Optimizing performance
We optimized the performance of a university real estate office.
Challenge:
The real estate office handles all off-campus leasing for the University, approximately 1.5 million square feet in multiple buildings owned by private investor/developers. The office wanted to optimize their overall performance (in their team, culture, relationships, processes and strategy) and to use the Balanced Scorecard to measure, manage and report their performance. They were doing good work, but they felt they could do a lot better. The University had little leverage to minimize lease costs due to the nature of tenancies, i.e. short term funding, etc.
Effort:
Clearpath people helped the real estate office develop an overall organizational strategy and align every team member. We helped redefine roles and responsibilities, clarify and integrate processes, and build a culture of collaboration. We set up tools to guide on-going performance improvement, including use of the Balanced Scorecard to clarify the delivery of value. We conducted a study to determine the feasibility of creating a real estate foundation to purchase, develop, own and provide off-campus leasing and property management services for the University with a separate, more-entrepreneurial entity.
Result:
The new clarity of process, roles, use of personal styles, customer service and strategy not only inspired the employees but created a more strategic contribution to the University. They now have more effective and efficient performance and more satisfied customers and proactive relationships. They are currently in the process of organizing and obtaining approval for a foundation to provide similar services in order to create substantial savings to the current process and build a portfolio of assets which will revert to University ownership in the future.
“You helped us synthesize what we were doing into a set of visual tools that helped us see what we needed to see. That caused us have new conversations, get better focused, and reinvent ourselves. Already our customers notice the difference. Now we are energized to work different and do new things that will put us ‘at the table’. You brought out the very best skills and attitudes in our people. Your report of our work and our progress has made this the ‘best day’ in a 30-plus year career.” – Senior VP at the University