CAMICB hosts a listserv for community association managers. The listserv is intended to create a powerful, on-line community for community management professionals to share information. Recently, some questions have been sent to the listserv. Are you able to help? Leave and answer in the comment section below and CAMICB staff will post your answer to the listserv.

Russ from Ohio: We are a downtown high rise condo with an owner renting a portion of their condo via Airbnb. This creates potential security issues with people coming and going. Anyone else have any experience with similar hotel type rentals?

Betty from New York: How are you handling owners renting out their condos on Airbnb?

Larry from Louisiana: My Board has asked me to inquire how other HOA’s evaluate a Manager’s performance. In my particular situation I am evaluated by a Management Committee, which consists of the Current President, the Immediate Past-President (for continuity) and the Secretary-Treasurer. This year-end evaluation is done in Executive Session, then the committee makes recommendations (like year-end bonuses, next year’s compensation, etc.) to the Board. The full written review, which includes my self-evaluation and the committee’s comments/feedback, is not shared with the Board.

My Board is divided, with some members believing it should stick with the current process, while others believe that the committee should consist of the entire Board without the past-President (assuming that past President is no longer a Board member).

Would you please share your thoughts.

By Bill Murphy, Jr. @billmurphyjr

The Millennial generation takes a lot of undeserved heat. Here are some of the things they’re doing right.

I’m a card-carrying member of Generation X, but some of my best work colleagues are Millennials. They take a lot of heat as a generation, and I sympathize, because I remember that back in the 1990s, we GenXers heard a lot of the same crap.

We weren’t willing to work hard, supposedly, and we were all self-centered “slackers.” (Then we went out and built Netscape and Amazon and Google and thousands of other companies, and created art and won championships, and led troops in war, and pretty much put that silly talk to rest.)

My colleague J.T. O’Donnell wrote a great article recently about some of the work pitfalls Millennials run into that can even wind up getting them fired. However, whether as a result of fortune or fortitude, Millennials bring a different approach to work–maybe sometimes a better one.

So I asked hundreds of entrepreneurs and leaders: “What’s the single best thing you’ve learned about success at work from your colleagues who were born after 1980?” I also asked Millennials what they wished their older colleagues would recognize about them. Here are some of the best and most surprising replies

1. From a GenXer: “Get to the point!”

“The single best thing I’ve learned from Millennials: Get to the point. … They are direct and bold, sometimes even outright fearless. Shocked me at first, but they’re getting things done and not letting things stand in their way. Companies run leaner and results are expected more quickly.”–Barb Agostini, partner at Recruiting Social

2. From a Boomer: “Sharing is more important than owning.”

“I recruit, teach, and connect with Millennials all the time. The most important thing I’ve learned is that relationships and connectedness is more important than individual knowledge and skills, and sharing is more important than owning.”–Dr. Diane Gayeski, dean, Roy H. Park School of Communications at Ithaca College

3. From a GenXer: “Be fearless.”

“I lead a team that’s almost exclusively comprised of Millennials. The most evident trait among this group–and the one that inspires me the most–is their fearlessness in everything they do. … They’re not bogged down by conventions or rules, and have the courage to take a stand and approach things their own way. Their bold approach to getting things done is a constant energizer and competitive advantage in terms of Crowdtap’s ability to adapt and innovate quickly and with passion.”–Mindy Davis, senior vice president, professional services, at Crowdtap

4. From a Millennial: “Don’t choose money first.”

“I’m a Millennial born in 1990 .. in the Philippines, [and] I grew up in suburban New Jersey watching GenXers slave away at work, hate their jobs, and fear financial insecurity. As a Millennial, I believe GenXers can learn from me that earning money at the cost of your well-being is not worth it. Instead, I believe purpose is the key to success in our social, tech-driven, rapidly changing world.”–Sabrina Atienza, CEO and founder of Qurious

5. From a GenXer: “Recognize your bad habits.”

“I believe the generational gap between these groups is overblown, at least in the workplace. I think the biggest gain in working with younger workers is that our own bad habits (such as poor communication) that we older workers have formed over a long career become more apparent to us. Working with younger people can be the slap in the face that we need.”–Michael Ortner, CEO of Capttera

