Like it or not, the world of work is changing and the property management industry is no exception. With so many twists and turns happening, it’s impossible to make it through unscathed without the ability to adapt accordingly. But effectively managing change within an organization is no easy feat, especially for larger enterprises. If your company is facing the need to make some changes, whether it’s adopting new technology or making a complete cultural transformation, here are a few pointers to help make things go a little more smoothly.
Start at the top
Change is never easy, but if you don’t have executive buy-in, you’ll never get anywhere. First, make a business case for how the proposed change will benefit the company (focusing on impact to the bottom line, if possible). Then, remind leadership that they must stand strong and united as that change is rolled out. All other employees will be looking to those in command to help guide them and lead by example, so those in charge must be prepared.
Identify and address barriers
There are a lot of reasons people will resist change. The main one is fear. Whatever change you’re trying to enact within your property management firm, the key to success is helping people overcome those obstacles, and you can’t do that until you’ve identified and acknowledged them. Show employees that you understand their concern, but that there’s no need to worry.
Pinpoint champions
For every few employees that resist proposed change, there will be one who is all for it. Locating and leveraging these champions of your cause is essential to the successful rollout of change because these individuals will lead the charge on your behalf (and recruit others at the same time). For example, we recommend organizations that adopt our property management software identify power-users to help get others excited about the benefits and new opportunities.
Related Post: How to Effectively Manage Change In Your Property Management Firm
Communicate regularly
Another thing that makes people feel uneasy about change is when they feel as though they’re left out of the loop. It can be easy to get caught up in the details and forget to keep the lines of communication open, but this is absolutely critical if you’re going to manage change effectively within your organization. Always let people know what’s going on. They’ll feel much better about the process.
Prepare for and accept roadblocks, then move on
Understand that managing change isn’t easy and it’s not always perfect either. No matter how well you’ve planned ahead, there may very well be some bumps in the road along the way. By recognizing that mistakes will probably be made and accepting this while also keeping a positive outlook and always pushing forward, you’ll have a much better chance of coming out on the other side relatively unscathed.
What did we miss? Have you recently enacted change within your property management firm and have a success story to share? We’d love to hear it! Please share in the comments below.
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