How important is one person to an organization? I’ve always heard that “if you died today, they would replace you tomorrow.” A sobering thought, wouldn’t you agree? If you have experienced a takeover recently, or a management company change, I am sure this topic has come up. So, if you are not an Owner (who usually sets the tone of company culture), how do the coworker relationships affect the onsite property operations at your community?

Sales of properties are common these days as real estate investment is resurging. Teams that weather the storms of these sales may not adapt to the new management company right away, or ever, and it is paramount that corporations understand this and make changes when necessary. I see and have experienced many team members who are staying after the sale who may be wary of the new daily processes they’re now directed to utilize, who may have little experience with new software systems, new ordering processes, and new leasing policies. If there is little training offered, or the training offered covers the basics without step-by-step reference manuals and mentorships, this can cause friction between team members and Regionals and/or their corporate office personnel.

It is important to note that keeping a team in place that has not “drank the company Kool Ade” may eventually sabotage all efforts of a smooth transition. Those who are not “buying” into the processes will not help the success of the new Owner and Management Company. This is not to say that onsite employees won’t love the new Owners and want to make it work with all their hearts and souls. But, when they stay and DON’T work toward that success, and this can be in very subtle ways, it is time to let them go. Look for the signs is my advice and don’t wait until everyone, including residents and vendors are miserable before you cut someone loose. These signs include:

1.       Leasing stops or falls short of goals.

2.       Vendors quit or stop communicating with Management.

3.       Residents come to the Office repeating outlandish rumors that they have heard from onsite employees and are always upset or worse, don’t believe what Office staff tells them.

4.       Staff disregard policies, such as being present for Daily Meetings or promising residents something they cannot deliver.

5.       Staff criticizes everything the new company is asking them to do and passes their opinions to residents, vendors and other employees.

6.       Work orders are deliberately “lost” in the system.

7.       Quality of work is suddenly poor.

I’m sure this is just a drop in the bucket. One person can negatively impact a team 100% and when this happens, their negativity has a ripple effect on the daily property operations. I say, don’t wait for that person to quit, or be coached to find a better fit, show them to the door and find someone else whose attitude reflects positivity and a willingness to be a team member. It might not be easy to find someone else, but it will definitely end the constant tension and help in smoothing out resident, coworker and vendor relationships in the long run.