The negative side effects of a heavily siloed company are significant, but apartment operators can build more open and connected environments.
For various reasons—not the least of which is an ongoing pandemic—building a collaborative environment in today's apartment industry can be a challenge. For starters, many companies are sprawling enterprises with numerous departments, and associates often rarely get a chance to know their co-workers in different divisions or understand what they do.
But the negative consequences of a heavily siloed company are significant. Panelists in APTvirtual's "Build a Bridge and Get Over It: Fostering Collaborative Workplaces" session outlined the effects and also detailed ways in which apartment operators can build more open and connected environments.
Employee morale and motivation often decline when team members don't feel part of a bigger picture and when communication from leadership is poor, according to Ellie Norton, Director of Specialty Assets at Pegasus Residential.
"They really feel like they’re being kept in the dark. They don't understand the ‘why,’" Norton said. "They haven't bought into the process and essentially they're just checking off that box. We all know when that happens, we don't see our greatest employee engagement or a true return on any efforts we're making."
Company initiatives can also suffer when departments don't have a chance to collaborate in the early planning stages, according to Norton.
"When you lead in silos, you really lose that important ground intelligence," she said. "Often times, if we would have collaborated well, we probably would have known about an X factor before we even spent the time or resources going down a particular path. When we don't collaborate, we don't get that ground intelligence from other associates or departments that might impact the overall project."
Company leaders can build more collaborative environments when they take the time to explain "the why" behind a policy or project to each department involved, noted Steve Wunch, Regional Vice President of Sales at Knock.
"If teams don't understand why you're asking them to do something or why something matters to your vision, mission or the organization's goals, there's an opportunity for that to be sabotaged very easily," he said.
There are several keys to craft a compelling "why" statement, Wunch added.
"You have to be able to break it down in [each department's] terms. You have to be able to keep it short, simple and clear," he said. "You have to be genuine about the message you're communicating. Have a dialogue with [team members] – don't just talk to them. And frame it in a strategic context."
Being collaborative and open also is critical when it comes to promotions and new hires, said Betsy Kirkpatrick, National Account Executive at BG Multifamily.
"Too often, we promote people due to their proficiency in previous positions without truly helping them to understand the new role and its responsibility," she said. "Helping them understand the big 'whys' will make sure that it's the right fit both for them and the company."
Kirkpatrick recommends that operators "make sure that the application process for any promotion or hiring includes peer conversations where the [applicant] can ask real questions about the day-to-day of the role they are seeking."
Operators have to work diligently to communicate with and train promoted team members and new hires, Kirkpatrick noted.
"Let's take the days of 'throwing people in the deep end' or 'faking it till you make it' or 'drinking form a fire hose' – let's just throw those away and make sure that we truly set up our teams for success," she said.
Chris Moffett, Vice President of Portfolio Maintenance Operations at Middleburg Communities, said leadership teams can build communication within a company by conducting employee surveys.
"Take the time to survey employees more often with attainable goals for the surveys," he said. "Make sure to address the findings directly with the team, not just management. The more that teams see results from these surveys, the more they're going to trust the surveys and the more they're going to trust having this dialogue with management and fellow team members."
Improved communication within a company has no shortage of benefits, he added.
"Effective communication is going to help us better navigate the personalities we work with, and this improved navigation is going to help us with the flow of information that's breeding company-wide collaboration and buy-in," Moffett said. "Why on earth would we choose to limit these effects?"
Stephen Ursery is a Content Manager for LinnellTaylor Marketing.