SIOR Roundtable discussion on Interns

1. October 2010
The Extraordinary Internship Experience
Leveraging The Power of Interns

2. Octob
Looking Back…
» Were you ever an Intern?
» What were the good parts?
» What were the bad parts?
» Knowing what you know now, what would you do differently?
The Extraordinary Internship Experience
is a simple process to assure you that proper expectations are established and
managed, and the intern is positive about their work.

3. Octob
What has Worked with Interns?
» A project that was a mess and nobody would commit to was completed!
» They were autonomous/self-sufficient by the end & didn’t need to ask a lot of
questions to get things done.
» They were passionate about the work and had a positive attitude.
» They provided innovative ideas and injected new energy into the company.
» Your company established a strong relationship with a local university.
» They learned a lot quickly and became valuable to the company.

4. Octob
What has NOT work with Interns?
» Expectations from both sides were not met.
» There was not enough “mentorship” for the intern.
» The company received no return on their investment.
» The intern produced poor quality work.
» The Intern required too much training for the return received.
» There were different communication styles being used.
» The intern didn’t mesh with the current personalities and corporate
environment.

5. Octob
Knowing what you know now, what would you do
differently?
» A Little Preparation = A Great Internship Experience
– Come up with 10 things for the intern to do.
– Limited Scope, not super technical, can be done in 90 days.
» How do I Find the Perfect Intern?
– Establish relationship with a local university.
– Ideally in a Real Estate focused department.
– MBA programs are a great resource.
The process we use…

6. Octob
Knowing what you know now, what would you do
differently?
» The “One-Two” Interview Solution
– Discuss Company Background.
– Ask the Dan Sullivan Question™.
– Go Over List of Tasks; Explain and then have them rank them.
» The 2nd
Interview: Intern Management Solution
– Establish a goal with ideal results, list the obstacles to getting there, and
provide solutions with budgets and timelines so that the intern can work
autonomously.
» Exit Interview: Internship Improvement
– Ask the intern what worked and what didn’t
– Treat them and their opinions like you would any other employee
Continued…

7. Octob
Knowing what you know now, what would you do
differently?
» Have patience, compassion, and a sense of humor.
» Communicate clearly, often, and well.
» Be open to new ideas.
» Learn how to handle intense emotions.
» Keep growing and learning.
» When starting a project, tell them to get 80% done.
» Forget about yourself, focus on others.
» Forget about your losses, focus on your opportunities.
» Forget about your difficulties, focus on your progress.
» Forget about who you were, focus on who you can be.
» Forget about your complaints, focus on gratitude.
Items to Consider…

8. Octob
Additional Resources
» Cardinal Real Estate Partners Blog
– http://www.cardinal-partners.com/blog.asp
» SIOR Scholarship Matching Program
– http://www.siordata.com/sioref/scholarships.asp
– Reach out to your local Chapter for more information
» The Internship Institute
– http://www.internshipinstitute.org/
» Strategic Coach
– http://www.strategiccoach.com/

9. Octob
John Culbertson has a knack for developing creative solutions and successful strategies for even the most
complex real estate deals, and he's always up for a new challenge. He reviews your needs from every
angle, understands all the complexities and comes up with the right strategy for your ultimate success.
He's our proverbial “man with a plan.”
John has developed proprietary processes for all aspects of real estate sales, leasing and development.
He has development and transaction experience throughout the United States, and has worked with a
wide variety of public and private institutional clients. John obtained his MBA from the McColl School of
Business (the Executive MBA program at Queens College) and is a frequent participant in Harvard's
Program on Negotiation.
John created Cardinal Real Estate Partners, LLC after working as senior vice president at Trammell Crow
Company and International Airport Centers, an institutional real estate developer of airport cargo facilities owned by a top-five
pension fund. He has been appointed to many boards throughout the industry, including the North Carolina Turnpike Authority
(Chair of Plans and Programming), NAIOP, REBIC, the Mecklenburg/Union Metropolitan Planning Organization, the Charlotte
Regional Roads Committee and the Charlotte City Club House Committee. John was appointed in 2009 to the Economic
Development Board of the North Carolina Department of Commerce. He is also a member of the Urban Land Institute.
John values civic involvement and is an active member of his community. He is president ex-officio of the Queens University
Learning Society, as well as a member of the board of visitors for Johnson C. Smith University. He has sat on the board of
directors for the Children's Theatre of Charlotte and the development committee for Trinity Episcopal School.
John has been an enthusiastic participant in the Strategic Coach™ program since 2000.
About John Culbertson

10. Octob
John Culbertson has a knack for developing creative solutions and successful strategies for even the most
complex real estate deals, and he's always up for a new challenge. He reviews your needs from every
angle, understands all the complexities and comes up with the right strategy for your ultimate success.
He's our proverbial “man with a plan.”
John has developed proprietary processes for all aspects of real estate sales, leasing and development.
He has development and transaction experience throughout the United States, and has worked with a
wide variety of public and private institutional clients. John obtained his MBA from the McColl School of
Business (the Executive MBA program at Queens College) and is a frequent participant in Harvard's
Program on Negotiation.
John created Cardinal Real Estate Partners, LLC after working as senior vice president at Trammell Crow
Company and International Airport Centers, an institutional real estate developer of airport cargo facilities owned by a top-five
pension fund. He has been appointed to many boards throughout the industry, including the North Carolina Turnpike Authority
(Chair of Plans and Programming), NAIOP, REBIC, the Mecklenburg/Union Metropolitan Planning Organization, the Charlotte
Regional Roads Committee and the Charlotte City Club House Committee. John was appointed in 2009 to the Economic
Development Board of the North Carolina Department of Commerce. He is also a member of the Urban Land Institute.
John values civic involvement and is an active member of his community. He is president ex-officio of the Queens University
Learning Society, as well as a member of the board of visitors for Johnson C. Smith University. He has sat on the board of
directors for the Children's Theatre of Charlotte and the development committee for Trinity Episcopal School.
John has been an enthusiastic participant in the Strategic Coach™ program since 2000.
About John Culbertson