Bay State Apartment Owner 2Q 2012 by The Warren Group

SECOND QUARTER 2012

E GR R

B E

O A

T S

E T

R O

N B

O R

S E

T A

O L

N E

S R

TE AA TL E E BS O T

XPO XPO

2012 2012

T R

RHA MULTIFAMILY CONFERENCE & EXPO HYNES CONVETION CENTER 09.28.2012

RHA MULTIFAMILYRHA CONFERENCE MULTIFAMILY & EXPO CONFERENCE | 09.28.12&|EXPO HYNES | 09.28.12 CONVENTION | HYNES CENTER CONVENTION CENTE

XPO

2012

rHA MUlTifAMilY confErEncE & ExPo | 09.28.12 | HYnEs convEnTion cEnTEr

KEYnoTE

Pricing - PrEPAYMEnT rEQUirED EARLY BIRD DISCOUNT - Payment Must be received by July 13th.

Ann Rhoades Founding Executive VP of People, Jetblue Airways; President, People Ink and best-selling author Built on Values: Creating an Enviable Culture that Out Performs the Competition

Ann Rhoades’ people-centric values are at the core of JetBlue’s extraordinary success. She shows how great things happen when organizations believe

in their people—and

give them the authority to succeed.

oPEning gEnErAl sEssion Deena Ebbert

Individual

Tickets Ten & Up (per ticket)

On or before July 13th

$155

$135

On or before August 17th After August 17th

$180

$160

$230

$210

Non-exhibiting vendors will not be allowed on the tradeshow floor

rEgisTrATion Pre-Registration & Pre-Payment Required. If registering more than one person, names of all attendees, titles, and contact information is required electronically. Please request an attendee list template by emailing jcooke@gbreb.com Name:__________________________________________________________________ Company:___________________________Title:________________________________

The FISH! Philosophy: An Introduction and Invitation

Job Category (please select one):

If our workplace is not everything we want it to

_____Owner/Exec/VP/Regional _____ Property Manager (site)

be, we may spend a large part of our lives bored,

_____Maintenance (site)

_____ Leasing Agent (site)

unhappy or apathetic. The four practices of The

_____ Information Technology

_____ Admin/Other

FISH! Philosophy - Be There, Play, Make Their Day,

Address:________________________________________________________________

Choose Your Attitude -are simple, practical tools for

City:___________________________________State:__________Zip:_______________

bringing more energy, fun, respect, support and

Phone:_________________________Email (required):____________________________

trust to work. It reminds us that we have the power to live more fulfilling lives through the way we treat each other. Join the millions of people

_____________ Check here if you require special accommodations to fully participate. Please attach a written description of your needs.

around the world who have created more satisfying workplaces, great service and effective relationships through The FISH! Philosophy.

cHAllEngE sEssion Chris Bashinelli Global Citizenship - From Brooklyn to Africa

PAYMEnT _____ # of tickets at $ ______ each = $ _______ Total _____check enclosed (payable to RHA) ___ Amex

Chris Bashinelli (The Sopranos, HBO) was born and

How To rEgisTEr

raised in Brooklyn, New York to Lebanese and Italian

Send this form with payment by mail to:

parents. His childhood friends shared a combine total of thirteen nationalities. Chris has devoted his life to understanding the meaning of “cultural exchange”. At 20 years old he moved to Tanzania to experience a new way of life firsthand. He hasn’t looked back since.

___MC

___Visa

RHA XPO- 2012, One Center Plaza, Mezzanine Suite, Boston, MA 02108. Send this form with payment information by fax to: 617 812 4793. Send all required information and payment information by email to: jcooke@gbreb.com Questions: jcooke@gbreb.com or 617 399 7860. Cancellations will not be refunded after 8/24/12 Earn 3 NAAEI credits towards your CAM, NALP, CAPS or CAMT designation.

