Foundation for Growth

After 20 years leading operations I moved to corporate strategy, working directly for the CEO on Alliance Residential’s roadmap, later dismantling its infrastructure during the Greystar merger. Through all this, I learned certain truths about the process of creating the future you want. Often, the greatest obstacle to solving a multifamily problem is not creating the solution, it’s working through all the barriers in the way to implementing it.

Devise Strategy

It is difficult to turn an unbiased eye upon our own work; it is harder still when our calendars are full and we must make ourselves available as a resource. Having an outside view is often necessary to affect lasting, structural change. I provide this perspective through an assessment or a short-term engagement.

  • The theory of constraints professes that every system has a point of vulnerability. Work upstream of the constraint accumulates and capacity downstream is underutilized.

    Through assessment of an organization, we locate the greatest constraint and work to strengthen it to maximize the improvement on the entire system.

  • While job descriptions outline what should be done, what actually is done may not be not seen until an individual leaves their role.

    Single points of failure can greatly disrupt performance. Utilize a simple method to uncover and resolve them before they can occur.

  • There is a common phrase heard from operators: “I spend all day putting out fires.” It suggests those working for them are incapable of fighting the fire themselves, or the underlying structure is distinctly flammable. If this phrase is being heard from higher-level roles, it implies the problem is expanding.

    For executives in decision-making roles, every minute spent on putting out fires is not spent creating the strategy needed to improve and stabilize the organization.

  • The rate at which an organization can change is highly predicated on the ability of teams to absorb that change. In a time-constrained environment, where everything is a priority, nothing is a priority.

    Synthesize the work coming from multiple directions and make the process repeatable and systematic.

Strategic Execution

Though many smaller companies get by without a full-time strategic planner, large companies can’t. I packaged 4 years of experience leading strategic planning for a high growth company into the following workshops. From initiative planning to change management to leadership buy-in, we delve into the nuances of multifamily strategic planning and build a foundation for success.

  • This workshop is for those who drive and monitor the implementation of the company roadmap.

    • Visualize the ideal state and learn to communicate both broad and narrow views to diverse audiences.

    • Provide transparency into the major milestones for executives.

    • Review approaches to curating a practical, actionable methodology for the support teams.

    • Create an effective funnel for speeding up the approval process.

    • Explore how small changes in communication structures can improve the absorption of information.

    This is a half-day session.

  • Balancing and curating an up-to-date and actionable roadmap is an endeavor beyond any single individual.

    • Balance initiative planning, resource allocation, and the pace of implementation.

    • Maintain agility, implementing updates with less time despite complications that may arise.

    • Review methods of preparing for a decision-makers review.

    • Differentiate the costs and benefits of solutions to make more future-proof decisions.

    • Increase the likelihood of options and requests being approved and finding alignment.

    Requires previous participation in Strategic Execution 01 and The Real Problems 01-02.

    This is a half-day session.

  • From better understanding the challenges of operations to reducing workflow constraints, corporate teams have the power to support and accelerate operations during this market cycle.

    • Grasp the role of operations through case simulations.

    • Differentiate the costs and benefits of solutions to make more future-proof decisions.

    This is a two-hour session.

  • These are coaching sessions to help overcome barriers and perspective gaps, understand second and third order consequences, and prepare for the next approval meeting.

    Requires previous participation in Strategic Execution 01-02.