Making the Case for Collaboration

“There is much talk these days from corporate office occupiers and those who provide spaces for them—including property managers—about collaboration,” IREM President Don Wilkerson wrote for his latest column in NREI. “It is as if the concept is fresh out of its box, though the reality is that collaboration has been a vital tool of productivity long before it took a center-stage spotlight.”

Writing just after the IREM Global Summit, Wilkerson noted in the column the benefits of collaboration in real-time, practical ways. He also made a clear distinction between collaboration and simple camaraderie. “All industry conferences are great times of camaraderie,” he wrote, “and indeed there are always ample opportunities for attendees to catch up with old or new acquaintances in a variety of social gatherings. For us such gatherings also provided ample opportunity to greet new CPMs, from as near as the 50 states and from as far away as Japan and South Africa.”

In a year of great redefinition for the Institute, “There was serious work being accomplished, jointly, during the Summit,” he continued, “helping us move the ball many yards closer to that goal post, in issues such as diversity; recognizing the efforts of young professionals (a particularly critical issue for all commercial real estate practitioners in this aging industry); emergency preparedness; and measuring the NOI impact of sustainability strategies.

“In each of those cases, leaders in the field from within our own ranks came to the fore to point the way forward, to share their insights (whether it was the result of independent research or professional experience) and galvanize the group, increase awareness and incite passions for taking these initiatives to the next level.”

As leadership and members alike continue to unpack what Wilkerson described as “the depth and breadth of information shared at the Global Summit,” new ideas and strategies for the advancement in each of those issues will emerge.

“For now, the shared work continues,” he wrote, “much of that in committees that did not exist just a year ago. We are taking this information and transforming it into actionable steps that in turn will result in real change and progress for the Institute and, it is hoped, the industry.

“Results,” he concluded. “That is the true power of collaboration.”

About the Author
John Salustri is editor-in-chief of Salustri Content Solutions, Inc., a consultancy focused on enhancing the web and print content of clients around the nation. He is a regular contributor to JPM Magazine and a frequent blogger for IREM. Prior to launching SCS, John was founding editor of GlobeSt.com, the industry’s premier real estate news website, where he managed the daily output of 25 international reporters, and prior to that, he was editor of Real Estate Forum Magazine. John is a four-time winner of the National Association of Real Estate Editors’ Award for Excellence in Journalism.