Our Real Estate PMs oversee teams that come together from all across the country. Our client might be based in California, but opening an office in New Jersey. Perhaps the architect in New York, the GC is in New Jersey and the engineer is in Delaware. It is our job to manage these teams so that no details fall through the cracks, so that everyone has all up-to-date information at all times and that all members of the project team work together productively.
How do our Real Estate PMs do this while managing team members who might be remote? Here are 6 tactics that our project managers use to ensure effective management of remote teams:
- Hiring Trustworthy Vendors
It’s important that our PMs can trust the vendors that are hired for each job. We have to feel confident that each vendor will drive their portion of the project while staying in line with the project budget and schedule and the client’s goals.
- Set Expectations Upfront
Our real estate PMs set clear, precise and detailed expectations for all project team members as soon as the project kicks off (if not sooner). Expectations about communication, quality of work, deadlines, established timeline and scope of work are set as soon as possible to ensure that everyone is working towards the same goal.
- Communication is Key!!
Communication is extraordinarily important to the success of any project. We strive for proactive communication rather than reactive communication. It is also important to understand how the client likes to receive information and adjust accordingly.
- Create Structure and Process
Creating clear-cut, well-functioning processes creates less room for errors cause by confusion. Creating processes for the entire project team also reduces our management oversight time on a daily basis; this is time that can be spent going over the more specific aspects of the project.
- Use Technology Effectively
Our real estate PMs don’t just use fancy software to show off. We use technology in an effective way to increase project efficiency. Technology platforms must be easily adapted by all members of the project team.
- Organization
Organization is so, so key. Our real estate PMs take whatever steps necessary to keep each project organized internally so that organization with the larger project team is an easier process.
Our management of remote teams impacts productivity, cohesion and morale which ultimately enhances the delivery of all of our projects. Managing remote team members is not easy, but following these steps makes each day better for the entire project team.