For more on our speakers, tradeshow, awards ceremony & networking reception: www.gbreb.com/rha/rhaexpo

___Dis

Card #: ____________________________________________Exp.Date: ______________

COVER

Second Quarter 2012

E GR R

B E

O A

T S

E T

R O

N B

O R

S E

T A

O L

N E

S R

TE AA TL E E BS O T

XPO XPO

2012 2012

T R

RHA multifAmily confeRence & expo hyneS convetion center 09.28.2012

RHA MULTIFAMILYRHA CONFERENCE MULTIFAMILY & EXPO CONFERENCE | 09.28.12&|EXPO HYNES | 09.28.12 CONVENTION | HYNES CENTER CONVENTION CENTER

Bay State Apartment Owner is the official publication of the Rental Housing Association. ©2012 The Warren Group Inc. and the Rental Housing Association. All rights reserved. The Warren Group is a trademark of The Clean Clean Warren Group Inc. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any manner without the express written consent of the publisher. Green Solutions

Green Solutions

LLC

Your Solution To Cleaning Green !

LLC

Your Solution To Cleaning Green !

A division of the

Greater Boston Real Estate Board One Center Plaza, Mezzanine Level Boston, MA 02108 Phone: 617-423-8700 Fax: 617-338-2600

RHA Officers President: President Elect: Vice-President: Secretary: Executive Director:

Published By

Karen Fish-Will Lynn Bora John Keith Gilbert Winn John E. Lafferty

2012 RHA Multifamily Conference and Expo Coming to Boston Sept. 28 Save The Date!

CONTENTS THE WARREN GROUP Creative / Production / Advertising www.thewarrengroup.com 280 Summer Street Boston, MA 02210 Phone: 617-428-5100 Fax: 617-428-5118 custompubs@thewarrengroup.com

President’s Message

Executive Director’s Message

2012 XPO

Photo Gallery

14 15

2012 XPO Provides Inspiration, Connections, Value Don’t Get Bit by the Dog Days of Summer RHA Multi-Family Conference & Expo

RHA Calendar

President’s Message BY KAREN FISH-WILL

2012 XPO Provides Inspiration, Connections, Value

s we approach the Rental Housing Association’s 2012 fall conference and tradeshow, I have had the opportunity to hear from our Trade Show and Education Committees just how excited they are about this year’s show, which will be held at the Hynes Convention Center, in Boston, on Sept. 28, 2012. Early booth sales were extremely strong this year and it is possible we could, once again, be offering waitlist registrations to exhibitors who wait to long to submit their

booth contracts, And while the excitement surrounding the booth sale success is contagious, I am also impressed with the enthusiasm being generated by our speakers. Content provides the value for our attendees, and we are very pleased to be presenting three nationally recognized speakers this year. If you were to hire this talent for an in-house presentation, you would probably be paying in excess of $40,000. Thirty of your employees could hear those speakers at the RHA conference for a tenth of that cost (and they will be able to attend the tradeshow, lunch, awards ceremony and closing reception all at no additional cost). This is

LAW OFFICES OF

RUSSO & SCOLNICK Isn’t it about time you contacted us?

With over 35 years of experience in a wide variety of legal areas with a special emphasis on Landlord/Tenant Law, our firm maintains the largest eviction practice of any law firm in Eastern Massachusetts. In total, our firm represents owners and property management companies with over 50,000 residential and/or commercial units under their control. TWO OLIVER STREET 8TH FLOOR, BOSTON, MA 02109

(T) 617-542-7700 (F) 617-695-0855 contact@russoscolnick.com www.lawofficesofrussoandscolnick.com

