How to Get Your Team On Board with Automating Business Operations

Even when it is for good, it is not uncommon for people to be afraid of change. In the workplace, workers fear or resist change because they do not know how it will impact them. When it comes to implementing automation, at the back of your team's mind is the nagging thought that they may lose their jobs once the automation process is complete. Others may resist it because they fear that they will lose control over workflows and operations. 

Technology is critical to propel your business forward and stay competitive as a property management company. How can property managers get their teams on board with property management software automation? Apply these Geekly Media insights to bring your team along and implement automation that can help you grow!

Winning Your Team Over About Automation

You need a winning strategy to win your team over and win the day with a winning combination of optimized workflows and automation. Got that? There's no time to waste, so let's get started. 

Explain It

While you may have made the executive decision to automating operations (because it's the smart way to go), explaining what automation is and why it's going to make your operations better is the first step toward engaging your team. With the right approach, your employees won't feel like something new is being forced on them. 

Make it a collaborative effort to understand how automation will reduce workloads, eliminate inefficiencies, and give everyone the space to do their jobs well. Employees who feel valued and part of the process are more committed, motivated, and productive.

Be Encouraging! (Because Automation Is Awesome!)

Automation is awesome! If you're excited and encouraging about everything it will do for your company, clients, and team, your employees will be excited, too. 

However, even though they may appreciate the benefits, some employees may still be wary about automation. Remind them that your existing property management software systems didn't replace them, and automation won't either. Whether they're skittish about more technology or the fear of new things is overwhelming, assure them that automation is awesome and it's much better for everyone. Acknowledge that there will be plenty of grace while everyone gets used to a new (and better) way of doing things!

Set Your Implementation Process

While automation will help more tasks "just go," implementing into your workflows and operations requires more than just hitting a button to "switch" over to automation. 

Get organized and enlist your team to help! Start with:

• Defining tasks to be automated. Focus on repetitive tasks and items that don't require human interaction to move forward to the next stage.
• Identifying team member currently performing these tasks that will shift to an automated workflow
• Engaging these team remembers to document their tasks and work through optimized workflows to be automated
• Highlighting free time that is now available due to implementing strategic automation

Remember to encourage your staff that newly-found free time is not a bad thing or a sign that they are now obsolete! Property management automation helps remove repetitive tasks from their plates and gives them the gift of time to focus on serving clients and growing your business. They will be more valuable resources and better utilized with automation clearing their plates of things they shouldn't be bogged down with in the first place. 

Monitor Progress

Keep your team engaged as automation begins to take place. With the right property management software and implementation, automation should provide quick relief and ease workloads for your busy staff. However, not every execution is flawless from the start. 

Task your team with monitoring automated tasks to ensure that the workflows work as well in practice as you thought they would during the planning stages. Your team members should still own these tasks. However, they won't have to spend the same volume of time making sure redundant things get done! 

Re-Task Employees

Does your team suddenly have too much time on their hands with property management automation in place? That's a good thing! They now have the time to do the things they should have been doing all along. 

With free time comes the opportunity to re-task employees with business-building tasks that better utilize their skills and talents. With automation, you'll find your employees are happier, flourish, and serve clients better! Plus, automation's gift of time gives you the capacity to grow your doors without adding more staff. 

With the Right Plan, Everyone is On Board With Automation!

Maximizing the potential of your talented team and property management software is easier to accomplish with automation! However, it's critical to bring your team along when adding automation to your operations. With team support and the right implementation plan, everyone is on board—and your business grows. If you're not sure where to start, Geekly Media is here to help you put the right automation solutions into play!

What and when should you automate? Find out when you download our free resource, What and When Should You Automate? A Guide for Property Managers With 50/500/5,000 Doors!