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Property management is a role of extremes and requires a person to have good people and communication skills, great attention to detail, be process driven, have a solid attitude, drive, determination and above all else, they must also be a great problem solver.
Blogger: Darren Hunter, international property management trainer
Just about everything that occurs in property management is a problem or puzzle that needs to be solved and in a lot of cases, these problems or puzzles are new and different, never experienced before!
Sometimes circumstances happen that really push our buttons the wrong way! They are complex, difficult and draining mentally and emotionally, and can make us feel like we have just been hit head on by a truck! It is in these situations that you must have in-depth problem solving skills to deal with what might land in your lap at any given moment!
Ten things you must do!
Know your priorities
You need to know if this situation must be dealt with immediately and drop everything else, or if it can wait. Being able to place things in their right order of priority with your task flow is essential!
Communicate with all parties involved
Who are the parties involved? Is it the landlord, the tenant and/or the tradesperson? Do you need to keep your manager or principal and an insurance company up to date with everything that is happening? You must determine who all of the affected parties are and ensure they are all kept thoroughly up to date.
Do you need outside assistance?
What makes something difficult is when we are not sure about what to do. No problem; do you need to get this information from your manager or principal, another property manager in another office, or do you need to call your tenancies advice line? In any case, determine what knowledge you are lacking and find the person or source that can help you with this.
Break the problem down
Sometimes the problem is too great to handle as a whole. Break the problem down into slices like a big block of cheese. Break the problem down into its various components and write them down. It is much easier handling one slice at a time rather than the whole block in one hit!
Evaluate its components in order
Once you have broken the problem down into slices or components, place them into an order of priority. You must ensure that the problem is completely written or recorded (preferably on paper) so that you can refer to it regularly to determine that you are on track with your plan of action in dealing with your complex situation.
Stay tuned for part two!
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