EXPERTISE | EFFICIENCY | EFFECTIVENESS 4

BAY STATE APARTMENT OWNER

•

Second Quarter 2012

a great opportunity to invest in your employees (and yourself). The Opening General Session features Deena Ebbert, who will provide an introduction and extend an invitation to The FISH! Philosophy. An unstoppable force in cultivating fresh new ways to approach our workplace, Deena explores the power in personal accountability, and the synergies that come from commitment, opening us to the unlimited potential that exists within us. With dynamic and heartfelt presentations impacting organizations, including Alzheimer’s Association, Boston Public Schools, Boys & Girls Clubs of America, Harley-Davidson, Hilton Hotels, John Deere, Johnson & Johnson, Merck Pharmaceuticals, Microsoft, Plaza Medical Center and Wachovia, Deena invites us to begin seeing our jobs as a tool to make our lives complete, and The FISH! Philosophy as a way to build a common language for success. Chris Bashinelli presents our Challenge Session, “Global Citizenship – From Brooklyn to Africa.” Chris is the executive producer and host of the internationally recognized series “Bridge the Gap.” He has devoted his life to understanding the meaning of “cultural exchange.” Growing up in Brooklyn, his childhood friends shared a combined total of 13 nationalities. He moved to Tanzania at age 20 to experience a new way of life firsthand, and he has not looked back since. Chris has traversed the globe from Tanzania to Thailand. He’s harvested Buffalo with American Indians in Pine Ridge, walked miles for clean water in Haiti, ran from venomous bees while farming honey in Uganda, and worked side by side with individuals from countless corners of the Earth. He’s worked with UN Ambassadors and has partnered with international NGO’s including the Jane Goodall Institute and

Oak Grove Village Malden, Massachusetts

DoSomething.org. He’s interviewed people like paleontologist Richard Leakey, NBA superstar Dikembe Mutombo and ice cream legends Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield. Our keynote presenter is bestselling author Ann Rhoades, founding executive vice president of People for Jetblue Airways, and president of People Ink. The remarkable story of JetBlue Airways originated in the people-centric values of Ann Rhoades, one of its five founding leaders. With the goal of bringing humanity and enjoyment back to air travel, JetBlue is one of very few commercial airlines ever to earn a profit in its first full year of operation. The airline and its innovative culture have captured the imagination of its customers, whose loyalty borders on obsessive. Rhoades has made a habit of creating high-performing cultures, with her influence pervading among other high-flying companies including Southwest Airlines, Doubletree, First Interstate Bank and most recently, CareLeaders, a company dedicated to helping American hospitals attain a new level of performance. With enthusiasm, humor and candor, Rhoades urges audiences to throw away the rule book in developing and sustaining companies that treat people fairly, build loyalty and produce solid profitability. She describes her strategies for empowering people and building successful cultures in her book, Built on Values: Creating an Enviable Culture that Outperforms the Competition. We select our speakers for their professionalism, high entertainment value, ability to challenge the status quo, and most importantly, the tools that allow us to put positive change into effect immediately. This year we have achieved that goal with an impressive array of world class speakers. I look forward to welcoming you to 2012 XPO, the Rental Housing Association’s Multifamily Conference and Expo. n Karen Fish-Will is 2012 president of the Rental Housing Association and president of Peabody Properties.

Photographer: Dave Desroches

Building Solutions Through Commitment and Teamwork

Vertical, space saving bike parking product for indoor or outdoor use. Available in Silver,Red, Black and Blue Finishes.

O’BRIEN & SONS, INC.

PO Box 650 • 93 West Street • Medfield, MA 02052-0650 (508) 359-4200 • (800)-835-0056 Fax: (508) 359-2817 E-mail: mail@obrienandsons.com www.obrienandsons.com

Second Quarter 2012

•

BAY STATE APARTMENT OWNER

Executive Director’s Message BY JOHN E. LAFFERTY

Don’t Get Bit by the Dog Days of Summer

ow many times this season have you heard someone reference the “quiet” or “slow” days of summer? Whoever they are, they are probably not from the apartment industry. Many of our members are immersed in the summer marketing season, with the vast majority of the year’s turnovers occurring in just two to three months at the end of the summer. The marketing agents are leasing, the maintenance professionals are maintaining the grounds and turning the units, and the managers are keeping it all going while gathering the

