Uncategorized | The Masthead

Asking Questions?

February 8th, 2012 joe No comments

1) It may not seem like it to regular readers of this column, but the way I begin my writing preparation is by asking questions.

What are the hottest topics?
Is there good news to share?
Is there a threat on the horizon that needs to be mentioned?
How can we do more to spur a businesses' or the industry's growth?

As a businessman myself, I know that manufactured housing business owners, executives and leaders have to think in terms of issues such as loss mitigation and profits. How can those two sides of the coin best supported?

When it comes to sales process training, I routinely counsel clients sales professionals to 'ask questions.' Not in an interrogation/FBI fashion, but rather, in a natural conversational way. Questions lead to communications by the customer or prospect. Questions that seek understanding via sincere listening with an angry customer or friend is a way of 'lancing the boil,' releasing the poison and starting the process of healing.

Questions are the professionals ally.

2) This week has already been busy beyond belief.

Some highlights:

New Manufactured Home shipments continue to rise. This is good news indeed for all segments of the Industry: manufacturing, suppliers, retailers, communities, lenders, insurance and other vendors. Half a year of rising shipments that have taken us a few points up over previous years.
FEMA is calling for new bids for more homes. Another potential brights spot for manufacturers willing and able to make this happen.

3) Knowledge is Power!

Saturday a message came in for me to lend a hand in organizing additional business-building seminars for the Great Southwest Home Show in Tulsa. Starting Monday to the time of this writing, the outreach for the above is well underway. The line up of new profit-power presentations are taking shape. With new manufactured home shipments rising, and the Tulsa Show moved to a better date earlier in the year in a great indoor facility, there are a growing number of reasons for retailers, developers and manufactured home community owner/operators to prepare for more business.

On the seminar/workshops 'Knowledge is Power' front, here is what is shaping up for those forward looking business pros who attend the Tulsa Show at the Indoor (all season) Quik-Trip Center, a free event admission for most industry pros. The topics include:

Get Access to More Third Party, non-recourse, Manufactured Home Financing. MH Financing pro Dick Ernst will moderate a panel discussion made of manufactured housing's top lenders. Each lender will each present in rapid fire rotation their 'best of the best' financing programs for personal property (chattel, home only) and fee simple sales! The presentation will be followed by a Q&A. We did a finance forum presentation/discussion like this in Louisville that drew a standing room only crowd of pros like you, as the photos at the link above will demonstrate. We have written commitments from 6 MH lenders already, and expect one or two more to confirm and toss their hat in soon.
Floor Plan Financing made easier! We have an SBA official who will explain to attendees how to use their new and improved floor plan financing program. The SBA is keenly interested in making this user friendly for our Industry, and many in the business are looking for ways to access the program.

Protect yourself! Attorney and loss mitigation expert, Kurt Kelly, who has graciously agreed to make 2 separate presentations focused on the needs and concerns for MH Communities and MH Retailers. This will be info and solutions packed content, so you won't want to miss it.
Attracting More Customers with Cash or Good Credit! This seminar was a big hit for the IMHA and at the Louisville Show. Learn proven ways to be more of a magnet for good credit customers!
Legal Zero Down manufactured and modular home (no, not land in lieu, true zero down payment financing) Financing for fee simple sales. Learn how to earn more, by selling more homes with this amazing program.
You can learn about two previously planned seminars on finance and a how to on appraisals (by Sherrie Clevenger) and get more Show information at this link. You can pre-register and sign up for free admission at this link.

Updates on the above will be presented as it comes in, so stay tuned to this twice weekly blog posting for more details.

Lois Starkey at MHI and M. Mark Weiss at MHARR both sent me updates on their successful 1-2 effort to get a federal agency to take down negative, outdated information off their website about manufactured housing fire safety. A reader brought this outdated info to our attention. We in turn contacted MHI and MHARR, who both acted immediately. That's team work. So thanks to you or all who let us know about topics via our

Make sure you read MHI and MHARR news updates here, both carried here along with our exclusive Daily Business News briefs, Industry in Focus Reports and the Cutting Edge marketing and sales insights. Let's not forget Words of Wisdom, Industry Voices, which features a new column by Dick Ernst of importance to Manufactured Home Community Owners and the latest Hall of Fame inductees.

