Management Diaries: The Power of People

In this episode, Laura Khouri, president of Western National Property Management, joins MHN’s Denile Doyle to share her perspective on creating value and impact on the people side of property management. At Western, Khouri oversees a portfolio of more than 170 communities. As someone who started out as a “gopher” and worked her way up to president of the company in 2010, she has amassed a wealth of knowledge and insights into people. She credits a 10-year stint in human resources for helping her to discover her passion for guiding people to the right decisions. Khouri discusses her people-first philosophy and how she transformed her company’s approach to leadership. From site visits to making thoughtful operational decisions that impact associates, and oftentimes residents, she offers her strategies for leadership that makes a difference. Here are a few highlights from this episode:How Khouri created cohesion across her company, from the corporate level to the site level (3:50)The impact of using mystery shopping not only as a teaching tool but also a recognition tool (12:28)The biggest mistake she sees owners making during downturns (17:53)Her objective during official and unofficial site visits (20:21)Her advice for leaders on how to make the most impact on their teams (27:39)