CREJ - Property Management Quarterly - April 2016
Showing respect and kindness goes a long way. No one should ever feel that he matters little to others. As we are bombarded daily with negative messages, political warping, critical sports analysts, wild stock market swings, adverse worldwide events and daily confrontations, it is easy to become negative and intolerant. I was speaking with a colleague the other day about a comment his former employer made to a forklift driver. The employer looked at the forklift driver and said, “That’s why I am an executive, and you’re still driving a forklift.” When we consider ourselves more important than others, it is a sign of disrespect. What’s more, if you treat a man as how he could be, he will become what he could be, said Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. In an atmosphere of encouragement and confidence more can be accomplished than in an atmosphere of criticism. Tragically, there are many who become much less than they could be because they are discouraged and made to feel unimportant, unpromising and unappreciated. When property managers deal with confrontation, they must not choose to be offensive but rather choose to be kind. There is no need for contention. The vocabulary we use and the tone in which we present our suggestions and insights can make us more effective. When I visited a vendor about its noncompliance with respect to the rules and procedures established for the building, I paused before our meeting to make sure I was in the right frame of mind. It is not an enjoyable task to advise another that he is noncompliant. Responses can run the spectrum from good to bad, based on how we engage and present the issue. I find that when reproof is given, it is always better to extend with kindness and respect. When presented the right way, each side has the opportunity to listen and understand one another, share opinions and reach a clear resolution as well as identify steps to take to rectify the noncompliance. The relationship became stronger, instead of weaker or damaged. If our behavior for handling confrontation is patterned after our current presidential political debates, it is time to change the channel! What a terrible way to conduct business. If your mindset is to extort, intimidate, threaten, squelch and win at any cost, it is time to get out of property management. Instead, your mindset must be to treat people positively and give them confidence and encouragement. It really is that important and that simple. There is a direct correlation with a property manager’s success and how she treats her teammates, tenants, contractors and owners. “The deepest hunger in human beings is the desire to be appreciated,” said author William James. Great property managers understand this key principle and apply it in their daily interactions. They are patient, caring, encouraging and extend heart-felt appreciation for all that others do. There are negative influences around us that we must resist. I notice a real lack of tolerance in construction jobs. Construction represents a change. In order to construct something new, inevitably there will be noise, interruption, delays and changes to your normal routine. A little patience, understanding and respect will serve us all well during these improvements. As we live by trial and error and there is no perfection in any of us, we get to practice on each other. Much of our time is spent at work; therefore, we have a lot of interactions that could cause hard feelings and resentment. We talk of world peace, but often we don’t know how to get along with our colleagues. However, there are countless learning opportunities to show patience, kindness, forbearance, love, forgiveness and my favorite – humor. Choose not to go down the lower road of accusations, judgments and annoyance. Changing the inner energy is essential. It is our choice.