BAY STATE APARTMENT OWNER

•

Second Quarter 2012

Recently closed loans

much-needed data for the upcoming budget season. Your association has also been at work to support the membership during this busy time of the year. Just prior to the heavy marketing season, RHA held its annual spring marketing event, a series of panel discussions on industry best practices focusing on networking events and building industry relationships. There were NextGen Gatherings in Melrose, Foxboro and Boston in May; a June Red Sox outing; and our annual Spring Golf event, once again held at LeBaron Hills, in Lakeville. Our affiliate members will benefit from an opportunity to get their products and services in front of the purchasing decision-makers at the July Business Exchange, with proceeds benefitting the NAAPAC. While we scale back our education and most of our other programs in August, we still hope you will make some time for “family time.” The Affiliate Signature Event takes place at Gillette Stadium, where industry and affiliate members will gather for a family-oriented event with tailgating prior to a Revolution soccer match. Mid-August, we will offer a breakfast program, “Resident Retention for the Savvy Consumer,” poolside at Oak Grove. Another NextGen Gathering is scheduled for early September. And we close the summer season with a full day Education Conference, with three nationally known speakers, a tradeshow with over 70 exhibitors, an awards ceremony recognizing both personal achievements and communities of excellence, and the biggest industry networking reception of the season. When it comes to the summer for RHA members, things heat up, but there is no lack of cool things to do. n John Lafferty is the executive director of the Rental Housing Association, a division of the Greater Boston Real Estate Board.

$57,000,000

07 yr. fixed • N.Reading, MA

3.64%

$8,000,000

10 yr. fixed • Allston, MA

4.35%

$5,500,000

10 yr. fixed • Attleboro, MA

4.20%

$5,501,000

10 yr. fixed • Cambridge, MA

4.35%

$4,110,000

10 yr. fixed • Charlton, MA

4.22%

$2,227,000

10 yr. fixed • Worcester, MA

4.50%

$8,520,000

35 yr. fixed • Pepperell, MA

3.75%

From a reliable lender comes a strong commitment. At M&T Realty Capital Corporation, we deliver on our promises. A stable and reliable source of funding, we’ve been

specialists in multifamily real estate financing for decades and have earned a reputation for providing steadfast service to our customers no matter what’s going on in the marketplace. That’s why over 75% of our current portfolio consists

Your Loan next! of repeat customers, why we are onelender of the top Fannie Mae lenders,is and why your deal iscommitment. set in stone with us. From a reliable comes a strong At M&T Realty Capital Corporation, we deliver on our promises. A stable and reliable source of funding, we’ve been specialists providing F ainnmultifamily n i e m areal e estate • financing F r e dfor d idecades e m aand c have • earned L i Faereputation c o m pfor an y • steadfast F H aservice to our customers no matter what’s going on in the marketplace. That’s why over 75% of our current portfolio consists of repeat customers, why we are one of the top Fannie Mae lenders, and why your deal is set in stone with us.

Fa n n i e m a e • Freddie mac Mike Killion | 508-809-2224 | mkillion@mtb.com

•

L i F e c o m pa n y

•

FHa

Crime and Death Scene Cleaning

Abatement and disposal of biological and infectious hazards

1-877-366-8348 1-US-REMOVE-IT 978-356-7007 Second Quarter 2012

•

BAY STATE APARTMENT OWNER

2012 RHA MULTIFAMILY CONFERENCE AND EXPO COMING TO BOSTON SEPT. 28 Save The Date! The annual conference and expo is coming in September to the Hynes Convention Center. This not-to-be missed event features a lineup of talented and inspiring speakers – read their stories on the following pages – and a number of informative and useful sessions. For more information and to register, see page 2 or visit www.gbreb.com/rha/rhaexpo.

