MISS MANAGEMENT
carol levey | levey enterprises
Keeping your maintenance team a part of your team
I am a community manager with a team of seven. I enjoy my assignment which I’ve had for
about a year but I’m finding that my maintenance guys don’t feel part of the team. They do a
good job but I’ve been at properties where everyone works together and this is what I want
here. Do you have any suggestions for going from good individual work to great teamwork
involving the whole team?
I
t is true that you are managing people
more than property. Team members with
both can compliment and complicate our
ability to build and lead a community team.
The first thing that comes to mind is a return to
the basics. You are managing to achieve performance standards that cross traditional work assignment boundaries. Often individual assignment differences are dramatized or used as an
excuse for not participating as a team.
So the first concern is communicating that
team performance is what matters. Performance
standards must be established, communicated
and rewarded. While individual performance
gets through the daily routines there are standards
being ignored or avoided. If this is allowed then
team productivity and morale will suffer.
Often when these conditions exist team
meetings become sporadic and minimally pro-
ductive which begs the question “why do we have
meetings?” You might need to address this initially in your meetings but take leadership responsibility for allowing these issues to exist by
not confronting them with your concerns.
Indicate that going forward you will also take
responsibility to get the full team to participate
with community standards and goals. Spell out
expectations in writing. Indicate a 30-day plan
to sit down with individuals for everyone’s input.
Throughout this initial 30 days be transparent
and direct about your thoughts and intentions.
Document and coordinate your actions with
your regional manager. By the end of the 30
days you should be able to put forward a 90-day
written community plan that involves the entire
team. As the leader going forward, get buy-in
from everyone, confront issues in real time and
keep the team focused on performance results.
Catch everyone doing something good and
don’t be afraid to over-communicate. Individuals will prefer a team led approach just like you
do and will work to keep it going once you have
initiated it as their leader.
P WERLUNCH
I M P A C T
Resident Retention at its Best
•
I N S P I R E
Getting Out of the
Multifamily Bubble
March 16, 2016 | 8:15am-10am
Radisson Hotel Denver Southeast
www.aamdhq.org
I N F L U E N C E
Running with
the Top Dogs
Love Them and They Will Stay:
Don’t wait until you send a renewal letter to show your
residents the love. By that time it could be too late.
Remember, it’s what you do between the time they move in
and the time their lease expires that counts.
•
April 20, 2016 | 11am-1pm
Karen Gladney
National Speaker
Renaissance Hotel Denver Stapleton
Barbara Savona
National MultiFamily Speaker
MARCH 2016 • TRENDS | 11