Property managers may have concerns about the efficiency of maintenance workers when they’re not being supervised, but a recent study published in the Journal of Applied Psychology showed that a boss-less environment may actually boost employee performance.
The report was written by several Texas A&M University professors who explored the growing trend of horizontal management styles within businesses. Their findings revealed that peer pressure can create an environment in which employees are driven to resolve problems more efficiently than in traditional leadership structures.
Professor Stephen Courtright said that empowering employees to make important decisions can lead to faster and better service. Rather than having front-line workers, such as maintenance crews, stop to check with their supervisors, they should be provided with the information necessary to make decisions consistent with company policies.
The increase of mobile technology can provide the tools staff members need to handle situations effectively on their own. We’ve said before on our blog: making your workforce mobile is where successful property management is headed – don’t be left behind!
With the added bonus of real-time insights, mobile property management tools allow property managers to monitor their workforce activity (and efficiency) remotely and stay current on whether employees are meeting their goals. (If you haven’t already, be sure to check out our piece on creating a remote workforce here.)
Needs some guidance on managing remote employees? Leadership IQ CEO Mark Murphy shares what he believes are the top three necessities (and we agree!):
Connection: There are relationships and bonds managers must make with their employees to establish trust.
Alignment: It’s up to managers to ensure everybody is reading off the same page; that they’re focusing on the right things. The strength and clarity of message naturally degrades when employees are located at a distance from their leaders. Remote managers must increase the frequency and focus of their communication so employees know exactly what they’re intending and can respond.
Accountability: This is one of the biggest challenges in face-to-face environments. It is exacerbated in remote situations. Managers must balance the obvious autonomy that comes from working remotely with the need for transparency to achieve significant accountability with remote workers.
