While the shift to working remotely has not been without its challenges, perhaps the biggest benefit has been the ease of commute from the breakfast table to the home office. However, therein lies the problem, the blurring of the lines between home and work. Across all industries, including the property management industry, employees are struggling to separate home life from work life and stay happy and productive in both.
Here are some proven techniques for mastering the art of working remotely.
Maintain Regular Hours
Set your work schedule and stick to it. Knowing when to call it a day helps set clear boundaries between work and home life. When creating your schedule, take into account other obligations you may have now, such as child care, create a schedule that lets you take care of those things as well. Share your schedule, not only with your co-workers, but also with family members, so they know you are “off limits” during your work hours.
Create Work Triggers
Prior to the pandemic, getting out the door and into the morning commute acted as a “work mode trigger.” Commute times vary, but research has shown that the ideal, most desirable commute time is approximately 16 minutes. So, if you are working from home take this time to transition into work mode by planning your day. You may even want to take a brisk 16-minute walk, re-entering your home and going straight to work.
Block Off Productive Time
If smaller tasks and interruptions are eating up your most productive time, it’s time to do a little time blocking to protect your most productive hours. What’s your most productive time? First thing in the morning? Directly after lunch? Whenever it is, reserve this time for deep focus, to do your most meaningful, productive work. Turn off distractions and tackle specific tasks.
Eat the Frog
Brian Tracy’s famous “eat-the-frog” technique was inspired by the Mark Twain quote that says if the first thing you do each morning is to eat a live frog, nothing worse is going to happen to you for the rest of the day. In Tracy’s classic time-management book, Eat That Frog, your “frog” is your biggest, most important task, and also the one you are most likely to procrastinate on. As you create your daily to-do list, prioritize it with that one must-do item, or a series of smaller tasks that help you accomplish your one big goal.
Connect & Collaborate
Leverage technology that helps you connect and collaborate with your team. Many property management teams have taken to having standing meetings in the morning – 10-15 minute Zoom check-ins where everyone lists their daily priority, and any bottlenecks are discussed or action-items identified. It helps keep everyone connected and on the same page, and mimics face-to-face time in the office.
Property management software has allowed property teams to collaborate easily and has been the foundation to ‘business as usual in usual times.’ From being able to manage tenant requests through online portals, to coordinating inspections and tracking maintenance to delivering owner reports, web-based software keeps all documentation and communication centralized and organized.
Switch Off
Feierabend is a cool German word which refers both to the end of the working day and the act of switching off from work entirely. It stems from two words: Feier meaning evening and Abend meaning a party. (And, the spin-off word is Feierabendbier, the beer you have upon finishing work.) In other words, Feierabend is the time you celebrate what you’ve accomplished and transition to personal time. This may involve an after work bite to eat or a drink with a friend, an evening jog, or working on a crossword. Whatever it may be, a routine that helps you unwind and disconnect from your workday helps keep people fresh and prevents burnout.
Property Vista Helps Remote Teams
Web-based and simple to use, Property Vista’s robust suite of tools reduce vacancies, cut risk and increase cashflow and improve tenant relations, giving you the sturdy foundation you need to start building opportunities and growth.
And, Property Vista has integrated online payments into the tenant-accessible portal. The user-friendly layout guides renters step-by-step, whether they want to simply pay online or setup regular scheduled payments. From online applications to digital lease renewals, Property Vista's SaaS software solution can help you run your business, no matter whether your teams are at home, on site or in the office.
To see our pricing and arrange a demo, visit PropertyVista.com/pricing.