Plus don't forget to check out the new Feature Articles for February 2012. You can see them all on the MHProNews.com home page, scroll down the center column past the news briefs. In fact, this is a good time for you to spend 5 minutes seeing all the news, tips and view you can use, free here 24/7/365 at the new and improved MHProNews.com.

Phew! Do you see what I mean about asking questions? There is never any lack of topics to talk about.

4) The one point you will find in common in all that you see above is that you can get 'all the news that is fit to (digitally) print' in manufactured housing, right here at your #1 industry news source. We (YOU) set a new record here in January, when over 100,000 professionals like yourself logged onto our pages, visiting an average of some 7 page each visit. We logged over 2.3 million 'hits.' Those numbers makes us larger and more popular than all other similar industry business to business resources online combined.

Thanks to our sponsors, news/support team and featured writers, we can do it all for you. I hope to see you in Tulsa March 1 and 2. Please stop by our booth, check out our presentation or one of the many other good ones for building, protecting and growing your business and bottom lines.

Did I mention, you can always 'ask questions?'

Thanks for dropping in. See you again soon.# #

post by

L. A. “Tony” Kovach, MHM

www.MHProNews.com
www.MHMarketingSalesManagement.com or www.MHMSM.com
Innovation – Information – Inspiration for Industry Professionals

Office – 815-270-0500

latonyk@gmail.com or tony@mhmsm.com
http://www.linkedin.com/in/latonykovach

Categories: Uncategorized Tags: ally, angry customer, boil, business building, business owners, businessman, counsel clients, fbi, FEMA, horizon, interrogation, knowledge is power, lenders, Manufactured Home, outreach, poison, previous years, sales professionals, segments

First Down!

February 4th, 2012 joe No comments

It is Super Bowl weekend, and so it is easy to think in terms of football analogies. In this past week, we had a vivid reminder of how important it is to get a “first down” in our lobbying efforts that yield a fresh set of 4 more downs to advance the ball so we can get more points on the board for our Industry. I'm talking about the latest Congressional hearings focused on Manufactured Housing. Thanks to the ongoing ground work by state associations, MHI and MHARR, there is steady progress being made in getting bi-partisan support for efforts to provide regulatory relief for our industry.

It is good to see the enhanced level of cooperation between the two national manufactured housing trade bodies, and while still imperfect, the good efforts on both sides deserves mention and encouragement by all of us.

The testimony and legislative efforts underway can only help our Industry. In these often difficult times, it is important to give that public pat on the back to all those involved who make such advances possible. You can stay informed of such matters with our Daily Business News briefs, but it is equally important to stay in touch via your state's association. They need your time, talent and treasure to do what is needed for your business and others.

When I look at a news article such as this recent effort in CA, that would require manufactured housing communities who want to sell to pay market rates for every home in the community, we have to realize that there is on way to understate the need for associations and their 'protect and promote' efforts.

To me, the 'competition' facing us in our Industry is more those outside of our ranks than between our ranks. Learning to keep our own businesses advancing while working with others through associations to protect and promote our mutual causes is just common sense.

Growing your Business Through Events

I've been given word that more business building seminars are planned for the Great Southwest Home Show coming up soon in Tulsa, OK. The idea is to something similar to what happened in Louisville that attracted and made hundreds of attendees their smile and walk away armed with information that can grow their business and profits.

Events take time and money on the part of everyone who participates. There is no question that 'free' attendance by a retailer, community, installer or developer at a show such as the Great Southwest Home Show (GSWHS) in Tulsa has a cost in time, meals, etc. But that investment of time and a little travel money can be more than recouped from the first additional sale that is made from what you can learn at the event! One man called me to say that the seminars at the Louisville Show made it “…the best show I've attended in my forty years in the business.” Wow! Now that's a powerful testimony. Not everyone has been in the Industry for 40 years, but many made similar calls, emails or sent a text to that similar effect.

The same can happen for you and others who attend the Great Southwest Home Show in Tulsa. We plan to be there, and we will provide you with updates on the specifics for the speakers and business building workshops that will be available. Never forget that the products and services you find at a trade show or event can also make you or save you money. The mixers and networking at such events can also yield an idea or insight that is worth many many times the cost of time and travel.

New Lending/Finance Opportunities

For those seeking new financing options or opportunities, I have advanced word that you will be able to learn about plans, programs and even companies that will be rolled out or that you may not have used or worked with previously that will be available in Tulsa's indoor Quik-Trip Center during the GSWHS.

