Chiccorra Connor, CEO and founder of Occupancy Heroes, brought passion, humor, and plenty of actionable advice to her session, Maintenance & Non-Maintenance Heroes Unite: The Ultimate Team Challenge. With more than 20 years of nationwide experience in leasing, marketing, training, and maintenance, Connor shared her lessons on bridging gaps between maintenance and office teams, improving operations, and building stronger communities.
Here’s what we learned in her insightful session.
Why Office and Maintenance Teams Must Collaborate
“Maintenance is the number one reason people leave a property,” Connor told the room. “If we don’t fix that, we’re just throwing money out the window.”
Too often, maintenance and office teams work in isolation—creating communication breakdowns, inefficiencies, and missed opportunities. Connor urged attendees to rethink their relationships and challenged them with direct questions:
- “Do you know your maintenance team’s love language?” she asked.
- “Do they know what motivates you?”
- “And do you actually celebrate wins together?”
Her point: when office and maintenance teams understand and value each other’s roles, everyone wins—from resident satisfaction to bottom-line performance.
Real-World Stories: From Apprenticeships to Airbnb Success
Connor shared several personal stories that shaped her leadership philosophy, beginning with one of her first lessons in humility.
As a young manager, frustrated with a delayed shower repair, she snapped at her maintenance supervisor. Instead of pushing back, he simply invited her to join him on the next job. “That day changed everything for me,” she recalled. “I put on my overalls, thinking I knew what I was doing, and I got humbled fast. I walked away with a new respect for how hard that work really is.”
That moment sparked a lifelong commitment to cross-training and shared understanding. It also shaped the way she approached team building, which eventually led to launching an apprenticeship program after one powerful conversation. “I offered someone food and clothes, and they said, ‘What I really need is a job.’ That hit me,” Connor said. “So we started training people to do for themselves.”
Since 2019, that program has certified and employed nearly 3,000 people—proof that operational success and community investment can go hand in hand.
National Data: Teamwork Moves the Needle
Connor also shared national SatisFacts survey data that revealed encouraging trends:
- Increased professionalism and speed of service
- More first-time work order completions
- Better follow-up and communication
But she warned: while improvements are promising, the busy summer season often causes numbers to drop making it even more important for teams to work closely, set clear priorities, and communicate constantly.
The Ultimate Team Challenge
To drive home her points, Connor led the room through a lively team game that mixed maintenance and non-maintenance professionals in a high-energy competition. Participants answered real-world questions drawn from across the industry, sparking laughter and insights, and showing firsthand how diverse perspectives strengthen outcomes.
Laughter, lighthearted debates, and surprising moments followed. But the deeper purpose rang true: diverse teams solve problems better together.
“Sometimes you’ve got to gamify it to get the truth out,” Connor laughed. “But what we learned today is no joke—we’ve got to work better together.”
- Communicate constantly: Don’t wait for Monday meetings; keep an open door and address issues in real time.
- Cross-train: Step into each other’s roles to build appreciation and understanding.
- Set clear priorities: Make sure everyone knows what’s most important today, and adjust when needed.
- Resolve conflicts with dialogue: Don’t let issues simmer; address them constructively.
- Use shared software tools: Ensure both office and maintenance teams have access to key systems and updates.
- Create feedback loops: Regularly check in and improve processes together.
- Celebrate successes: Small wins matter and boost morale. Take time to recognize achievements, both big and small.
- Understand each other’s love languages: Knowing what motivates and supports each teammate helps nurture stronger relationships.
Final Takeaway: Be Intentional
Bridging the gap between maintenance and office teams isn’t a one-time effort. Rather, it’s an ongoing process that requires intentionality. Connor reminded the room that real collaboration improves operations, boosts retention, and ultimately creates thriving communities.
As she put it: “Maintenance has a lot to bring to the table. They see what’s going on out there, and when we work together, we all thrive.”
If you attended this session, what will you put into action? Whether it’s more open dialogue, stronger partnerships, or simply showing more appreciation, the challenge is clear: maintenance and non-maintenance heroes must unite.