6. From a Millennial: “Make more mistakes.”

“One thing we Millennials can impart to GenXers is how we view failure. Our generation would rather have dared than not attempted at all. We not only embrace mistakes, but look forward to making more mistakes faster. With the influx of information available at our disposal, we are past hoping for the best in every endeavor and instead prepare ourselves for the worst. Older colleagues tend to view failure as one step forward, two steps back.”–Lysa Marie Angeli P. Britanico, social media coordinator, Azeus Systems Limited

7. From a Millennial: “Be self-centered–but in a good way.”

“We’ve been labeled as self-centered, and instant-gratification obsessed. I’m not saying this isn’t true, but it can have its benefits. Instant gratification turns into the need for constant progress, being self-centered turns into the ability to relate to people on a very basic, human level–because we want their attention. Stagnation is our biggest enemy, and when we feel it rearing its ugly head, we will do anything to push it back.”–Reza Jafrey, co-founder and marketing director, Casual Solutions, LLC

8. From a Millennial: “Learn to multitask.”

“The Millennial workforce can multitask like no other. I think it’s a result of the fact that [we] are balancing full time jobs and parenting more than any previous generation, especially the females. In addition, we were exposed to the social media technology boom at a young enough age [and] we quickly adopted the custom of engaging in multiple conversations at once. All of this has created a generation of people who can do 10 things at once, and usually fairly effectively.”–Carrie Wiley, public relations manager, GoodCall.com

9. From a Boomer: “Don’t be afraid of change.”

“One of the most important things I’ve learned from working with Millennials is the importance of agility. I can’t be afraid of change, and it’s important for me to constantly look toward the future and own the trends–versus simply react to them.”–Sherry Chris, CEO of Better Homes & Gardens Real Estate

10. From a GenXer: “Give prompt feedback.”

“One surprising note I’ve learned from my younger colleagues is developing a preference for receiving (and giving) on-the-spot feedback. It’s a change from the traditional corporate coaching model, but a shift that I’ve found refreshing and efficient.”–Anna Ettin, co-founder of Bank of America’s Inter-Generational Employee Network (IGEN)

11. From a Millennial: “Accept that sometimes we’re just more efficient.”

“I’m going to go ahead and declare my generation one of the most efficient and productive generations. … [T]echnology alone has always throttled efficiently launching startups without massive amounts of capital–today, they’re launching left and right.”–Jason Fisher, owner of BestLifeRates.org

12. From a Millennial: “Also, we’re more mobile.”

“As a generation, we have much more of an entrepreneurial spirit, which emanates from both a generation that grew up online and from our values. Unlike previous generations, statistically we’re more likely to find a new job or start our own if we’re not being treated fairly by an employer.”–Jessica Steele, Steele Social Media

13. From a Boomer: “They’re harder workers than we give them credit for.”

“Millennials are often given a bad rap. … I find them to be hardworking especially when the work is meaningful. Millennials are definitely connected with technology but also appreciate the power of personal connection. … Do I think they have a lot to learn? Sure, but don’t we all?”–Dr. Chester Goad, Tennessee Technological University

14. From a Millennial: “Learn from our social consciousness.”

“GenXers can learn from [our] social consciousness. We are a generation that embraces companies that care. Millennials have high expectations when it comes to corporate social responsibility. It could be the determining factor whether a Millennial makes a purchase or works for a company.”–Sarah Pendley, media director, StatusLabs.com

15. From a Boomer: “Get off the phone!”

“I grew up communicating in person and via the telephone. … Millennials that work with me have demonstrated that emails and texts can provide a much more rapid vehicle for moving through our basic communications. … We mutually agree that if the subject is more complex or has the potential to be misinterpreted, we will talk live.”–Jill Johnson, Johnson Consulting Services

Board meeting transparency – not just the right thing to do, it may be required by law

Economic burdens of rising foreclosure and unemployment rates not only affect HOA revenue streams, they increase the contentious, divisive and time consuming nature of board meetings. As pressures on boards from homeowners increase, the importance of board accountability and transparency of their meetings also increase.

Peter Kristian, who is a general manager of a large-scale community in South Carolina, offers some tips on how to ensure board meeting transparency:

• Make sure you publish a meeting schedule in advance and publish it on the community’s website. The agenda could also be emailed to interested residents who have signed up for such a service. Make sure residents who do not use the internet are privy to board meeting through written notice. • Establish a resident’s time policy that is adopted by the board and published to the community. Says Kristian, “the policy should cover key points such as the prescribed time for resident comment at meetings, the length of time each resident can speak and whether one resident in attendance can cede their time to another resident. • Board member comments on a resident’s testimony should express the appreciation of the board for the resident’s input and verbal jousting between board members during a resident’s comments should always be avoided.

