5 Signs of a Productive Property Management Professional

By now we’ve touched on a number of things that can rob an organization of its productivity, thereby reducing employee output and ultimately the bottom line. What about those people who have overcome these obstacles? What type of behaviors do they exhibit that help them stay on task and focused, and avoid the common distractions that we all face? Let’s take a moment to examine 5 distinct signs of a productive person.

A productive property management professional:

Doesn’t multi-task

It probably goes against everything you’ve been told, but the truth is juggling too many balls is a sure-fire way to end up off-course. Productive people tackle one task at a time and only move on when each is completed. Obviously there are certain instances when this isn’t feasible, particularly given the fast-paced nature of property management, but whenever possible, try to remain focused on completing each task in order of importance.

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Drills down on their goals

Setting goals is a cornerstone of success, but actually achieving those goals in an efficient manner can be a challenge. The loftier and more open-ended the goal, the harder it will be to accomplish. Productivity starts by creating and adhering to specific, ordered tasks. Take your goal and drill it down into milestones, and then drill each milestone down into individual tasks. Now you have something to work with that is much more achievable.

Proactively eliminates distractions

Here is where you’ll need to apply some of the techniques and suggestions we’ve covered in previous posts. Close your office door, set aside specific uninterrupted time to tackle your email inbox, put your phone on do-not-disturb. Make a concerted effort to minimize everyday distractions and you’ll see your productivity improve exponentially.

Uses all the tools available to them

In an earlier post we discussed a number of electronic tools that can help boost productivity and efficiency, such as calendar applications, task managers, email organizers and web conferencing products. Productive people use every tool within their arsenal to help them remain on task and at the peak of their performance.

Works primarily in 60-90 minute intervals

Because the human brain uses up a lot of glucose, working for longer stretches than 60-90 minutes at a time can leave you feeling tired and burnt out. Productive people recognize this and incorporate breaks into their daily routines to refresh and rejuvenate themselves. Doing this will help you stay focused on each task and complete them more efficiently.

It’s important to point out that with respect to the property management industry, and its many unique aspects, productivity doesn’t necessarily refer to simply completing a lot of work in a short period of time. Rather, it refers to the ability to create a lot of high impact, quality work in a given amount of time. Mirroring the characteristics highlighted here can help your organization achieve the level of quality productivity and efficiency that will produce results.