mickey.bmpAlmost 15 years ago I rode a monorail at Disneyworld where the attendant invited me to sit up front with him for the ride. It was fun, added an interesting perspective, and I felt special, like the kid invited into the cockpit of an airliner and allowed to sit in the pilot’s seat.

I heard several years later that it was Disney’s philosophy to try to do something special for someone every time they could. Obviously, everyone on the monorail could not sit in the front, but someone could. And if every attendant did something special every ride, then odds are everyone who went to Disneyworld had their personal, special moment of Disney magic.

So, how does this apply? What is the point? It has been said that we all want to feel special, that we walk around with semi-invisible signs on our foreheads saying, “Please, please! Make me special!” We all crave recognition, a sense we matter in this world.

By one definition, The Collier Companies is in the business of property management, of investing in and renting and caring for apartments.

Really, though, The Collier Companies is in the business of making people feel special. Without happy Residents (and happy Team Members to take care of them), nothing happens.

We make people feel special by jumping up and walking out from behind our desks to welcome them when they come into our clubhouses and rental offices. Our smiles express our gratitude and appreciation that they are considering trusting us to provide them with their homes.

We make people feel special by remembering their names and by treating them as individuals. We endeavor to make them feel special by emphasizing what we can do for them, even if we can’t do everything they might ask, and by always cheerfully seeking to understand and search for creative alternatives.

Most of all, we make our Customers, our Residents, our fellow Team Members, indeed everyone we can, feel special by the simple act of remembering that they, like us, are special. And as we sow, so do we reap.

Look for ways to make those around you feel special, acknowledged, and understood. You will be surprised by the magic you will create.