When discussing transparency of board meetings, sunshine laws have to be included. HOA boards can be subject to sunshine laws depending on state statutes.

Kristian said it is imperative managers understand and abide by their state’s statutes governing HOAs.

“The best way to adhere to such provisions in the law is to consult with a local attorney who practices community association law and ask them for guidance. Read the law, educate your board and apply the provisions to you situation.”

Have any of your communities been accused of lacking in board meeting transparency and if so, how did the respective boards respond?

Guest post by Lisa A. Magill

Condominium board members that are feeling pressure from members to address the issue of second-hand smoke will be pleased to learn that there is a combined effort on the part of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and others to advocate and encourage multifamily housing owners and operators to adopt smoke-free policies to protect residents from the dangers of second-hand smoke and to reduce property maintenance costs. A new 63 page manual for owners or management agents of federally assisted public and multi-family housing has been published that provides eye-opening facts for community leaders, managers and operators. Smoke Free Housing is a 63 page compilation of material that includes specific information that can be helpful in limiting or eliminating smoking on multifamily buildings, as well as links to additional resources.

From the manual:

1. Over 140,000 fires were started by cigarettes, cigars and pipes in the U.S. causing $530 million in property damage, according to the National Fire Protection Association.
2. Twenty-five percent of people killed in smoking-related fires are not the actual smokers, with many being children of the smokers, neighbors or friends.
3. Smoke-free housing saves on property maintenance costs from cleaning and painting stained walls and ceilings and repairing burn marks; and
4. Secondhand smoke is also associated with Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).

As courts across the country are addressing nuisance claims brought by non-smokers, with more and more ruling in the non-smoker’s favor, smokers have been required to install air ventilation systems and extra insulation to prevent smoke from entering other units. Some communities are voluntarily becoming “smoke free” through amendments to their governing documents and some municipalities have adopted ordinances prohibiting smoking in private residential buildings altogether – even if confined within the unit!

The issue of second-hand smoke is not going to go away. There are options to consider if residents are pressuring the board to do something about the odor, adverse health impacts, costs and annoyances caused by second-hand smoke and resources such as the Smoke Free Housing manual are available to assist in the effort.

Think there aren’t enough hours in the day? It could all be in your head. Here are seven scientific reasons you feel like you don’t have enough time, and how to overcome that feeling.

We’ve all used conversational expressions like “there aren’t enough hours in the day” to describe a common sentiment–that if we had more time, we would all be more productive. However, this isn’t always the case, and as you might suspect, the usual culprit for this feeling isn’t a lack of time, but rather a mentality that either stifles productivity or leads to a misconception.

Take, for example, these seven scientific reasons why people feel like there isn’t enough time:

1. You Don’t Wake Up Early. The world runs on a 9-to-5 schedule. As a result, morning people tend to get more done and wind up more productive by the end of the work day. That isn’t to say night people are inherently inferior–in fact, studies show that “night people” can be just as productive as morning people (or even more so)–but because the typical office, and our Western culture in general, start at nine sharp, they simply aren’t able to match morning people in terms of workday productivity. Even if you consider yourself a night person, try waking up a little earlier each day, working iteratively if necessary, until you start having one or two extra hours each morning to accomplish new tasks.

2. You Multitask. Only a very, very small percentage of the population is good at multitasking. The rest of us are truly, definitively awful at it. When you try to accomplish two tasks at once, you instantly diminish your productivity at each individual task, thereby increasing the total amount of time it takes you to complete those tasks. What’s worse is that many people believe themselves to be skilled multitaskers, and keep multitasking because they believe it will save them time. Repeat this process a few times a day, and a multitasker will feel as though he has saved a few hours of time–yet the tasks took hours more than they needed to. As a result, he feels like there simply isn’t enough time in the day.

3. You Don’t Practice Time Management. A review of time management literature recently concluded that the practice of time management strategies leads to more developed time management skills. That is to say, the more time you spend trying to manage your day, the better you’ll become at it. This might seem obvious when put this way, but if you aren’t regularly practicing time management, you might neglect the fact that your skills are going undeveloped. For example, you can’t expect to be good at playing the guitar if you’ve only practiced once or twice in the past year. Get in the habit of actively managing your time.

