Do you work better alone or in a group setting?

Well, do I have a choice????

You may find yourself in this position of choosing, especially if your company has decided to take advantage of the new surge in the rental market, thereby decreasing the number of staff and eliminating any excess expenses.

During the downturn of the market when concessions were given out right and left, several management companies laid off their “extraneous employees” and insisted everyone else take up the slack. This happened from the top tier of the company down to the office, maintenance and housekeeping staffs. And forget about hiring any contractors to help with the turnover completions. Perhaps it happened to you and you are faced with perhaps working alone or semi-solo, or you are at a smaller management company that handles fewer than 500 units.

Should you decide to become a Team of One, here are a few pointers to consider. It is vital that you understand and KNOW how you work. If you work alone, day after day, you may become prone to experiencing loneliness and suffer from feelings of severe isolation. When you work alone, you are the sole decision-maker for planning your day; therefore you must be committed to becoming organized. You will need to anticipate the needs of the property and the business and act accordingly. You will need office coverage for 6-7 days a week. How will you handle this? One strategy is to work Saturday, take a day off in the week, and keep the office closed on Sundays.

You will also need to understand what motivates you. Otherwise, when you have no one else there to bounce off ideas and brainstorm, you may have trouble staying motivated in getting some boring report completed.

You will also have to deal with interruptions. The phone will ring, Prospects will come to your property expecting someone to be there to greet them and they won’t care that you need to get your supervisor’s approval on the new rent rates or that you need to complete your Monday Morning Report (because it is now Tuesday!) Residents will still be calling in with work order requests or will stop by “just for a minute.”

You will also be responsible for doing Outreach Marketing, the updating the Market Survey, inputting accounts receivables and/or payables, and preparing the Market Readies for their new Residents. It falls on your shoulders, sometimes hard, and there is no break. Not to mention supervising or at least collaborating with the Maintenance Team that may also feel stressed.

Sounds dreadful, doesn’t it? It doesn’t have to be. If you know you will be working alone for the next few weeks or months, you can plan. You may find out you love it! Managers who are also their community’s primary Leasing professional must have excellent time management skills, be organized, and have a great sense of humor because some days you need to laugh! You will be able to work at your own pace. You will monitor your productivity and this by itself may be your best motivator. Every time you get a new lease and someone else moves into your community, you will have the satisfaction of knowing this and hard work.
At a minimum, you should build a support system, either with other professionals through your local Apartment Association, networking group, or just all your friends. No one can be an island! Take breaks, too. Walk the property and seek what comforts (music is usually good.) Make sure your supervisor and you have great communication. Email often. Phone often. Once the novelty of being alone wears off, you don't want it to start wearing you down.

Oftentimes, working alone can enhance your creativity. You may be able to develop skills in a new area, such as creating your facebook page or website, too, depending on your management company's size.
Working alone has both advantages and disadvantages, but it doesn't have to be a horrible experience. It's all in your ability to set boundaries, be comfortable in your own skin and know who you are and what motivates you.