Collaboration in corporate real estate departments can be difficult when there is a sense of competition between team members. However, as much as we love competition here at REoptimizer®, it is important to remember that it takes a team effort in optimizing your portfolio. There are a few simple ways to create an environment where workers want to, and can, collaborate on tasks more efficiently in the corporate real estate department.
Information Sharing
Setting up an internal office wiki in the corporate real estate department allows workers to access the most important and latest information. Here, they can also be informed about any changes that have occurred. Employees can also share their own ideas and opinions on a range of subjects such as solutions to ongoing problems or new issues that have arisen. It may be beneficial to seek out software systems built with the corporate real estate environment in mind.
Face-Time
Face-time in corporate real estate comes at a premium, so it is important to get the most out of it, especially when considering the opportunities of meeting participants to ask key question and get clearer answers quickly (hopefully).
Relying solely on electronic communication is not sufficient to ensure collaboration in corporate real estate. It is recommended for the department to hold regular meetings where co-workers can talk face to face. Many people find it easier to express themselves in these situations and the chance of misunderstandings is reduced. Unfortunately this can prove difficult for the ever-traveling real estate professional. Thankfully in this 21st century, we have wonderful technologies like Skype, GoToMeeting, and WebEx that lend an in-person feel to what would otherwise be just another disengaging conference call.
Remember to have a clear purpose laid out beforehand including goals or objectives that are to be met. During the meeting, participants should not stray too far from the original intent of the meeting in order to avoid wasting time. Attendees should always feel like the meetings are beneficial to their work.
Defined Roles
This final point goes far beyond the connotations in a job title: understanding one's purpose in the company refers to responsibilities and relations to others in a project team. Other members of staff should know whom to turn to when they need support making collaborations easier.
In the corporate real estate department, employees need to know what is expected of them in meeting such goals as leveraging market intelligence or to better position your company in lease negotiations. These sorts of ventures should not be seen as individual efforts; rather everyone on a team needs to get involved.
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