Finding the Stoop By Chris Bashinelli

won’t pretend like I have any advice. I won’t pretend like I know anyone’s life story, or the circumstances that have brought them to where they are today. I’ve been finding more and more in my very short time here on this planet that everyone’s experience is so unique, it’s almost impossible for someone else to know exactly how to help another person. What I would like to do is share some universal truths I’ve seen on my journey to over a dozen countries as host of the new PBS show, “Bridge the Gap.” These are truths that I’ve learned from people in some of the poorest places on Earth. It’s my firm belief that these truths prove relevant in business, just as much as they do in life. My hope is that people who hear this story will be able to, as Bruce Lee says, “Absorb what is useful, reject what is useless, and add what is essentially our own.” What does it mean to find the stoop? And what is a stoop? I grew 8

BAY STATE APARTMENT OWNER

•

Second Quarter 2012

up in Brooklyn, New York. My friends shared a combined total of 13 nationalities. We all hung out on the same street and on the same stoop. A “stoop” is the stairs leading up to your house – it’s a place where you are not quite home yet, but not quite gone yet either. What was crucial about the stoop in my life was to be able to interact with people from so many different nationalities. We learned coexistence, respect and the importance of listening in order to work out solutions to problems. This may seem like a childish idea, but I think there are stoops in all of our lives. In some places it’s a laundry mat, in others it’s a park, in the office it might be the water cooler. What is crucial about the stoop in business is that it enables us to meet people where they are – physically and mentally. It’s not our job to “fix” other people’s problems. It’s not our job to “help” clients in the way we see fit. Rather, it’s our job to meet clients on their “stoop,” hear what is most important to them, and move forward together. I’ve been able to apply the stoop metaphor in my business, specifically in securing an international

partnership with Ben and Jerry’s Ice Cream. I went to the meeting with a concrete plan, but when I met them on their stoop and listened to their needs, our plans changed. Because I listened, I was able to create one of the most unique video campaigns in the company’s history. The stoop is important for listening, but it’s also important at times to ignore the noise. I had no clue what I wanted to do when I was growing up. Everyone told me that I should be an actor. I listened to the noise and went down a path that was not in line with my innermost self. I started acting, booked a role on “The Sopranos” and was totally unfulfilled. It wasn’t until I stopped listening to the noise around me of what everyone else thought I should be doing that I stepped in line with my true path. I moved to Tanzania at 20 years old and have not looked back since. I’m now the host and executive producer of “Bridge the Gap,” a new show on PBS where I travel the world to walk in someone else’s shoes for a day. Ignoring the noise in business can be as simple as getting that

proposal out that door – the one you’ve hesitated about for so long, because everyone says it will not work. Or it could be as simple as trying a new sport that you haven’t because your kids say you’re not up to it. Listen to the spark, ignore the noise, and you might just find yourself more in line with your most powerful self. In my travels to Haiti, Uganda, Abu Dhabi and to the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota, I’ve learned the most crucial lesson of my life – to step outside of myself. In short, we’re talking about putting other people first. I met a man on the brink of death on the Pine Ridge Indian

Reservation who looked beyond his own physical ailments to aid his community. In Uganda I met a young girl who saved her sister’s life when she bought her the medicine she needed that cured her tuberculosis. In Haiti I met a young man who lost everything in the earthquake. But when he was given a new home by a non-profit organization, he donated it to the community and built a school. Hands down, I have found that the people that are the happiest, the most productive and the most fulfilled in life are the people who put others first on a daily basis. If there is one thing I’d like to remember in my life, that

would be it. Stepping outside of ourselves is crucial in life, but it’s also applicable in business. Putting the community first, the team first, our family first has a tremendous benefit for us. Not only do we become more fulfilled, but we find that the goals of the team are more easier accomplished. You can brush this off. Sure. But try it and see what happens. It’s one of the simplest, most difficult, and most important things to do in the world. I look forward to meeting all of you this fall. n Chris Bashinelli is host of PBS’s “Bridge the Gap” and a speaker at the 2012 RHA Multifamily Conference.

