Think Outside the Office Box – Developing Remote Teams for the Community Management Business Space

THINK OUTSIDE THE DEVELOPING OFFICE BOX REMOTE TEAMS FOR THE COMMUNITY MANAGEMENT BUSINESS SPACE BY CLINT McCLURE, CCAM

PING PONG, BASKETBALL, NAP-TIME AND FREE FOOD. No, I am not talking about recess for your kids; these are some of the things big business has been providing to employees with the goal of having those employees live, work and play at work … and work very long hours. The last 10 years have been a good test of this model for large businesses with large campuses and thousands of employees, but whether it really provides increased retention, happier employees and better work product remains in question.

Even if it does achieve these objectives, this model really isn’t applicable to most community management companies. Sure, a few may opt for a break room with ping pong or an outside basketball court, but for the most part our employees, especially managers, are out in the field, and ping pong is just not an option.

Another prevalent model that is catching on rapidly with businesses, both big and small, calls for a distributed work force with significant flexibility. This model does have applicability for our industry, and although it may not be a perfect match for everyone, it offers many advantages over a traditional office environment. Of course, like anything, the devil is in the details, and for this model to work, it needs to be carefully implemented, clearly communicated and closely monitored.

EMPLOYEES NEED A REASON TO GET UP

When hiring an employee, rate of pay is not everything. In fact, metrics show that work/ life balance options actually provide happier, more productive employees. If you don’t give it

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Think Outside the Office Box

Continued from page 54 to them, they will likely look for it elsewhere – probably on your time and dime.

We are in a national and state-wide shortage of available talent that is forecasted to continue. 1 So, more than ever before, it is important to focus on how to retain and attract the best personnel possible, while decreasing the very expensive element of office space. Forrester Research had projected that more than 63 million U.S. adults (43 percent) would telecommute at least occasionally in 2016, while Gallup’s annual Work and Education poll put the number somewhat lower at 37 percent in 2015. Whatever the actual number, it is clear that businesses throughout the country are realizing the many advantages of a partial to full distributed work force model.

Great, so how do we actually do this and set it up for success? Consider implementing the following:

Offer one to two days a week where employees work from home Set up work from home policies that address quietness of the environment for phone call consistency and online time clock check ins and outs Implement customer service management tools for a team approach, whereby all members of the accounting, administrative or management team can work together to address challenges, all while increasing employee accountability Hone the procedures for exactly what the employee will be responsible for while working from home Set metric reviews to evaluate total calls, rate of calls and emails, customer feedback, other applicable work product and, most importantly, employee satisfaction

There is a common misconception that when people work from home they are less motivated to do a good job and timeliness goes down as a result. This is simply not the case. IBM notes “teleworkers are 50 percent more productive than their office-bound counterparts” and Cisco reports an estimated savings of $277 million in productivity by allowing employees to telecommute and telework” 2 if the employee has, or is taught, the skill set to time manage and the company has the ability to track metrics for work product.

EMBARKING ON THE DISTRIBUTED WORK FORCE MODEL

All too often the company as a whole has not yet put in place technology to track elements of work productivity, so the only way to know if someone is actually working is if they are at their desk. We all know this does not always translate to productive work time. Instead, why not develop the framework and tools that will

Build a balance between time in the office with team members For a truly distributed workforce, set up video conference, chat or the like to encourage team involvement Define the job standards and set ways to track metrics Bring the employee into the metrics so they understand the accountability required and see the effect of their effort on their metrics Set up ways for each employee to share with their team in some capacity – this may be at a monthly team meeting or more frequently

Empowering the employee, setting checks and balances and increasing transparency of work are the keys to a successful distributed work model. The company-wide result is happier, morefulfilled employees and better work product. And you can replace your cube farm with a ping pong table and snacks!

Clint McClure, CACM, AMS, CCAM is President of MMI- McClure Management Inc.

1 Man Power Group. “2015 Talent Shortage Infographic.” Man Power Group. US. Man Power Group. Web. 18 May 2016.

2 Presson, Liz “Remote Work, Distributed Teams & Independent Worker Statistics.” Working Remote.ly. Web. 18 May 2016.

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CACM’s global ends statement establishes that our association exists “so that members enjoy an environment necessary for professional success.” Each and every decision we are asked to make at the CACM board level is measured against this statement. And, as the articles in this edition of Vision magazine clearly demonstrate, CACM has never been more poised to support your career path and goals. Like myself, so many community managers come to our industry from other fields such as city management, recreation, ministry and hospitality. Many of these named trades offer transferable skills and experiences including public service, communication, customer service and building a sense of community; all very important foundational skills in our evolving industry. At the beginning of this year, CACM introduced a total of nine membership levels for managers, businesses and affiliates to specifically engage members at the beginning level of their career through those advanced and tenured members that serve in leadership and/or executive roles. The new membership model was an assertive, perhaps aggressive, agenda focused on the needs of our growing membership.

In addition to foundational skills and access to appropriate membership levels, CACM has over 175 educational offerings in 2016. A majority of these course offerings mirror the needs of our membership in providing education in the basics of association management, coursework and testing towards earning a CCAM certificate, specialty courses reflecting our member’s service in specific environments (active adult, high rise, portfolio and large scale) and for those wishing to attain the highest California specific level, the MCAM (Master of Community Association Management) designation.

A new membership level designation, CAMEx, is specifically designed for leaders and executives to give back to the industry. In contrast to earning the designation by taking educational coursework, credits are earned when a member provides service to CACM in the form of faculty positions, serving on session panels, authoring articles and serving on a CEO or board committee.

One specific offering targeted at our CAMEx executive level and leadership members was the CEO Business Forum held in June. Sessions were offered on what it means to be an employer of choice, trends in the workforce and financial conditions and forecasts impacting our association businesses. CACM is willing to hit issues head on, and those of us attending the CEO Business Forum had the opportunity to engage with a panel of founding members and executives from Airbnb to address the growing trend of short-term rental experiences in our client communities.

CACM is evolving with our industry to serve our community manager, business and affiliate partner members in multiple ways. Don’t miss the opportunity with CACM to plan your professional future.

On behalf of the CACM Board, Kathryn Henricksen, CCAM Board Chair

HELP SHAPE THE FUTURE OF THE COMMUNITY MANAGEMENT INDUSTRY

There are many opportunities to serve, and we want you! Whether you are ready to join the CACM board of directors or are just starting your involvement with our organization, your participation will be welcomed and valued.

Speak or be a panelist at a CACM event Author articles for Vision magazine Serve on our Legislative Committee and/or help to lobby specific public policy issues Support and participate in our Political Action Committee Teach a course or lead a case study discussion Review candidates for Specialty Certificates or MCAM certifications Attend the CEO Business Forum

CACM board of director nominations are made in the fall and elections are held in early December. Successful candidates for the board are able to demonstrate a record of service and leadership within the industry. Why not start building that record today?

Earn the CAMEx Designation

The CAMEx designation is for those members of CACM who have the highest level of decision-making authority within a management business or community and who are responsible for the strategic direction of their organization including oversight of public policy and keen awareness of macroeconomic factors affecting the community management industry.

The CAMEx is an acknowledgement of your contributions to the industry and your willingness to help shape the industry for the good.

For more information visit www.cacm.org

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