Tips for Better Time Management Managing a condominium requires a special personality type think Type A, a multi-tasker who can juggle many jobs simultaneously, deal with all kinds of people and personalities, one who is organized to the nth degree. But sometimes even the best organizer can unwittingly let a stray project or urgent response fall through the cracks. We asked ACMO managers and senior executives for their best-ever time management tips. If you have a tried and true tip that you would like to share, let us know (editor@acmo.org) and we will post them on our blog. 42 CM CONDOMINIUM MANAGER MAGAZINE, SUMMER 2014 Bigstock.com/egal
Time management is the act or process of planning and implementing conscious control over the amount of time spent on a specific activity, especially to increase effectiveness, efficiency or productivity. The time of day is the same; it is how we prioritize, delegate and utilize our skill that makes us effective. Respect your time, discipline yourself, each day will bring on new challenges. Planning well in advance of a project is very helpful, particularly if information is required from other outside sources. Scrambling is stressful and leaves room for error. Providing your board of directors and staff with a list of ongoing projects well in advance can be very beneficial; it then allows everyone to prepare, and to be aware. Implementing We all know after a board meeting there are many jobs to implement. Don t put off what you can do today. Implementing projects by email can sometimes take longer than picking up the phone and providing the direction or instructions. Try not to schedule a large project on a Friday, a lot can go wrong. Try to keep those large projects between Monday to Thursday if possible. Prioritizing Each day review your to do list. Not to say every item on that priority list will be done, but at least it is on the top of the list. Try to look at your priority list again during the day to ensure you SPECIAL TO CM haven t missed anything that requires your immediate attention. Multitasking This is a good quality; remember stay focused on the prioritized list. Learn the difference between urgent and important. Delegating Delegate and continue to oversee the task. Be specific about how you would envision this task to be completed. Entrust to whom you have delegated, this can be of great benefit in getting the work completed. Delegating helps your staff to learn and to be a team member. Communicating With your residents, staff and board will help reduce many unnecessary phone calls, emails and visits to the office. Don t be afraid to ask your colleagues, whether they be from the same company or a friend at another management company, for their opinion on problem solving. Those difficult situations can take up more time than we can imagine; you re not alone, don t be afraid to ask questions. Utilize new technology. Pick a time to return your phone calls or answer emails as this helps to keep organized. It is difficult to say no; saying no can be done very diplomatically and in many different ways. Offering an alternative day and/or time to deal with the nonemergency situations, will be helpful. Tired of contractors who are never on time and always over budget? www.cplgroup.ca 1.888.634.0082 follow us: CM CONDOMINIUM MANAGER MAGAZINE, SUMMER 2014 43
Procrastinating You are not alone, believe me when that job or task that you have been putting off is completed, it is so rewarding. Even though I have always been a manager with high energy, I continue to try and abide by the examples provided above; it is an ongoing journey. Heather Fitzerald, RCM, Senior Property Manager Brookfield Condominium Services Time management is a planning tool to assist us to look after many condominium corporations. It is the 20/80 ratio rule where 20% of the communities require 80% of our attention and 20% of the residents are in need of more attention. Therefore, identifying this 20% would be the first priority of work. We can then allocate our time allowing us to centre our activity on these issues. It is helpful to have a to do list that lists the issues of every community and allows us to follow-up on a daily basis to update the status. Shlomo Sharon, CEO Taft Management Inc. Handle it once Deal with it. Delegate it or File it and At the beginning of each week, number the things you need to do in order of importance. If you get the big things done first, you may be surprised at how much time you will have left over to take care of the little things. But, remember, it doesn t work the other way around! Get a pocket planner and prioritize what you need to do. Perhaps one of the following could also work for you: Cellphone calendar, small notepad, computer calendar, desk calendar. Irene Luna, RCM Time management for me is having a balance in all aspects of my life be it work, social and personal. I know that I have effectively managed my time if I have accomplished the task I have set to do in a day and at the same time I am able to accomplish my personal goals for the day and still have time to socialize with friends and family. I learned these tips from my mentors. It worked well for me and thought this would be worth sharing. I start and end my day with gratitude as there is so much to be thankful for (regardless of what state I am in my life). I am simply thankful that I am able to do what I do. I make sure I get enough sleep. It is not always easy but I do my best that I give myself the rest I deserve. I figure that I am able to function better and I am more productive if I am rested. I make a to do list the night before and categorize items by importance. This gives me an idea of what my day is going to be like. This way I am able to schedule my activities effectively. There are of course unforeseen events that often happen at work (which makes my day more interesting) but having a list always gets me back to where I left my task and I can always go back to it. 44 CM CONDOMINIUM MANAGER MAGAZINE, SUMMER 2014