Catch the Energy

The FISH! Philosophy at RHA Multifamily Conference By Deena Ebbert

ver the past 25 years, I have had the good fortune to ask a lot of great people a few powerful questions about what kind of positive impact they want to have on the world, and how they want to put their fingerprint on the future. The answers are universally uplifting. People want to get together, take their minds away from the everyday in order to engage their brains with new perspective, provoke thinking, and a peruse solutions that expand their successes. They want to connect and collaborate, create a strong and focused plan, find flexible new ways of doing business, and get the job done with sustainability. People want to walk away from a gathering infused with a rekindling passion for what they do. They want to feel hopeful in the face of change. They want to leverage their skills and assets as leaders, and bring out the best in

those around them. Which is why I am so delighted the FISH! Philosophy has been invited to the 2012 Rental Housing Association Multifamily Conference. Understanding this group is devoted to gather together to learn next best steps, and knowing they are known for respecting their commitment to service and being the firsthand difference in people’s lives every day, FISH! is a great way to open new conversations that make the conference personal and the inspiration lasting. The phenomenal international best-selling book FISH! tells the story of a fictional company that transformed itself by applying lessons learned from an unlikely source – Seattle’s Pike Place Fish Market. Despite a difficult work environment, this group of fishmongers found ways to bring remarkable energy, commitment and creativity to their work. ChartHouse Learning has translated these actions into a common language called the FISH! Philosophy. The FISH! Philosophy is a set of four connected principles that are the foundation

of a healthy workplace and life. It comes down to four simple practices: • Innovate and create through PLAY!, where we keep our curiosity alive and trust it to lead to better solutions. • Partner richly in MAKE THEIR DAY!, to start a customer care revolution that will get people talking. • Discover through BE THERE!, how to live in the present and invest in the future. • Engage in CHOOSE YOUR ATTITUDE!, and love utilizing your talents and living on purpose. When we love our job because of the diversity of the work and the new challenges that regularly come our way, the hours fly by. When we are committed to service and our plan is fortified by lessons learned from our teammates in the industry, we see firsthand the difference we make in people’s lives. When we take pride in what we provide, our entrepreneurial sense of ownership proves to others that we are in it for the long haul, and loyalties are made. Second Quarter 2012

•

BAY STATE APARTMENT OWNER

When we make authentic choices about who we are being while we are doing what we’re doing that support the integrity of our intention to serve, we make lasting, positive, resonant impressions. My name is Deena Ebbert, and I am a motivational speaker. I didn’t plan on being a motivational speaker; it was the irresistible pull of a necessary force of unexpected inspiration at a time in my career when I needed a resource to help retain the most precious resource I had at hand, the exceptional people with whom I worked. I came to the motivational speaking rodeo in a roundabout way, while I was spending the better part of a decade and a half in the high-pressure rollercoaster environment of high-tech launchmergers. My days at the office included chaotic conversations about getting the product from here to there, enough of it, timed perfectly, and presented to the populace in a what we hoped would drive their desire and dominate over our competition. It

was a constant and shifting battle between being first to market and being the first choice, with customer loyalties held in the sway. In my role, my goals were several: have a team that captured the interest and affection of the client; have a client who captured the interest and affection of the customer; and have a customer who was captivated by our product and our promise. It came down to the simple premise that, if all products are equal, people are attracted to happy people, and want to do business with folks who make good on their promise of a high-integrity interaction that is enjoyable. I was surrounded by such people. I had the benefit of working on a team so richly fueled by talent that I never had to fuss over a reason for putting my feet on the floor in the morning. I knew at the core of my heart that the people were the finest resource in our organization. My job was to keep them, keep them happy, and by doing that keep our organization