4. You Aren’t Getting Enough Rest. Scientific studies have consistently shown that insufficient or unhealthy sleep patterns can have a major impact on your long-term health and productivity. To put it succinctly, if you aren’t sleeping adequately, you’ll always perform worse than you ordinarily would, even with the aid of caffeine or other products. If you’re performing slower than you otherwise would be, it’s natural to feel like time is the problem–that there simply isn’t enough time, rather than the fact that you aren’t using your time well.

5. You’re Too Concerned With Time. In Western cultures, we tend to be obsessed with time. We have to get to meetings on time. We’re strict about our deadlines. We clock in at nine every morning and leave by five every day. This fixation on time can be a distraction–if you’re checking the clock every few minutes to see how far you’ve come on a specific project (compared to where you “should” be), you’ll almost always fall short of expectations. Projects take as long as they take, regardless of what your bosses or coworkers demand of you. Worrying yourself with the time is only going to slow you down.

6. You’re Pessimistic. Even though we all measure time using the same devices, time itself can be a subjective experience. And as science has proven time and again, the positivity or negativity of your thoughts can have a significant impact on all your subjective experiences. In this context, if you are constantly pessimistic about the amount of time available to you, thinking thoughts like “there’s no way I can get this done in time,” or “I have too much to do today,” you’ll contribute to a feedback loop that makes you feel these things more often. In a sense, you contribute to your own feelings about time. Instead, try to focus on more positive elements of your day and appreciate the time you do have.

7. You’re Too Engrossed in Your Work. This one comes with a caveat; as opposed to most of the items in this list, it’s actually a good thing. In psychology, there’s a phenomenon called flow, where a task you’re particularly interested in fits a perfect balance of being approachable and challenging. While in flow, sometimes colloquially referred to as being “in your element” or “in the zone,” you tend to be more productive and more focused, but you also tend to lose track of time. Do you ever look up at the clock and realized several hours have passed without your awareness or acknowledgment? That’s a result of flow, and while it certainly isn’t a bad thing, it can lead you to feel like you don’t have enough time.

The next time you feel like there aren’t enough hours in the day to do what needs done, remind yourself that time isn’t something you can control. Instead, focus on the habits, thoughts, and beliefs that you can control, and work to make yourself more productive, more optimistic, and more focused on doing things well than doing things quickly.

How to create a surge in your productivity when you return to work

We tend to admire people who jump in feet first and don’t hesitate, but if there is ever a time to pause and take a deep breath, it is the moment when you return from vacation. Don’t dive in and bury yourself in the craziness of NOW; first, take charge of your time.

As life around the office settles down as people return from summer vacation, follow this guide to rapidly maximize your productivity after a break:

1. Give yourself a post-holiday break.

Don’t return to a full calendar of nonstop meetings. Always block your first day back to be meeting free to catch up on what you have missed and reconnect with your team.

2. Reset where you spend your time and energy.

Use the break to consider where you spend your time and energy. Are you thoughtfully ruthless about being in control of your time and who absorbs your energy? Press reset on your calendar as you return to work.

3. Throw a starting not an ending party.

Gather your team to launch your new product, your new sales quarter, or simply to refocus everyone as they return to work following a major holiday period. Share your goals, ask for feedback, and allow time for your team to simply socialize with each other.

4. Say thank you in advance.

I have probably said, “What do you say?” a thousand times to my three daughters because they are often too excited or distracted to remember their manners. Leaders are the same–with a lot on our minds, it is easy to forget the basics. Don’t wait until someone is leaving your team or a product is launched to say thank you. Try saying thank you in advance: thank your new hire for joining your team, thank your team for their hard work and for holding the fort while you were on vacation. Build daily gratitude into the way you work as you return from vacation, and your team will thank you for it.

5. Plan a year of vacations.

My biggest culture shock when I moved from England to Seattle 10 years ago was the fact that 51 percent of Americans don’t use all of their vacation time. Europeans don’t suffer from such an affliction. As you return from your break, take a moment to look at the next 12 months, and block and book your vacation time. Block off your birthday, and plan time with people who energize and inspire you. If you have kids, plan family vacations, date weekends, and time with your friends. Your productivity when you are in the office will increase because of it.

Stores are currently filled with back-to-school presents and supplies to help children make a successful transition back to school. Follow these tips to help your employees with their back-to-work transition.

