CAI-NJ Mar. 2019 (w)

MANAGEMENT TRENDS It’s a Tale of Two Worlds

By Tony Nardone, MBA, PCAM, Corner Property Management

O n one hand, with today’s technology you’re no more than a click and seconds away from reach- ing anyone on the planet. If you have a question you need answered, you simply Google it. On the other hand, in the property management world we’re still using business practices and service systems that were commonplace when we had rotary phones and fax machines. We’re one of the few industries that hasn’t leveraged the full potential of the technologies available to us as well as common, more efficient business practices that bring out the best in our staff, site managers and resident volunteers in our communities. This is having an impact on our ability to recruit, reward and retain quality managers while discouraging and stifling participation by resident volunteers. It’s Not A New Problem I first noticed this after reading an article in the March/ April edition of Common Ground back in 2016: “No Rest for the Weary” by Robert A. Felix, regional vice president for Associa in Carlsbad, California. His premise was sim- ple and struck a chord: “Lack of volunteers, nonexistent attendance, unpro- ductive discussions, tired decisions and stressed-out managers. Let’s call it a night on night meetings.” He went on to lay out a compelling case, citing exam- ples of how some communities around the country moved to day-time meetings much to the delight of board members and their managers alike. It virtually eliminated the monthly chore of working all day, rushing through dinner with the family, sitting through the meeting, and finally getting home in the late evening. Overall, shifting to daytime meetings seemed to be a much better and efficient use of everyone’s time.

“If we want to attract and retain top caliber people...we need to improve processes and protocols.”

© iStockphoto.com

This Got Me Thinking We expect our managers to wear many hats. Not only do they need to be property management experts, they often need to act as hockey ref, therapist, U.N. ambas- sador and cat herder. So how can our industry make better use of our site manager’s limited time and still get essential work done more efficiently without sending them into accelerated burnout? For example, it’s still common practice – especially for managers – to spend evenings on the road to attend their community meetings after already putting in a full day. This time commitment ends up burning out very talented professionals who look to move on. It also dis- courages resident volunteers from participating because they simply can’t commit to the time required by these outdated practices and models.

The Future Isn’t About Technology, It’s About People

If we want to attract and retain top caliber people – especially new generations of employees – we need to improve processes and protocols. Using technology and modern management practic-

CONT I NU E S ON PAGE 52

50

M A R C H , 2 0 1 9