Are You a POPS Star?

A global pandemic that wiped out millions of jobs almost overnight was certainly a shock, but perhaps even more surprising was what happened when the jobs came back. As companies eagerly set plans to expand their teams, newly minted job openings were met with a resounding “meh.” With more than 10 million jobs left unopened in 2021 and an estimated 1 in 4 workers quitting their jobs, the Great Resignation could spell Great Catastrophe for many organizations.

Catastrophe doesn’t even begin to describe the problem in community association management. Burnout is all too common among community managers who regularly face the brunt end of homeowner and board member frustration. While employees reevaluate their work-life balance, management companies need to reevaluate the way they handle employee relationships. Enter people operations—POPS, for short.  

POPS is a people-centric approach that emphasizes workplace empowerment to drive growth through the lens of task automation. POPS shifts the focus from tactical administrative work to people and productivity, which, in turn, improves employee morale.

The team at Spectrum Association Management in San Antonio knows how to put their people first. They have implemented several community-driven initiatives to help managers meet company objectives without working around the clock. “We ensure that managers have a flexible schedule for personal and professional needs,” says Cameron Lange, vice president of Spectrum. “If they have a board meeting in the evening, they can spend the afternoon shopping for groceries or attending a school function with their kids.”

In addition to people empowerment, a POPS model forces executives to closely evaluate operational tasks. “So much burnout happens because of little things that take up time, such as driving to and from the office,” says Lange. “When focusing on your people, you need to consider every task on their plate.” Executives who utilize POPS in their organization focus on tools that are digitally-driven, automate the bulk of employees’ tasks, and keep community managers where they belong—in the field with their homeowners.

To learn more about POPS and to see what you can do to better empower your team, review the e-book and assessment from CINC Systems. You also can learn more about the human-centered approach at Spectrum Association Management through CINC’s POPS feature.