Turn Conflict Into Collaboration with 6 Powerful Words

By Sylvia LaFair

How one sentence can change the dynamics in teams, remove blind spots and obstacles, and help you move from reactive to proactive mode.

The meeting started on a tense note. Michael, the fun-loving charismatic Sales Manager had handed in his resignation days before the off-site. No one saw it coming. Everyone was shocked learning that he called the VP of Sales from his home town across the country and said he was done. No face to face would happen. He said he would not be at the regional meeting, or any other meetings, ever. And no, there was no turning back. Done meant done. He agreed to give the required two weeks and turn over all the accounts. He was sorry that the timing was bad, however, he had given this much thought and it was best for him to step away before the busy season started up again.

The VP felt blindsided.

There had never been a discussion of discontent. When Ed, the VP walked into the meeting room, his sour mood spread like a virus to the rest of the team. There was a sense of hopelessness. Michael had been a star and they had depended on him. Emotions were all over the place. First blame Michael. That was easy. What they had loved about Michael, his easy going style and fast response time, was now seen in the negative.

To lighten the mood John asked “What is the difference between Michael and a savings bond?” And without missing a beat said “Savings bonds mature!”

Then quiet side comments were made pointing the blame at the VP who should have known something was amiss. And, the VP was good at blaming himself whenever anything went wrong. So, he started the meeting being accountable for what happened. He should have talked at a deeper level with Michael, and asked better questions. He went on and on with his mea culpa thinking that would help.

Being accountable is good, yet often not enough.

I had been asked to facilitate the meeting and I knew they would need something new and fresh to get out of the downward spiral that was leading to a quagmire of wasted energy. Figuring out what to do next was not happening. The team was swirling in platitudes and simple answers. They accepted the VP’s assessment of his role in the situation. Yes, they all agreed, he should have talked with Michael on a deeper level, yes he should have asked better questions. Now what?

They then talked about an organizational reset. More ideas came to play. This was a seasoned team having been through lots of team building and off sites and they knew the lingo.

They made a list of what to do differently that included:

• Clearer expectations
• Acceptance of current reality
• Transparency
• No Complaining
• Cooperation not competition

They needed to go deeper themselves and I knew it would take some time to let them air their grievances, finish pointing fingers of blame and eventually come to completion with what had led them to the present situation.

Time was going and there was a need for that reboot. However, if they stayed with the logic of lists and left brain expectations they would end up with merely longer lists. The list they had was excellent and it was simply not changing the mood or the vision of the team. We took a break and when the team came back we went to another realm of operating.

It was time to do a dive under the obvious.

Freud was correct when he talked about how we, as humans, function with our conscious thoughts like the top of an iceberg along with the unconscious thoughts and desires we have that are below the surface of that same iceberg.

The unconscious parts of ourselves talk best in dreams, hunches, and intuitions. This part of us sees more than check lists. This part looks at more than just the next step. It includes and connects.

While there was initial resistance to undertaking a visioning process using music and imagery, the team was willing to go there, so long as it did not take too much time. You know, the old “time is money” comment.

Solve business problems by thinking less.

The process we used involved less than ten minutes of sitting in silence while I led the team through a short visualization of what their work environment would look like six months into the future. That was it!

Ten minutes is all it took for the creative juices to start to flow. Each individual was asked to remember a book or film that would give some pointers to what was needed now.

Focus elsewhere and focus internally.

Here is the end result of another ten minutes of sharing from the unconscious: Someone remembered the book The Three Musketeers and wrote down “All for one and one for all.” And within no more than five minutes the team came to the sentence that opened the door to new ideas and solutions.

Ed took a deep breath. That was what he needed. The rest of the team sat up. That had been the missing piece. They had until then, still been operating in a silo mentality and not looking as a system.

“We can work it out together” is a powerful, six word sentence that connects teams emotionally as well as logically, and when used, that is when creativity, productivity and harmony ignite.

It can be a huge mental battle to get through work that you don’t want to do. So how do you push through?

Everyone has that one thing on his or her to-do list. That nagging task that’s just too hard, too time-consuming, or too intimidating to start. The thing that mysteriously gets pushed to the next day—every day.

It can be a huge mental battle to get through that work that you don’t want to do. But the reality is, it has to get done. So how do you push through?

Simple: You trick yourself into thinking it’s not that bad—with one of these four mind games.

