational analytics. :: Skip – When a resident vacates their unit prior to their lease end date, without notice to the managment team. :: SOP Committee – The SOP Committee is a group of Aspen Employees that will help create, review, and approve SOPs. :: Top 10 – A document given to residents during the leasing process that simplifies the lease into a one-sheet "Top 10" listing. While, we still encourage residents to read through and sign the full lease document, the "Top 10" provides an at a glance understanding of the lease terms. :: Turn – Yearly process for our student properties that involves residents moving out on the community lease end date, followed by unit inspections, final move-out statement processing, vendor services, and move-in preperation within a 2-week period. It's a little word that means a whole lot!

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