{"id":13687,"date":"2015-09-25T05:00:33","date_gmt":"2015-09-25T12:00:33","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.yardi.com\/blog\/?p=13687"},"modified":"2020-12-24T03:31:30","modified_gmt":"2020-12-24T11:31:30","slug":"improve-focus-morale","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.yardi.com\/blog\/improve-focus-morale\/","title":{"rendered":"Improve Focus + Morale"},"content":{"rendered":"

In multifamily, summers can be intense.\"shutterstock_250369531\" <\/em>\u00a0Resident turnover is at its highest, career development conferences hit their peak, and you\u2019re caught working with a skeleton crew because part of your staff has cashed-in on its vacation hours. Now that school has started, things may have calmed down, but your head is still spinning. These three tips will help you reconnect with your team and get back on track for the fall.<\/p>\n

Change of Scenery <\/strong><\/p>\n

Nothing says, \u201cfresh start\u201d like new interior designs. Start with paint colors, which can make the greatest psychological impact on your team. If you\u2019re going for a full makeover, Entrepreneur<\/a> recommends beginning with a neutral tone. Then select an accent color in the blue family (various shades of blues, greens, and violets). Cooler colors are calming and refreshing, which may be just what you need to set a fresh perspective for the new season. Purples may be a good choice if you want to stimulate creativity and imagination. Want to give your crew a burst of energy and optimism? Use a member of the yellow family (yellows, oranges, light greens) as your accent color.<\/p>\n

Are there colors to avoid? Absolutely. On a large scale, white is perceived as sterile and uninspiring. Red is another color to avoid in large quantities. Some say that red is the signature color of negotiators. More sources suggest that reds can conjure feelings of anxiety and discomfort.<\/p>\n

The type of paint that you use is also important. Forbes<\/a> recommends eggshell and satin paints. The slight sheen evokes energy and liveliness. Also, opt for no-VOC brands that promote better indoor air quality and healthier work conditions.<\/p>\n

Pops of Greenery<\/strong><\/p>\n

Studies<\/a> suggest that the presence of plants in an office can improve productivity, morale, and sales. Research led by Dr. Virginia Lohr of Washington State University concludes that plants in the workplace increase productivity by 12 percent.<\/p>\n

It gets better. Research led by Dr. Roger S. Ulrich of Texas A&M University revealed that the sight of plants can lower a person\u2019s blood pressure and reduce stress. Ciphr<\/a> states that the presence of plant life in an office space can reduce anxiety by 37 percent, reduce fatigue\u00a0by 38 percent, and decrease feelings of anger and hostility by 44 percent.<\/p>\n

Asking for higher rents? Plants can also boost the perceived value of your property. In retail environments, shoppers are willing to pay about 12 percent more for goods sold in a shopping center with greenery than in a center without plants.<\/p>\n

You don\u2019t need a green thumb or a high budget for exotic, magical plants. Any plants will do. The important thing is to get plants that you and your team can maintain. (Dying plants might reverse the aforementioned positive benefits.) Succulents and ferns tend to be the easiest plants to care for and can adapt to varying water and light scenarios.<\/p>\n

Celebrate Your Accomplishments<\/strong><\/p>\n

Want to boost your team\u2019s morale instantaneously? Recognize team members for their hard work. Disappointed by their overall performance this summer? Find what was done well and shout it from the rooftops. Odds are, your team already knows its shortcomings and struggles. Reminding people of their faults rarely encourages improvement. Encouragement and positive change come\u00a0when team members are reminded that they are capable and that their efforts will be acknowledged. Central Michigan University professor Heather Kchodl tells Chron<\/a> that positive reinforcement is best when issued sincerely, consistently (no picking favorites), and immediately after the desired behavior or action has taken place. Don\u2019t wait until the winter holiday party to tell your team what a great job they did during this summer.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In multifamily, summers can be intense. \u00a0Resident turnover is at its highest, career development conferences hit their peak, and you\u2019re caught working with a skeleton crew because part of your staff has cashed-in on its vacation hours. Now that school has started, things may have calmed down, but your head is still spinning. These three […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":440,"featured_media":13688,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_s2mail":"yes","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[1213,1214,1210,29,86,1212,1211],"class_list":["post-13687","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-color-scheme","tag-leasing-strategy","tag-morale","tag-multifamily","tag-office","tag-paint","tag-plants"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nYardi Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"In multifamily, summers can be intense. \u00a0Resident turnover is at its highest, career development conferences hit their peak, and you\u2019re caught working\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Improve Focus + Morale\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"In multifamily, summers can be intense. \u00a0Resident turnover is at its highest, career development conferences hit their peak, and you\u2019re caught working\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.yardi.com\/blog\/improve-focus-morale\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Yardi Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2015-09-25T12:00:33+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2020-12-24T11:31:30+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.yardi.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2015\/08\/shutterstock_250369531.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1000\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"502\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Erica Rasc\u00f3n\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Erica Rasc\u00f3n\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.yardi.com\/blog\/improve-focus-morale\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.yardi.com\/blog\/improve-focus-morale\/\",\"name\":\"Improve Focus + Morale - 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