Mind Game #1: It Could Be Worse

Finally tackling that dreaded item on your to-do list may seem terrible, but remember: It could be worse.

Just think of the possibilities. For instance, maybe you have to call a customer to inform her of some changes to her contract—something she’s not going to be happy about. What could make that worse? Well, you could have to tell her face-to-face, without notes in front of you to help boost your confidence.

Maybe it’s something as simple as that you have to hustle to get three blog posts written and uploaded by the end of the day. Well, you could have seven blog posts due. And your deadline could be in an hour, rather than in six hours. And you could be sitting in an office building in Florida without air conditioning. Now that would be bad.

Thinking about worst-case scenarios brings perspective to the thing you’re struggling with. Yes, the assignment may be hard or uncomfortable or time-consuming, but it could be a lot worse.

Mind Game #2: How Do You Eat an Elephant?

 The answer—as you probably already know—is one bite at a time. Taken literally, it’s a pretty unappetizing saying, but the meaning holds true. If you set out to accomplish one gigantic, all-important goal, you can easily become completely overwhelmed with the enormity of the task. But when you focus on just one small piece of that goal at a time, it becomes a much more realistic objective.

 You can apply this to almost any task lingering on your to-do list. Instead of setting out to write a six-page report, for example, look at it as two three-page reports—and focus on only one portion at a time.

 Or, maybe you’re tasked with managing an entire client account—something you’ve never done before. As a whole, that can be an intimidating task. But take it one step at a time. First, for instance, say you have to make an introductory phone call. Well, you’ve made hundreds of customer phone calls in your career. Piece of cake! Then, you have to address a billing issue for the account. You’ve done that before, too.

 When you shift your mindset, suddenly, the overall assignment doesn’t seem so large or intimidating.

Mind Game #3: Time’s Running Out

 One of the hardest parts of tackling an intimidating task on your to-do list is simply getting started—especially if you have no set deadline or the existing deadline isn’t immediately looming.

 So, force yourself. Set a timer for a specified amount of time—I usually go with 30 minutes to an hour—and dive in. Commit to working on only that task for that amount of time. Then, you can stop.

Creating that imaginary deadline and knowing that you have only a set amount of time to work on it can drive you to move faster and get as much done as possible before the timer goes off.

 At the end of that time period, you may not have flawless, ready-to-show-your-boss work, but you’ll have something—and that can be the push you need to push forward and complete the task.

Mind Game #4: Look at How Far You’ve Come

 Think back to your first day in your current role. Remember how unsure you were? How you didn’t know where to start on your entire to-do list? How you asked your co-workers endless iterations of “Did I do this right?” and “Can you help me with this?”

 And now, those things are a breeze. You fly through those tasks without a second thought. You’re confident in your abilities.

 This difficult task on your to-do list? It’s may seem like an insurmountable hurdle right now, but in just a matter of time, you’ll likely be looking at it with an entirely different perspective.

 Maybe you’re putting together a presentation that you’ll be giving in front of your entire company. Right now, you’re not great at public speaking, your body language is timid, and you are having some major PowerPoint issues. But once you get past it and start giving more presentations, you’ll look back and see how far you’ve come—and in the rearview mirror, it won’t seem like a big deal at all.

 Looking back at your progress can give you the boost you need to remember that you’ve faced trials like this before, and you’ve made it through to the other end even stronger. And you can do it again.

 It’s easy to get in your own head and convince yourself that you just can’t do that nagging task on your to-do list. But you can also get in your own head to convince yourself that you can—and sometimes, that’s all you need to get the job done.

New home sales rebound in July, supply improves

New U.S. single-family home sales rose a bit less than expected in July, but the trend pointed to housing market strength that should underpin economic growth for the rest of the year.

The Commerce Department said on Tuesday sales increased 5.4 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 507,000 units.

June’s sales pace was revised slightly down to 481,000 units from the previously reported 482,000 units.

Economists polled by Reuters had forecast new home sales, which account for 8.3 percent of the market, rising to a 510,000 unit-rate. Sales were up 25.8 percent compared to July of last year.

The housing market is gaining stream, with data last week showing home resales jumped to a near 8-1/2-year high in July and groundbreaking on new home building climbing to its highest level since October 2007.

The recovery in the sector, which touches almost all spheres of the U.S. economy, is being driven by a tightening labor market. Solid job growth is boosting confidence among Americans and encouraging young adults to move out of their childhood homes.

