If I were an architect I wouldn’t even consider working for a firm that didn’t have CADD drawing capability. Hell, these days there’s even software for funeral homes. Where’s our stuff? I don’t mean accounting or bill paying stuff. I mean, where is my let me be better stuff? And don’t be confused by a fast computer with a high speed internet connection. No, that’s just hardware. As Property Managers and Asset Managers many of us (far too many of us) go to work for firms that have nothing in the way of technology systems and procedures for helping us do our jobs. Now, more than ever technology is needed as more and more analysis and reporting requirements are being pushed down onto the property manager. We have all gotten’ those late Friday calls about another report someone you don’t know needs immediately or who knows what might happen. And you can just forget training! I’ll bet a lot of employers don’t even know what to teach. They wonder why we develop bad habits or are not able to find documents or answer easy questions quickly. Think of all those different excel spread sheets we’ve all done. When was the last time you were trained? I mean trained where you took away a real skill that made you better at your job. I assume you want to be better? Right? (By the way, being better can also mean showing someone how to find the answer to their own damn questions. You know, teach them how to fish and they can feed themselves.) As more and more institutional money enters the business it brings along white shirt analysts asking all those sophisticated MBA type questions. Wouldn’t it be easier if they went straight to the information instead of buggin you? If this was any other industry…Oh! Let me just stop! ...So, maybe next time you consider working for someone you should ask what do you have to offer? What technology and training are you going to give me? We need to know-Where’s our Stuff!