Oak Grove Village Malden, Massachusetts

Photographer: Dave Desroches

Building Solutions Through Commitment and Teamwork

BAY STATE APARTMENT OWNER

•

Second Quarter 2012

successful, our product flourishing, our client happy, and our competition striving. Which is why I sought the FISH! Philosophy. A remarkable, colorful, enthusiastic short film that turned into a long conversation with our team about ways to reinvent our workplace, in the midst of change and chaos, into an environment where we brought our best creative insight and shared our enthusiasm for excellence. The FISH! Philosophy resonated so richly with our team that we telegraphed the message beyond our boundaries to other departments, divisions, our vendor partners, our clients and eventually even our competition. It was too good to keep to ourselves, and so we told everyone, knowing that by giving the best we had to give we could elevate our entire industry. And that is precisely the point; using the best you have to elevate everyone around you. That is the core of interaction, and FISH! was our inspiration. We got a reputation for being inspired and being inspiring. We extracted lessons of our own from the practices of FISH!, and made them personal. We took it to the streets, to the people we served, to our homes and our kids and our families and our friends. And finally, I found such momentum in the act of motivating, that I joined the ChartHouse team. The last decade has been an adventure of discovery. I travel the world immersed in the conversation of innovation at work. From mom-and-pop shops to multi-national corporations, the synergies of human enthusiasm fuel our shared discovery around how we can connect richly beyond the basic work function. And it works. These are the soft skills that yield hard results, and it is easy. You get it. You got it. Go get ’em! See you at the conference! n Deena Ebbert is a s speaker, writer, and propeller of people. She can be reached at www.propellergirl.com, and will be presenting at the 2012 RHA Multifamily Conference

Inspiring Culture Change from the Top By Ann Rhoades

n today’s hypercompetitive environment, no CEO can afford to be saddled with a culture that tolerates indifferent or hostile behavior toward customers. CEOs need to ask themselves: Do you want the stories your customers tell to be raves reviews, or horror stories? I was one of the founding executives of JetBlue Airways and we decided to get our culture right from the beginning. We were going to change the flying experience by agreeing on a set of values and behaviors and hold leaders accountable for same, every day. The results of JetBlue speak for themselves. For the seventh year in a row, JetBlue won the J.D. Power Award for customer service and the financials of JetBlue and Southwest exceeded others in the competitive set during these difficult financial times. I spend a lot of time talking about how CEOs can inspire great cultures from the C-suite in my book, Built on Values: Creating an Enviable Culture that Outperforms the Competition (Jossey-Bass, 2011). I use the word “inspire” deliberately: CEOs cannot direct, drive or force a culture change to take place in their image or at their whim. Culture cannot be dictated. In my leadership experience at Southwest, JetBlue, Doubletree and in my own culture-change consulting company, I have discovered that culture change is made infinitely easier by CEOs who practice these five principles: Draw on the expertise of A-Players. You cannot impose your values on your company from above – you can only build on the values of your employees. So look around – who are your best employees, your A-Players, with whom you could build a

better culture? Look on the front line especially hard; ask your supervisors who makes customers happiest. Then get a team of these people (no more than 30) in a room and let them help you create a set of shared values and value-based behaviors for the company. This “values-blueprint” then becomes the basis for hiring, rewarding and yes, even firing. Give the gift of time. Incredibly, Dave Barger, CEO of JetBlue, spends as much as 50 percent of his workday in “pocket sessions,” just listening to employees at airports say whatever is on their minds. “You will hear criticism,” says Barger, “and it may hurt a bit, but it is being said out on the floor, so you might as well be part of the conversation.” At JetBlue all of our managers, directors and officers have to set aside specific, non-cancellable times to walk the floors, work the gates and sling bags alongside front-line employees. Working alongside employees helps you understand the work they do better and allows them to see your personal passion for it. Just “jetting through” and giving speeches doesn’t improve anything. It’s too one-way. Tell stories, share the values. CEOs who want employees to live the company’s values will find ways to show by their words and their actions that they are living them, too. For example, at Pyramid Hotels in Boston, executives can’t just “demonstrate” commitment, one of the company’s values. They are expected to be able to tell stories to employees about ways that they have been committed to customers, employees or their community. Or find a new company. Do the small things right. CEOs must be seen less as leaders and more as partners. For example, layoffs that don’t hit the C-suite will be the death of any culture change. And watch the expense account, too. I once had a

