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Property management professionals have been warned about the consequences of bad office behaviour, which can be hard to detect.
Real Estate Job Search director Nikki Taylor said language and communication can help property managers spot potential office bullies.
“The bully in the office can be the person that has the strongest personality or they can be a victim of being bullied previously themselves,” Ms Taylor told RPM.
She said mentoring can play a huge part in helping businesses recognise and address office bullies.
“We need to mentor the owner that they've got a problem in their office.
“We need to mentor team leaders so they know how to manage those people, then you’ve got a team of staff that understand. I don’t think there are enough offices that understand.”
According to Ms Taylor, team members will be more open if they feel supported by their leaders.
“If a team leader's not running a portfolio and they’re actually running a team, then the team has got someone to go to who’s safe.”
Pat O’Driscoll Real Estate BDM Elizabeth Hood said negativity and criticism can become contagious and undermine a workplace.
“I find that working cultures or relationships can go downhill when someone’s working to create their own agenda and aren’t team players,” she told RPM.
“It also creates a lack of trust within the environment, because then you don’t know what to expect as a team.”
Ms Hood said keeping everything open and approaching the issue head-on can prevent negativity from affecting an office culture.
She said she makes a conscious decision to walk away from negative conversations “because even by listening you’re agreeing in a way and adding extra force to it”.