Staying plugged into news, tips and views you can use here and by supporting associations and events, you can advance your own business and professional cause in 2012. The more you know, the more you can move the ball down the field, ppick up those first downs and score more. We will be in Tulsa for the Show, and we hope to see you there too. Please stop by our booth or come to a free, live business building workshop and say hi. # #

post by

L. A. “Tony” Kovach, MHM

www.MHProNews.com
www.MHMarketingSalesManagement.com or www.MHMSM.com
Innovation – Information – Inspiration for Industry Professionals

Office – 815-270-0500

latonyk@gmail.com or tony@mhmsm.com
http://www.linkedin.com/in/latonykovach

Leap Year 2012

January 31st, 2012 joe No comments

February is here, it is leap year, and that means presidential election primary season. It is also time for our new February issue, and we have brought you another strong line up of topics from experts across the country.

It is always tempting for me to point out columns that may have particular importance to people in this or that segment of the Industry. I'm sorely tempted to do so again this issue!

Then it hits me…when our readers are looking carefully at each category and article, it really should be pretty self evident. Maybe I'll circle back during the month, because some of these seem particularly important, handy or time sensitive.

As always, my personal thanks to our feature writers, staff and to the sponsors and advertisers who make each issue a reality.

Without further ado, let's jump into the line up for the February 2012 issue!# #

Featured Articles and Reports for Vol. 3, No. 5, 2012

Alphabetically by Category

COMMUNITY MANAGEMENT & FAIR HOUSING (LEGAL)

• Fair Housing 2012 – The Two Most Important Words!

by Nadeen Green

nadeen-green-50

I thought about holding a contest to see who might be able to come up with what I believe may be the two most important words for fair housing in 2012. But being generous of heart and spirit, I am simply going to tell you the two words, and then – not so simply, but still understandably, I hope – I will explain my rationale.

• Where to Build

by Eddie Hicks

To build or not to build. That's the question. To "take up arms against a sea of trouble." Perchance to "dream"? Is that the rub? Sorry, Bill. I had to take a little license with the gentle Bard's musings.

• Content Area of Guidelines for Living: Security and Protection through Storage

by Chrissy Jackson

chrissy-jackson-50

In our last column, we covered Manufactured Home Community “Guidelines for Living” topics ranging from Refuse Removal through Rights of Management. This month, we will explore Security and Protection through Storage, so let's get started, shall we?

• Community Management: The $20,000 Dog

by Kurt Kelly, JD

kurt kelly american insurance agency aia 50x50

It’s exciting. You just purchased a manufactured home community. It has fifty (50) sites, forty eight (48) of which are occupied by home owning tenants paying $300/month in rent. You were pleased to purchase it for $960,000, or $20,000 per site. And now that it’s time to begin managing the community, you discover three things.

FINANCING

• Manufactured Housing Financing Alert

by 'L. A.' Tony Kovach

tony-kovach-2-50

With approaching half a year of increasing shipment levels, we are seeing what could be the start of an industry turn around. This is not the time that anyone wants to the lose momentum. We will take a quick snapshot of a real challenge, but also suggest some common sense steps that pro-active industry professionals should consider taking to mitigate the issue we will review.

• Six Ways to Make your Manufactured Home Loan a Smooth Transaction

by Dave Shanklin

dave-shanklin-50

Over the years, I have noted several helpful procedures that make our loan processing smoother. In the past I have written on this topic. Here are some new tips to help our industry.

GENERAL MANUFACTURED HOUSING INDUSTRY TOPICS

• Multiple Listing Service… It is all about the Listings

by Boe Davis

boe-davis-50

This is our second installment about how a Multiple Listing Service (MLS) functions and how it could help manufactured home sales throughout the country. In this article we will explore the type of listings which can be found on a MLS and their value to MLS participants.

• It's Show Time in Tulsa!

by Deanna Fields

deanna-fields-50

March 1-2 will be here before you know it! Do you want access to more financing? Do you need new sources for inventory, services or just want to network with your peers? You can compare dozens of homes, products and services all indoors, all under one roof!

• When Emails Aren't Where They Should Be, Whitelist

by Joe Geller

joe-geller-50

Many of us have gone through the frustration of not receiving an email, even after we verify the sender has sent the email, and he or she has not received an email indicating the email was not delivered. Often, if the person who did not receive the email looks in their SPAM or JUNK folder, they will see the email in it, and are at a loss as to how it was diverted there.

