let’s go back to small town chemistry 101. we were each given a beaker containing an unknown substance. our job was to heat it, centrifuge it, shake it, and sometimes even blow it up…all with a keen eye watching for clues of how our substance responded. was there a change in texture, color, smell, feel? those changes were clues to discovering our mystery substance.

my experiments these days are about developing the core of dwell management in such a way that would honor our profession, value the people involved in what we do and would influence our community at large for the better.

i’m not sure what i’ll find with each experiment but i’m willing to try and willing to give myself permission to fail. luckily, i have a very supportive team that has known from day one that our first and foremost goal was to be the best. this not only means that we aim to be the best property management business in the city of portland, but also means that we are seeking our personal best.

i want to talk about things that i read that make me think. like the book five dysfunctions of a team or the magazine fast company.

i want to talk about things that inspire me. like some of the TED talks i’ve been watching recently. you really should check them out…folks like ken robinson, majora carter, dave eggers and cameron sinclair.

i want to question our current system of business down to the very basics like:

• what would it look like to have an al a carte benefits package geared toward the individual?
• how can business come along side of the community in new ways?
• what would it look like to show grace to those we do business with?
• how do we honor employee contribution better than a card and a bonus at the end of the year?

so let me wrap this up. i have no answers and i’m not here to light the way except to join my flashlight with yours and together seek to discover ways we can shape our world for the better. business has the position to make a significant contribution to our world and to influence more than just our own bottom line, but to leave a legacy that will change times beyond our own.

remember…this is a conversation…so tell me what are the elements you want to discover and experiment with? what are the essential areas business is not making the grade? and then…what in the world do we do about it?