hospital CEO offer to put me up at a luxury resort while he consulted with me about nursing layoffs. He didn’t even consider how that would be perceived by the nurses who would be left. (You know these things get out.) Reward for values in the C-suite. This is vital. If you want your leadership team to continually reinforce the company’s values and valuesbased behaviors, you must reward for them. That means your bonus and compensation system, even in the C-suite, needs to be based on values-oriented behaviors rather than just financial performance. This is one of the reinforcing factors that help companies create what Inc. magazine has called “workforces whose productivity is born of passion, whose loyalty springs from the perception of beneficence and fair play.” Fair play is something you can’t fake. It needs to start with you. Big change? You bet. Leaders who embrace it wholeheartedly are going to see their companies’ cultures improve in a big way, too. I will be speaking at the Rental Housing Association’s Annual Conference & Tradeshow in Boston on Sept. 28, 2012, where I’ll give details, stories and insights on building great cultures. This event brings together distinguished industry leaders to tackle today’s toughest issues. I hope to see you there. n Ann Rhoades is president of People Ink (www.peopleink.com), a culture change consulting firm, and the author of Built on Values: Creating an Enviable Culture that Outperforms the Competition (Jossey-Bass, 2011). She was one of the five founding executives of JetBlue Airways; was the chief people officer for Southwest Airlines; and executive vice president of team services at Doubletree and Promus Hotel Corporations. She continues to serve on the board of directors at JetBlue.

XPO

2012

RHA MULTIFAMILY CONFERENCE & EXPO | 09.28.12 | HYNES CONVENTION CENTER

Clean Green Solutions LLC

Your Solution To Cleaning Green !

BAY STATE APARTMENT OWNER

•

Second Quarter 2012

XPO

2012

RHA MULTIFAMILY CONFERENCE & EXPO | 09.28.12 | HYNES CONVENTION CENTER

Property Soultions

by Disaster Associates

T&K

Asphalt

List as of May 9, 2012 Second Quarter 2012

•

BAY STATE APARTMENT OWNER

Photo Gallery

Maintenance Mania Jim Dormady, MC with winners (from left to right) J.P. Davis, Lou Bryne, and Pat Finn

NextGen Night Out At Dave and Buster’s.

CAMT Class Presented on April 6, 2012.

Landlord Tenant Law Philip Lapatin Esq. presents.

BAY STATE APARTMENT OWNER

•

Second Quarter 2012

NALP CLASS Presented on April 2, 2012.

July 10 RHA Business Exchange Embassy Suites, Waltham

November 8 – 10 National Apartment Association Assembly of Delegates Indianapolis, Indiana

August 4 RHA Affiliate Signature Event Gillette Stadium, Foxboro

November (date to be announced) NextGen Gathering Location to be announced

August 15 Breakfast Program Oak Grove, Medford

November 14 Breakfast Program ARS Restoration Specialists, Newton

September 19 NextGen Gathering Location TBD

December 4 RHA President’s Awards Dinner The State Room, Boston

September 28 2012 RHA Fall Conference and Exposition Hynes Convention Center

For additional information visit www.gbreb.com/rha.

SERVICE GUIDE DIRECTORY Real Estate and Financial Information

Trusted Real Estate & Financial Information The Warren Group 280 Summer Street Boston, MA 02210

617.428.5100 617.428.5118 www.thewarrengroup.com

Cleaning

Crime and Death Scene Cleaning Abatement and disposal of biological and infectious hazards

Cleaning Common Area Cleaning Other Services Include: • Carpet Cleaning • Pressure Washing • Unit Turnovers • Awning Cleaning • Window Cleaning • Garage Sweeping • Tile & Grout Cleaning

1-877-366-8348 1-US-REMOVE-IT 978-356-7007 General Contractor

p.800-979-1911 f.978-418-0051

Moving

800-442-6863 www.gentlegiant.com

10 Industrial Road Milford, MA 01757 508.482.1971 www.plumbhouse.com MERIT SHOP BUILDS BEST

Strength in Service since 1980

Moving - Storage - Packing Crane Services - Piano Specialists (DOT): 373544 (ICC): MC218762

Second Quarter 2012

•

BAY STATE APARTMENT OWNER