• How Long Will an Anchor Last? Anchor Rust

by George Porter

george-porter-50

Have you ever heard of anyone replacing anchors because they were worn out or not good anymore? I know I haven't and it worries me. Have you ever seen anchors and/or straps that were so rusty that you could not turn the slotted bolt or step on the strap without something coming apart?

MANAGEMENT

• It Is – What it Is

by Tim Connor, CSP

tim-connor-50

One of my daughter’s favorite lines is, it is what it is. Every time I hear that from her it makes me stop and think – why is she saying this to me again? What did I say that triggered her need to repeat this common phrase?

MARKETING

• The Tribe is Here

by Jeff Templeton

jeff-templeton-50

I try to listen and learn about marketing and business from as many experts as possible. I believe that their insights will make myself and those that I work with and for that much better. One of the best I heard lately, was a marketing professional that said, " what matters now are tribes."

• Model Homes…..or NOT Part 2

by Katy Weldon

katie-weldon-50

Whether the term is model home or staged home, the definition is the same. It is the detailed and creative preparation of a house to be sold. If you missed the first article in this series, click here to read it now, so we can jump into this month's topic!

PERSONAL REFLECTIONS, MOTIVATION and INSPIRATION

• ZigOn Healthy Fear

by Zig Ziglar

zig-ziglar-50

In recent years, in manufactured housing and in other industries too, we've seen fear take a toll. There really is "healthy fear." For example, it's very healthy to fear drinking before you drive. However, fear should not be allowed to run rampant through our lives so that it becomes such a devastating factor that it produces failure.

SALES

• Sales Super Stars – Got any?

by Tim Connor, CSP

tim-connor-50

Creating a team of super-stars is manufactured housing – business to business or business to consumers – is not as difficult as many managers or trainers would have us believe. The reason – everyone wants to be successful and create a lifestyle of affluence, freedom and control over their destiny. So if your staff in general is not producing consistent stellar results, do you know why?

• What are you prepared to do?

by 'L. A. Tony Kovach'

tony-kovach-2-50

As we have noted before, at the heart of any successful career or business, there are certain basics or fundamentals. Being on the Cutting Edge of marketing or sales begins with those fundamentals! You or I could have the smoothest marketing process, but if we are not prepared to do what it takes handle the marketing properly, we fail to tap the true potential of our investments.

post by

L. A. “Tony” Kovach, MHM

www.MHProNews.com
www.MHMarketingSalesManagement.com or www.MHMSM.com
Innovation – Information – Inspiration for Industry Professionals

Office – 815-270-0500

latonyk@gmail.com or tony@mhmsm.com
http://www.linkedin.com/in/latonykovach

Categories: Uncategorized Tags: advertisers, bard, Chrissy Jackson, community management, Eddie Hicks, Fair Housing, feature writers, featured articles, important words, leap year, musings, personal thanks, presidential election, rationale, sorry bill, spirit

Fan Mail and the Ego

January 28th, 2012 joe No comments

It is Thursday, 3:10 AM. I was just looking at a nice message from a client of ours. We get x amount of 'fan' calls, messages and emails. The mail brought a letter from another client, gee, very nice, thank you. While all that is good, we as a team have to remind each other, to keep our egos in check. The ego is a necessary component for drive, but an out of control ego can cripple a person, department, business or organization.

Every politician who has a chance for success needs a certain level of ego. Ditto a business or organizational leader. Yet too much ego is as bad (or worse?) than too little in the long run. Thus the Value Destroying Villains narcissistic leaders theme in a Masthead blog post a few days ago.

Who boosts your ego?
Who helps keeps your ego in check?
What sparks your drive?
What is keeping your organization or department from flourishing?

Some biz coaches ask clients: what keeps you up at night?

Okay, in my case tonight, it is a case of 'tummy wumpus!' Maybe a passing bug, or something I ate 2 nights ago that tasted great but didn't seem to land well. But the truth is, I happen to have an odd sleep/work cycle at times. Biology. Some of the best ideas come in the middle of the night, and it has to go on digital paper lest it be forgotten.

But for some, it isn't a stomach bug or good ideas, it is the gnawing grief that all is not well. Some tell me they feel they lack control over their once thriving business. They cite economic, political or other factors. They worry about tomorrow.

