In one of our recent posts we covered How to Hire and Retain the Right People for Your Property Management Team. Once you have built a strong team that is full of potential, it’s critical to keep members of that team happy and emotionally invested in their work.

Keeping staff engaged can make your organization stronger over time and give it an edge over the competition. Remember this very important truth;

“The way your employees feel is the way your customers will feel. And if your employees don’t feel valued, neither will your customers.” — Sybil F. Stershic

With that in mind, let’s explore ways to keep your property management staff engaged. Many of these tips are common sense, but with so much on our plates each day, we all could use some helpful reminders.

Know your vision and share it passionately

As we discussed previously, you need a Vision for your Property Management organization, to give yourself and your employees a roadmap for where you want to go. If you feel inspired by your vision, your employees will feel the same and they will happily work hard to bring the company closer to that vision.

“The only way to do great work is to love what you do.” — Steve Jobs

Equip staff with tools for success

Don’t assume that they have all of the tools, training and support they need to do their jobs effectively. Everyone learns and works differently, and roles and tasks sometimes evolve and change as technology and the marketplace changes. So the best thing to do is to ask each person individually if they have everything they need and invite them to make suggestions for tools, training or technology that will help them to shine in their roles.

Build a culture of communication

Encourage collaboration and the sharing of ideas by making employees feel that all suggestions are appreciated and will be considered. Be sure that people are not afraid to contribute or constructively say what’s on their mind. Use training sessions, interoffice correspondence, status meetings and casual company get-togethers as opportunities to reinforce your vision and keep employees inspired and on track to help the company achieve its overall goals.

Create opportunities for ownership

Get all employees, from senior management to frontline staff, involved in the planning and decision-making process. Ask for their input and use their ideas where you can. This way they will feel passion and ownership for procedures and initiatives that are put into place.

“Research indicates that workers have three prime needs: Interesting work, recognition for doing a good job, and being let in on things that are going on in the company.” — Zig Ziglar

Give praise when praise is due

Provide positive feedback for a job well done as often as possible to encourage more of the same performance. Acknowledging employee contributions and achievements publicly to their peers is also a highly effective way to foster engagement and continued passion for the job. On the other side of the same coin, it is equally important to give negative feedback in a timely and professional way, so that people have the opportunity to understand expectations and improve their performance.

“The simple act of paying positive attention to people has a great deal to do with productivity.” — Tom Peters

And finally… Make work fun!

Be aware of the big picture — that most people just want to do good work, make a difference and be happy. So lighten up and smile often, because it’s contagious. If you are the type of manager who is mainly concerned with the bottom line, then consider the fact that unhappy or frustrated people are not very productive. People tend to get more done and produce better results when they are enjoying themselves.
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