I prepare my work clothes before going to bed as I have noticed that deciding what to wear always take much of my time. Having it set out the night before saves me a lot of time in the morning. I set my alarm clock 30 minutes earlier so I have time to do my stretching before going to work in the morning and also I give myself at least an hour of personal time in the evening. Last but not least when I start my day right I am happier, I am more understanding with people, I am more tolerant, and whoever I meet often feel that happy and positive energy. This is my driving force in life to create a positive impact in someone s life in my own simple way. When that happens, I can retire my day happy and satisfied and I am ready to start another day again. My time management is an ongoing process I learn every day and I change my strategy every so often to fit my needs and demands at work, and the personal and social aspects of my life. Corrine Tinaco, RCM As we all know time management is one thing that can be very difficult. It is not hard in our day-to-day operations to be easily distracted from one minute to the next, with one resident after another coming into our offices. For me the best way to get done what needs to get done is to work behind a closed door, not taking any phone calls for at least 1 2 hours daily. Even though my policy is an open door policy sometimes you need to have the quiet time to get everything done in a timely manner. Ron Britt, RCM Del Property Management Inc. The M in manager should stand for multitasker. It is the nature of our job. Although many of us thrive on the fact that we never know what to expect from day to day, it is also a fact that this sort of unpredictability creates stress. If you are stressed, you are unable to see the big picture much less make effective use of your time. My best tip for any manager would be to set aside some me time daily. Whether that means walking the grounds on a sunny day, or closing your office door to create some tranquility, it is a 15-minute break that will re-energize you, help you gain perspective and in turn help you accomplish more. Nena Gajic, RCM Brookfield Condominium Services What I have always found works well for me is to set time lines and due dates for every task. I also make extensive use of Outlook to track each tasks. I also prioritize and with a large portfolio try to group my appointments and tasks together to avoid multiple trips to the building. Communicating well and in advance is helpful. This avoids additional time explaining or resolving issues which frees me up to do other tasks. Andre Le Blanc, RCM Briarlane Condominium Property Management The Buck Starts Here. Wondering where to get the bucks for unexpected or large repair and maintenance expenses without depleting your reserve funds or facing unpopular lump-sum assessments? The buck starts with CondoCorp Term Financing. Condominium corporations can pay large repair bills over time, in convenient monthly installments. Almost any type of project can be financed from the garage to the roof, inside or out. The buck starts here, with CondoCorp Term Financing so you can get your repair, upgrade or retrofit done right away, before it gets worse and costs go even higher. Call for more information and a list of satisfied customers. CondoCorp Term Financing from Morrison Financial Services Limited Carly Smith (416) 391-3535 CM CONDOMINIUM MANAGER MAGAZINE, SUMMER 2014 45
approach helps you! Mirella Kovach, RCM Wilson Blanchard Management Inc. My best tip for any manager would be to set aside some me time daily. For property managers there never seems to be enough time. I have discovered two key tools that help me in my work. The first is when faced with competing deadlines: I plan one thing at a time or by priority. When faced with prioritizing, I pick my number one and delegate the other tasks. Delegation ties in with the second key tool: using technology. Outlook Calendar is an excellent resource. We use our calendars for meetings and deadlines and by utilizing the calendar as a task organizer I set reminders and easily hand off a project task by sending it as an invitation. This keeps me on top of the deadline and reminds me to touch base with my staff in the meeting reminder. Give it a try and see if this Learn to say No. Saying No is always more important than saying YES. The key to time management is learning to say no, which takes time and discipline to learn. We often find ourselves saying yes when asked to take on another task, even though we fear we won t have the time to accomplish it this leads to stress. We want to be helpful, but there are only 24 hours in a day. You must know your limits by constantly prioritizing. Learn to say no before your time management woes turn into stress management nightmares. Say No at least once today! Roseann Gore, RCM DON'T MISS ANY NEWS! Follow ACMO on Facebook. Top quality solutions, custom designed specifically for your building s needs. Submetering. Good For You. 46 CM CONDOMINIUM MANAGER MAGAZINE, SUMMER 2014 P. 1.866.836.3837 E. info@prioritymeter.com www.prioritymeter.com