Worry keeps them awake or causes their sleep to be less than refreshing.

FDR said, '”We have nothing to fear but fear itself…”

Our best days as an Industry or a nation are not behind us! Darkness causes even a tiny light to seem much brighter. What may seem obscure or un-important in 'good times' may be clearly of vital necessity in tough times.

In this great land we are so glad to call home, we have forces that tend to balance out the ill with good.

That ego we need for drive needs tempering. Sometimes we need reminders of the good, sometimes we need a dose of humility. A friend, spouse or child can often bring us down to earth from our lofty aims or over-inflated thoughts; that same colleague or loved one may be needed to get our mojo going in a good direction.

At the end of the day, success is about team work; individual efforts brought together in a great collective.

When someone thanks me, I hope always to thank others who make what we do possible. If someone commends the self-made 'rich and famous,' say Warren Buffett, I would think the Sage of Omaha would turn to team and associates and say, thanks, but we all did this together.

Even with happy clients, the secret is this: truly working together. Team work. I learn daily, just as successful clients do. It is the chemistry of working together to achieve the common goal. It is navigating the inevitable road bumps and those sharp, unexpected curves.

To mix metaphors for a moment, success is also a process, not unlike cooking. The kitchen can look like a mess during the preparation of a great meal. Until it is all is finished, it can look (and taste) badly if you sampled something before it was ready. But once all the elements of the meal (the process) are in place, once the kitchen is cleaned up, the table is set and the feast is ready, only then can one appreciate and enjoy the effort.

Team work. Good Individual Efforts that harnessed together, can result in record outcomes. So with each of the happy clients noted above, or others past and present, it is always important to say, you made this possible. We did this together! I'm betting the same could be true for your career or organization too.

Team work require egos, harnessed for their good, but egos that are held in check. The "I in team" is there, but not when you spell it out. The word of advice, the caution to a colleague, these when heeded can keep our egos in balance. These are as important as the fan calls and emails.

Look in the mirror. See all that you and your organization already are. Picture all that you and your associates can be. If you need help with that, have the wisdom to ask for it and get it. Make the ego a tool to work for that common good, not a land mine that works against those mutual victories we all should seek. ##

post by

L. A. “Tony” Kovach, MHM

www.MHProNews.com
www.MHMarketingSalesManagement.com or www.MHMSM.com
Innovation – Information – Inspiration for Industry Professionals

Office – 815-270-0500

latonyk@gmail.com or tony@mhmsm.com
http://www.linkedin.com/in/latonykovach

Categories: Uncategorized Tags: darkness, department business, ditto, ego, egos, fdr, few days, good times, grief, mail, Masthead, narcissistic leaders, necessary component, organizational leader, person department, politician, stomach bug, thriving business, tiny light, villains

The Great Depression and Manufactured Housing

January 25th, 2012 joe No comments

We have heard (and perhaps said ourselves) that we are in one of the toughest financial times since the Great Depression. There is no doubt that American businesses and the public at large is hurting, notably when compared to more robust economic times. But as my family and I go to the restaurant, grocery stores or malls, I see people shopping, lined up at check out and spending money. The check out line is a far cry from the bread and soup lines of the Depression. Times may be more difficult than 5 or 10 years ago, but the point is that hard times today are not the same as hard times of the Depression 80 years ago.

In fact, some have learned to thrive during these hard times.

McDonald's Corporation announced on 1.24.2012 strong results for the fourth quarter and year ended Dec. 31, 2011, fueled by growth across all of its global markets. The fourth quarter results included an 11 percent profit increase.

Regular readers have seen me reference McDonald's in columns and posts before. Both they and manufactured housing are in the affordability business. We offer homes for less, they offer the meal out and fast food for less.

I was telling a client of ours about the importance of proven processes in terms of gaining success and profits. What makes McDonald's work? What makes it profitable? Books could be written on that, but let's drill it down to some sample bullet points:

Marketing – advertising – and branding (perhaps the most recognized logo ever) that keeps them top of mind. They never stop advertising! So they are often top of mind when it comes to making a fast food selection.
Ronald McDonald House. Their fine charity gives them a level of respect they may not otherwise get. It is also a stealth form of marketing and a way to build brand loyalty. What makes it interesting, is that they get a lot of funding from others, so they get the philantropic and name recognition benefits without having to put up all the cash.
Processes and procedures that work. They can teach the basics to people and their processes yield reasonable service and their routine level of quality and speed.
Service. Now if you hate McDonald's, please don't laugh, but the fact is that they have their own systems that make getting food rapid and reasonably accurate. Most McD's today have two drive in windows. The first takes your cash or credit card. The second gives you your order. Brilliant in its simplicity.

