Page 28 —
COLORADO REAL ESTATE JOURNAL
— October 15-November 4, 2014
303-940-9442
E
xperienced
professionals are
coming to accept that
there are inherent challenges
present when entertaining
millennials in the workforce.
One of the challenges is that
millennials desire to “rise in
the ranks” fast because they
have grown up in a fast world
and in their world, faster is
better.
The reality is that this
philosophy does not match
well when we talk about
managing properties with
education, experience and
ethics. How do we bridge
the gap? How do we help
the members of the new
workforce to achieve their
goals as quickly as possible,
while protecting what makes
a CPM, ARM, ACoM the
premier professional in
the property management
industry? The answer is
simpler than it seems – we
help them!
Considering an advanced
education in property
management? Found the
time and energy required to
understand the educational
requirements, let alone
fulfill them, overwhelming
and time consuming? IREM
Greater Denver Chapter has
recognized the challenge and
has responded by developing
a mentor program available
to help guide new members
through the process.
The consistent comment
heard from new CPMs is, “I
wish I had some help!” or “I
wish I would have known.”
The mentor
program is
designed to
offer that
support
through
individual
mentor/
mentee
relation-
ships.
The most qualified chapter
member to assist a member
new to the designation
process is someone who has
been through it themselves,
allowing mentees to receive
practical suggestions and set
realistic expectations with
guidance from a professional
who has been through the
process.
For those who have
accepted the role as mentor,
there is a commitment.
Consistency is important,
and at least a year in the
program is required. Mentors
do not teach curriculum and
don’t have to be experts in
all property types. Their role
is specific to the process, and
along the way, they may lend
their experience in career
path counseling. Mentors
receive a great deal of support
from the chapter, including
customized tools that help to
track education requirements
and benchmark progress.
Mentors even have scheduled
communication with other
mentors to discuss challenges
and ideas to improve the
experience for their mentees.
Mentees apply to the
program and a mentor is
recommended. The mentee
shares the responsibility
of communication with
the mentor, and if the
mentee ever feels like the
relationship is not working,
he or she can contact the
chapter administrator
for a reassignment. The
communication and tracking
log is forwarded to the new
mentor so that the mentee
doesn’t have to start from
scratch with a new mentor.
The IREM Greater Denver
Chapter is dedicated to the
mentoring process and offers
support and customized tools
to ensure that mentors are
equipped to answer questions
and offer relevant and timely
guidance.
Beyond the practical
guidance through the
education process, the mentor
program offers another
component for millennials:
personal interaction. The
mentor program encourages
face-to-face communication,
inviting our next generation
of property managers to
depart from the quick, flat
emails and texts and sharpen
their personal communication
skills.
If wading through the
criteria and requirements has
been a barrier to beginning
the designation process, don’t
let it delay you one more day.
Let an IREM Greater Denver
mentor be your partner in the
process. Review the details
and apply to be a mentor or
mentee at
.
org.
s
Morris Hack,
CPM
Senior property
manager,
Legacy Partners
Commercial
Inc. Hack also is
chairman of the
IREM Greater
Denver Legislative
Committee.
Universal Protection Service provides the best security
solutions, personalized customer service and unmatched
value available. We now also offer our clients Safety Act
protection from the Department of Homeland Security.
Universal offers an expansive range of security solutions,
consultations and investigations for properties of
every type, including:
Airports
Corporate Campuses
Distribution/Manufacturing
Facilities
Government Facilities
Healthcare Facilities
Office Buildings
Petrochemical Facilities
Residential Communities
Retail Centers
Educational Facilities
For more information call
Lorie Libby at 303-901-9037
