You’re good at what you do - but you’d like to be even better. You don’t have 5 days to spend at a seminar or money to invest in national professional development opportunities, there aren’t any classes at the local community college of interest, and you’ve Googled every online advancement opportunity you can think of. You want to do something to sharpen your skills - to get a leg up on the competition. But what? On the following pages, we cover five topics - communication, time management, conflict management, decision-making, and negotiation - that are inseparable from the commercial real estate industry, and becoming more and more necessary every day. We think that the most inexpensive, resourceful way you can get ahead is by reading the following pages. So, go ahead ... start developing your competitive edge.
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COMMUNICATION SKILLS
Your facility’s parking lot will be repaved next month, causing disruption for tenants/occupants. The contractor responsible says it will take 2 weeks to complete, so you should:
A: Communicate the 2-week deadline to building tenants and occupants, hoping the work is finished on time.
B: Pass along notice of a 4-week construction inconvenience so that everyone can prepare; if the work finishes early, it will be a welcome surprise for tenants/occupants.
C: Not worry about communicating the message verbally - you’ll put up a sign in the parking lot to direct tenants/occupants to another parking lot until the repavement work is complete.
D: Explain the situation to individuals as needed based upon the complaints you receive about the nuisance.(Answer on page 2.)
TIME-MANAGEMENT SKILLS
To be efficient and well-organized, it’s best to answer your e-mail:
A: If it’s from friends, well-known colleagues, or other people you know.
B: As it arrives in your inbox throughout the morning and afternoon.
C: At a set time each day.
D: Never - there’s not enough time!
(Answer on page 3.)
CONFLICT-MANAGEMENT SKILLS
When trying to resolve work-related issues, you should:
A: Weaken your challenger’s argument before you state your opinions.
B: Address the points that you and your challenger agree on before stating your opposition to some of his/her points.
C: Get to your main point promptly, backing it up with facts/examples and pointing out flaws in the challenger’s argument.
D: Describe your challenger’s point of view as you see it, and then begin to point out the problems with it.(Answer on page 4.)
DECISION-MAKING SKILLS
To make an important decision, you must:
A: Make the decision yourself.
B: Call a meeting to ask the opinion of everyone on your staff/team.
C: Ask for assistance in making a decision from only the parties that are affected by the decision.
D: Do all of the above, depending on the decision and when it needs to be made, how significant it is, etc.(Answer on page 5.)
NEGOTIATION SKILLS
When addressing coworkers or staff members in a negotiation, it’s best to:
A: Forgo your needs/wants without complaining in order to sustain a positive relationship with the person/group involved.
B: Convince the other person/people involved to agree to a solution, even if it’s not practical or satisfactory for him/her or them.
C: Reach an agreement as quickly as possible so that you can move on to other (more important) tasks.
D: Work in concert with the person/people involved in the situation to find a resolution that works for everyone, considering the circumstances.
(Answer on page 6.)