Having worked with McDonald's in high school and my early college years, I guarantee you that you don't do a lot of ad libbing or flying by the seat of your pants. You are taught how to do something. You do it. You repeat those processes and procedures daily. If a new product or service is added, you get trained for that, you do it, you repeat it daily.

That is not to say that personality, drive or other factors don't matter, of course they do. I recall being made the store's 'motivational leader' while still a blue hat (do you remember those days, with white hats for trainees, blue for crew and red hats for managers?). It wasn't much longer when I earned my red hat, still as a teen. Looking back, it was a little crazy, making not much more than the minimum wage other earned, while having the responsibility for the store when all the other managers were gone! But at the time, it was just a great experience.

Sorry for the diversion down memory lane…

…the point is that they have systems. They are taught, they are followed. They can integrate people readily and rapidly as a result.

Why do so few independents in our Industry do the same? Why do so few focus on creating a process or procedure for marketing and selling, the same as you would have for a legal installation or doing an application for residency a land lease community?

You can bet the vertically integrated operations do, and those like Centennial Homes on the northern Great Plains states have their processes for success – and profits to match – too. Is it any wonder that those in our industry who have processes and training do better than those who don't have proven systems or wing it day by day?

Every month, we offer free Feature Articles by top writers in areas such as communities, management, sales, general industry, inspiration and more. In the past few months, we have been doing weekly columns on marketing, advertising and sales in the Cutting Edge blog. We also do seminars and workshops for associations and meetings, such as the Dominate Your Local Market or Attracting more Customers with Cash or Good Credit. Such opportunities exist here for one good reason: to support associations and to support professionals and businesses like you!

Speaking of opportunities to learn, network and grow your business, we hope to see you at the 2012 Great Southwest Home Show in Tulsa.

The Great Depression was a far cry worse than what we are experiencing today. There are businesses in and outside of our Industry who are profitable. Some are making record profits. We know that the future of manufactured housing is bright, because the 'stars' of demographics and economics have lined up in our favor (learn more at this link).

We can become the dominant form of housing in the years to come. You can be a part of that brighter future,

but only if and when professionals 'do what it takes' to adapt, plan and execute to advance past the malaise towards the opportunities that exist now and in the years ahead. # #

post by

L. A. “Tony” Kovach, MHM

www.MHProNews.com
www.MHMarketingSalesManagement.com or www.MHMSM.com
Innovation – Information – Inspiration for Industry Professionals

Office – 815-270-0500

latonyk@gmail.com or tony@mhmsm.com
http://www.linkedin.com/in/latonykovach

Value Destroying Villains = Narcissistic Leaders

January 20th, 2012 joe No comments

An headline in the Motley Fool entitled Value-Destroying Villains: Narcissistic CEOs caught my eye. Motley Fool's (MF) article first cited the case laid out by Donald C. Hambrick and Arijit Chatterje from Penn State University. Hambrick and Chatterje's paper will be published for Administrative Science Quarterly is entitled: It’s All About Me: Narcissistic CEOs and Their Effects on Company Strategy and Performance. MF then went to cite specific examples in the markets today.

MF noted that narcissists may do well for a time, driven by their egos and will to shine, but tend later to come crashing down.

This topic finds its echo in two books we've previously reviewed, From Good To Great and How the Mighty Fall, both by Jim Collins and his team of some 20+ university level researchers. Level 5 leadership (which some may call servant leadership, humble leadership, self-less organizationally focused leadership) was analyzed in Good to Great as one of the keys that marked long term, highly successful performing companies. In How the Mighty Fall, hubris, vanity, over-confidence and the like were among the factors cited for the tumble from greatness into a corporate downslide – or even extinction.

As the link above hints, this topic has been on my mind for some time, as it is my view that team work is what routinely accomplishes winning performance and a lack of team work (me-itis, private agendas, etc.) that disrupts or causes a good operation or plan to fail.

