My first 6 months at POD - Jan Miravite-Tiley

As I reflect on my last 6 months at POD as on our three Associate Directors, it has been a whirlwind of activity and I cannot believe what we have achieved in such a short time. I am amazed at how the days and weeks fly by and at the pace we are able to facilitate change whilst still not missing processes due to the team infrastructure and the systems which have been built – a real credit to our senior leadership team.

As the weeks passed and my start date grew closer, I was really nervous and it was with great trepidation and barely bound excitement I started my role here (I arrived at the office on my first day at 7.40am!). Having started my career in property management in 2003, I have only worked for large, already established, organisations and I felt conscious about whether I would be able to adjust to working for a smaller start-up company. Being quite “techy” already, I quietly hoped that I would be able to pick up on the various systems and did not do anything too foolish or appeared like a bit of an old fogey compared to the rest of the head office team, some of whom are closer in age to my teenagers at home than they are to me! I worried that I would not fit in, that I would miss working for a large company and the inter-department teams they have as part of their structure – such as legal, compliance, health & safety and human resources departments you could call on for expertise. I worried I was too old and would not be able to adjust to the “fast-pace” in which POD works, where our response times to customers and colleagues are measures in hours – not days.

If I could go back in time, I would tell myself not to worry so much and that in 6 months I would be the happiest and most excited about going to work that I have ever been.

Take mobilisation, for example – I love mobilising new and pre-existing schemes – the more complex the better(!) – something about going through all the detail and familiarising oneself with all the intricacies of how the development works both physically - with all the facilities, plant and equipment on site – and the not so physical, such as on site staff, how each client and group of residents are different and the varying legal and financial structures you need to be able to understand to get the site running well and give your customers the best service they deserve and expect. Due to the way the team and the systems are set up, the mobilisation process is intuitive, efficient, and easily trackable so that all colleagues involved have accountability and visibility of what their individual tasks and responsibilities are and when these need to occur as part of the mobilisation timeline. As a people manager, it is easy for me to track where my team members mobilisation projects are in terms of progress in addition to when and how they need my support.

This use of technology and the way the company structure is set up means my team and I have the capability to work smarter and focus skills and resources in the tasks and projects which will benefit the most from our experience and expertise. It also means that in my role I have the time and energy to focus on many projects that will help to continue to enhance our business – such as our “in-house” study group where we meet virtually on a regular basis in order to provide and training and support to colleagues as they prepare for their IRPM exams.

In fact, it is this simple use of technology which has really helped me feel part of the company incredibly quickly. We have regular video-link catch ups online, so as restrictions have eased over the months and I have been able to visit more and more teams based on site, it has really felt like I am visiting familiar people as opposed to strangers when I first come to site the various developments we manage. Over the last few weeks, I met our Technology and Compliance Manager Jenni for the first time “in-real-life” though we “meet” regularly. These “virtual” touch-points with colleagues have been really invaluable to me and has helped

The last 6 months has passed so quickly, and I am even more motivated and excited about what the future will bring.

In the words our Talent Manager, “watch this space”.