Page 8 - NJ Cooperator Summer 2020

8 THE NEW JERSEY COOPERATOR —SUMMER 2020 NJCOOPERATOR.COM MANAGEMENT The duties of a property manager are manage, they have all learned lessons on without getting completely overwhelmed? contacted for this article, Rapolla says he multiple and multifaceted. Starting the the job that allow them to provide essential “Having a plan is essential,” DiFlaminies prefers to set his early mornings aside for day before dawn, and remaining on-call services for their clients, in both normal says. “The unknown is stressful, but that email responses, and informs his team that throughout the night and even on week- ends, managers have to deal with a dizzying array of duties—everything from the physi- cal upkeep of the property to staff manage- ment and vendor procurement, to dealing dominium in Boston. The building is not personal protective equipment (PPE) and residents are home all day and have a lot of with interpersonal conflicts and communi- cation—not just with boards and residents, staff—along with the newly moved-in resi- but with vendors, service providers, and dents of the building—are still getting ac- municipal personnel, too. Managers are quainted with one other, and coping with importantly—communication about all of ment, and then just keep moving through.” responsible for protecting and maintaining the operational challenges that so often it to residents, made the challenges easier the integrity of properties that in many cas- es represent owners’ single biggest invest- ment, as well as their quality of life. That’s a and you have a potential recipe for rapid to function smoothly while avoiding the out as a manager. Rapolla praises his wife lot of pressure. Given these high stakes, one might rea- sonably assume that burnout is rampant on: a hospitality background, including among property managers. But the man- agers consulted for this article conveyed of the Four Seasons Hotel Boston. He has separation between their jobs and their in DiFlaminies’s case, when facemasks were something quite different; according to parlayed that experience into his new role, personal lives. These men and women are hard to come by to protect his staff from them, the variability—and sometimes even and infused it in his staff as well. It’s proven often generous with their time even after COVID-19, his wife stepped in to produce the stress—of their daily tasks are what essential to maintaining and even ramping spending so many hours each day officially 40 or 50 masks at her sewing machine. Of- make the job interesting. The rewards of up the full-service offerings at PIER4, while on the clock. But for many, it’s just part of ten the families of people with essential, de- seeing the effect their work has on people simultaneously adjusting staff roles to ac- keeps them going—over lifelong careers commodate enhanced cleaning schedules working hard is “a force of habit.” in the industry, in many cases. And while and other shifting priorities brought about each has their unique personal approach by the pandemic. to the different types of communities they times and in crises. Lesson 1: Be Prepared Jeremy DiFlaminies is the general man- ager of PIER4, a full-service, 106-unit con- even a year old, so DiFlaminies and his sanitizing products early on. Having those time on their hands to observe—and com- come with brand-new construction. Add to to face. Keeping himself and his staff edu- that an unprecedented global health crisis, cated and prepared allows the building phone calls is another key to avoiding burn- burnout. Luckily, DiFlaminies has a secret weap- 10 years managing the residential portion But how does he accomplish all of this in New Jersey, has a similar work ethic. He stress can be mitigated by policy and prep- aration.” Knowing this, DiFlaminies took those emails in the same wee hours. Such a proactive approach to the impending expectations are especially important in COVID-19 crisis and acquired plenty of the current shut-down environment when in place, in addition to a plan for package ment on—their communities. “You have to deliveries, amenities, and—perhaps most stop and breathe,” he advises. “Take a mo- kind of compounded stress that can lead to for being understanding about late-night burnout. Lesson 2: Set Expectations Property managers tend to have a thin and the calls on weekends. It helps.” And their nature; DiFlaminies says that for him, manding jobs like those of property man- Vincent Rapolla, Director of Field Op- erations for Denali Property Management has been in his position with the company since February, but has been in the com- munity association management business for 15 years, managing a variety of Garden State properties and now overseeing other management teams across his portfolio. Rapolla says this experience has allowed him to accept the long hours his job entails and to create strategies that prevent him from feeling overburdened. “Knowing when to step away—that’s a difficult part of this job,” says Rapolla. But learning how to manage his time and com- munication has proven effective in avoid- ing burnout from the daily onslaught of calls, emails, and conversations that his job entails. One of his first rules? “Let it wait,” he says. “Set expectations for your commu- nities and your staff that non-emergency emails might not get an immediate re- sponse. You have to have your life. People will accept that.” Rapolla sets that expectation for himself, as well, telling the managers he oversees that he doesn’t expect them to reply im- mediately, either. Like the other managers they should not feel obligated to respond to Having one’s family on board with the erratic schedules and Saturday morning board meetings and weekend emergen- cies. “She’s used to these long hours I have, agers contribute to their loved one’s success and longevity in the career. Avoiding Professional Burnout Four Lessons from Property Managers BY DARCEY GERSTEIN continued on page 17