We all have to make a living. We all have a certain level of 'self promotion' that can be useful or necessary. As any leader of a company, organization, team or project can tell you, there is a delicate balance for a leader between the needed ego drive to get something good done, but also the humility to listen to others and to include others. So the long term successful leader is neither a door mat nor a narcissistic personality.

Dictionary.com defines a narcissist this way:

Inordinate fascination with oneself; excessive self-love; vanity.

The definition above itself suggests there is a healthy self-love, a healthy ego drive, but that the narcissist goes beyond the pale and is self-absorbed to a level that is destructive.

Humility – the 'opposite' of narcissism – is often mis-understood. Humility is not a false modesty or self-effacement. Humility is an acknowledgment of reality. We all have strengths and weaknesses, it is wise to acknowledge both. Humility is defined as “the absence of pride or arrogance; meekness.” It is interesting to note that meakness comes from a Greek root that means “restrained power!” So the meek can be powerful, the humble can be strong, without tumbling into arrogance, excessive pride or narcissism.

What Jim Collins and his researchers described as Level 5 leadership, that ability to create and lead a healthy team effort, therein lies the path from 'Good to Great.'

What myself and others in our Industry believe is that we need to use the tools and resources to positively bring people together. We need to tap the talents, time and treasure of those committed in a fashion that propels each ahead at a pace they would not achieve individually. Just a a flock of geese goes farther and faster when traveling together than one goose flying alone, so too is the potential power of team work in a company, or between various firms and operations.

Experts say that by flying in formation, the flock experiences less wind resistance,
thus allowing the flock to fly farther together than they would be able to do individually.
The lead goose periodically changes.

Associations are one vehicle for accomplishing such a mechanism. So too effective communications and actions between Industry professionals.

An example of successful team work was the 2012 Louisville MH Show. Members of the team were not all in the same company, or working for the same organization. They may not even have thought “I'm the member of the Louisville Show team.” But because each was doing his or her part, a collective accomplishment was achieved that benefited all involved.

The more the power of team work can be tapped, the better the outcome could be for future shows, symposiums or events in Louisville or elsewhere.

The self-absorbed personality often has no room for accepting new faces or new ideas. Vanity often is manifest as a type of elitism. The narcissist may reject good efforts primarily for the (typically unstated) reason that the idea or effort is not their own. If the narcissist is not center stage, there is something missing (in their own mind).

MF cited the example of the late Steve Jobs at Apple as someone that may appear to be self-absorbed, but in fact exhibited qualities that were not narcissistic at all, quoting:

“But that's not so — at least as far as narcissism was measured here. (Steve) Jobs was rarely in conference calls, didn't insist on being in press releases, had a succession plan in mind (even though we weren't aware of it), and most important, he surrounded himself with smart people. "Most narcissists feel threatened by having people around them that are smarter than them," Forbes' Jackson notes.”

Let me recommend anew the Jim Collins books 'Good to Great' and “How the Mighty Fall.” There is much to learn that could help us move our career, company and the factory built housing Industry ahead. # #

post by

L. A. “Tony” Kovach, MHM

www.MHProNews.com
www.MHMarketingSalesManagement.com or www.MHMSM.com
Innovation – Information – Inspiration for Industry Professionals

Office – 815-270-0500

latonyk@gmail.com or tony@mhmsm.com
http://www.linkedin.com/in/latonykovach

Advancing Manufactured Housing through Education

January 18th, 2012 joe No comments

Business and profit building education has always been one of the many benefits of membership in state and national associations. When we say that an association exists to protect and promote the industry, that's true. One of the ways those goals are accomplished is precisely through educational workshops, seminars, symposiums and events tailored for manufactured housing owners, managers and professionals.

This year, at the 2012 Louisville Manufactured Housing Show, thanks to the support and vision of the Midwest Manufactured Housing Federation executives, Chairman Ron Thomas, Sr and with support from Dennis Hill at Show Ways Unlimited, we arranged a series of 'business building' seminars. Top professionals from coast to coast were presenting facts as part of our business-building forums.

The feedback from attendees was overwhelmingly positive.

In addition, the MMHF extended invitations to MHI Chairman and Cavco/Fleetwood CEO Joe Stegmayer and MHARR Chairman and Sunshine Homes CEO John Bostick. While Mr. Bostick was unable to attend due to a conflict, Mr. Stegmayer attended and spoke in positive terms about both national organizations. Joe further emphasized the importance of state associations, as being the place where 'all politics is local' intersects between Industry members and their Congressional and U.S. Senate representatives.