Housing is expected to contribute to gross domestic product this year, but remains constrained by a persistent shortage of homes available for sale.

New homes sales surged 23.1 percent in the Northeast to the highest level since May 2014. Sales increased 6.7 percent in the West and were up 5.8 percent in the populous South. In the Midwest, sales fell 6.9 percent.

The stock of new houses for sale increased 1.9 percent to 218,000 last month, the highest level since March 2010. Still, supply remains less than half of what it was at the height of the housing boom.

At July’s sales pace it would take 5.2 months to clear the supply of houses on the market, down from 5.3 months in June.

The median price of a new home rose 2 percent from a year ago to $285,900.

By Quora Answer by Jason M. Lemkin,

Your peers’ feedback, even if just informal and word-of-mouth, is critical to your promotion.

I’d like to provide some insights from my experience as a VP at a leading F500 tech company, and as a reasonably successful startup CEO.

Promotions in the F500 are indeed complicated, but let me focus instead first on the performance review, which is a penultimate step to promotion, and something in my F500 experience that materially impacts your compensation.

And here is my learning. Reviews go into High, Strong, Good, and Needs To Improve basically in all Big Tech companies. Some have SuperHighs, but that’s rare. And in my experiences, even at Adobe, even at a F500 leader with 10,000 employees, there were zero politics in becoming a High. Because it’s so clear who the Highs are.

The only real issues, the politics, is the fact that some groups have too many High candidates (often the outperforming products), and some have too few, which warps the curves a bit. So it’s actually harder to be a High in an outperforming group than an underperforming group.

Having said all that…really, no politics. This was pretty surprising to me.

Now, of course, not every High can get promoted. But even the promotions, while not always the decisions I might make or you might make, were always based on results.

I know some of you will say your experience is different, but I’m going to suggest once you strip away the emotion, and once you see how the sausage is really made, that it’s probably the same in any growing tech company of any scale that has solid, experienced management.

So now, how to get promoted? In both my Big Tech Co. experience and my post- 20-to-50 employees in a strong startup experience, here is what I learned about what it takes to get promoted:

• Demonstrate successful leadership. This is what everyone is looking for. Everyone. Someone to take and carry the load. As long as you have an experienced boss, they will take notice. Because what we all really need is help – real help getting our initiatives done. If you can get one of my key initiatives done for me — not talked about, not analyzed, not discussed, but done — you are a rock star.
• Work in a hot or at least warm area of the company. No need to promote anyone in the EOL’d products, though it does happen.
• Don’t schmooze. Just engage and be positive and respectful. Schmoozing is a turn-off. Instead, as you demonstrate leadership, positively (never negatively) engage with your peers and colleagues outside of your small group. Be critical as needed, but always positive. Naked criticism will get you worse than nowhere; it will get you in the cellar. Your peers’ feedback, even if just informal and word-of-mouth, is critical to your promotion.
• Don’t sell up. Yes, I know selling up sometimes “works” in big companies, but it doesn’t really get you promoted, and really it’s a sign you are weak. Focus instead on selling down, and selling across. On getting your colleagues to follow your ideas and insights. That’s how you demonstrate true leadership.
• “Dress” for success. I don’t mean that completely literally (but yes, dress a little better than the rest, it can’t hurt). I mean act and carry yourself like someone that cares. That always goes the extra yard. Never look at the carpet, or yawn. Never be late to a meeting — ever. Always be positive, give constructive feedback, but never destructive feedback. Never be cocky, but be confident in what you know is correct.
• (Try) to be patient. Even if you do everything right, there can only be so many promotions. It may take another whole year. This isn’t politics per se, but companies of any size have a finite number that they can make. Don’t give it more than one extra year, but assume it will take one more cycle than it should.
• Ask. Ask your boss how and what it will take to get promoted. If you don’t ask, you probably won’t get. Just be ready to get some tough feedback when you ask, and be ready to grow, change, and learn.
• Working hard and doing a good job is insufficient. Again, promotion in big companies and tech companies of any scale is about leadership, and in many cases, management. You’ll get well paid if you work hard and do a good job. You just won’t get promoted all that far.

Just my learnings and observations in the BigCo. I’d say all but the second point also apply to startups too.

I know that some companies are much more fracked up than this. But I think and hope that maybe 50% of the well-run ones work just this way.

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