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MANAGEMENT TRENDS Tips in Organizing Your Day as a Property Manager By Dawn Mackanic, CMCA Prime Management, Inc., AAMC

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ost careers have a certain regularity in their day to day, however, this is not the case with property managers. You never know what your

day is bringing you and you can be pulled in many differ- ent directions. In an occupation where there is no “normal” day, a manager must try to fit everything in. And since there are only so many hours in a day, you really need to be able to prioritize your time and stay organized. Here are some useful tips: • To Do List — Start your to do list at the end of the day before with any tasks that may not have been complet- ed. Make sure you update it regularly throughout the day. It’s imperative to be able to go back to your to do list so you can pick up where you left off. • Most Productive Time — Figure out what time of day you are highest functioning. For many professionals, it’s the first thing in the morning. Try to complete those tasks that require your full attention during that time, as you may not get another chance to fully concentrate! • Email — While it is important to check your email to keep updated, try not to leave it open all day long. It’s easy to get distracted on new tasks when you are in the middle of finishing up the old ones. Try checking them in between projects. Or if you absolutely must check, try to screen for important ones and leave the rest until after you finish what you are doing. • Multitasking — Some may say it’s important to be able to multitask, however, experts say NOT to. There are many studies that state it slows you down and decreases the quality of your work. It is more efficient to finish one task before starting another. There’s even research that says it will lower your IQ!

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“Start your to do list at the end of the day before with any tasks that may not have been completed.”

• Keep Notes — A large part of a property managers job is meeting with a variety of people across the pro- fessional spectrum. Managers must be able to flip their train of thought from one thing to another. Therefore, you should never rely on your memory. Bring a notebook everywhere and keep good notes! • Prioritize — There is always something to be done and constant distractions so you may not be able to fit everything into your day. Sometimes it’s not easy to determine what you must do, compared with what you are expected to do or what must be done today versus what can wait until tomorrow. • Be Organized — Keep things where you can find them. There is no time to look for things due to being unorganized. In addition, you will find that having a system will keep you calmer and more efficient.

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