Dick Ernst, who moderated a finance forum on manufactured housing lending, insightfully commented on the wide array of financing options that are available today. This is an important message, as so many are under the mistaken notion that there is a 'lack' of third party lending options for fee simple or personal property (home only/chattel) lending.

My team and I routinely heard from manufacturers, exhibitors and attendees that the overall tone from those at the event was positive. Not many think we are 'out of the woods' yet. But clearly well over a thousand industry professionals (actually, over 1500 pros came this year to the Show!) who came to Louisville believe that we can help guide our destiny and can shape our future.

Having the timely, useful and positive information is part of that mix!

Part of our mission at MHProNews.com from the beginning has been to support associations and to support Industry professionals through articles, news and more recently through live business building workshops, seminars and discussions. Having now topped 90,000 visitors in December 2011, averaging some 700,000 page views monthly and with over 2 million 'hits' monthly, you and thousands of others are finding daily value right here.

Those numbers continue to grow. Our growth can be your growth too.

The combination of online information and live information and events is powerful. An industry leader told me and others at the end of the Show that we can't wait for printed material any more. Events move too quickly. We need the speed of the Internet to get news and information out fast to Industry members.

Just as we learned the ABCs or 1-2-3s in school not by listening or reciting it once, but going over and over the same material many times, new information typically must be heard more than once to be effective. That's why advertisers don’t just run an ad once! They repeat the ad until enough customers 'get it.'

Bob Thieman, CAE and executive director for the Illinois Manufactured Housing Association is the most recent person to share a kind word in recommending via LinkedIn our work in manufactured housing:

Details of the Recommendation: "Tony and his company are leading the way for manufactured housing to enter the 21st century. He and his staff have put together remarkable educational programs and marketing that are ahead of the time and benefit the industry greatly."

I thank Bob and dozens of others who have been so kind to recommend our work, and want to particularly note that 'our work' is much more than Tony. MHProNews has 5 others besides myself involved in the day-by-day work, plus the many who graciously volunteer their skills at submitting helpful articles in their areas of expertise every month.

The vision from day one was to have a platform that brought good people together so that the Industry could grow as a result. As another state executive director has said:

"Tony really is pulling the MH industry together with thoughtful comments; suggestions; ideas on key topics that need addressing at the local, state, regional and national level. I applaud the work that you are doing…as the network grows, & grows & grows. You are an inspiration, with timely ideas and follow-through. Keep up the great work!" ~ Mary McBrady, Executive Director, MMHA Mass Manufactured Housing Assn.

All industry's and professions have and need trade media. We are pleased to be your choice – the Industry's run away first choice – in trade publishing for factory built housing. But it is vital to remember that we are ALL part of this effort! When you read, when you write a column that shares your knowledge or insight, then we all benefit.

We can all win.

In 2011, I was very pleased to be a part of seminars, trade show events and symposiums in various parts of the U.S.. MHI, 3 state associations and 3 trade shows (8 presentations in all) invited me to be a part of their 'moving ahead' business growth mix. Certainly, there are a number of others who are well qualified to bring their expertise to bear for the benefit of the Industry's members. This is what happened at Louisville!

That is a formula for Industry success! Your skills and experiences, that of others who share their time and talent here, blended together at live events or through online trade media. Everyone involved wins.

Needless to say, we tip our hats and thank all of those advertisers and sponsors who make this business building platform possible.

Working together with forward looking Industry professionals, let's make 2012 the year of the great Industry turn-around. Knowledge and information freely shared – Education – within our ranks as professionals is part of the key. # #

post by

L. A. “Tony” Kovach, MHM

www.MHProNews.com
www.MHMarketingSalesManagement.com or www.MHMSM.com
Innovation – Information – Inspiration for Industry Professionals

Office – 815-270-0500

latonyk@gmail.com or tony@mhmsm.com
http://www.linkedin.com/in/latonykovach

Categories: Uncategorized Tags: business building, Cavco, ceo john, Dennis Hill, Dick Ernst, educational workshops, finance forum, industry members, John Bostick, Manufactured Housing, MHI, mistaken notion, national associations, national organizations, ron thomas, senate representatives, state associations, u s senate

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