It’s been almost two months since I started on a change in path and stood up 4th Spaces. In those two months, I have received one question more than any other: what do you like doing most?
At first, it was a tough question to answer on the spot. There is so much that goes on in this industry that it is hard to narrow down the “best” parts. It deals with business strategy, people strategy, financial analysis, lease negotiation, long-term data management, innovative technology, rapidly changing business models, macroeconomic conditions, teaching stakeholders about the industry, working with senior non-real estate leaders, interacting with global 3rd parties, and simply having no day ever be the same. That’s a lot, but it is my first reaction. I love all of it.
Over time I have gotten clearer on my answer: I love working with companies to help them figure out how to put themselves in the right place to move forward. This would mean something different for every company. Some of them are set on technology but need a better approach to business cases. Some are set on their process but need to use their data better to drive better financial outcomes. Others need help building out a new approach to their long-term strategy.
I love a challenge and teaching. Helping people get into a better position today so that they can do even better tomorrow is exciting. I never want to be the bottleneck that holds a team back from moving forward. If I am the only person able to do a task, that does not help anyone. My skillset lies very much in breakding down the bigger, more complex problems into manageable elements that can be tackled in achievable ways.
Every day is unique and different in corporate real estate. This is especially true since the pandemic. Our industry continues to be a headline feature in the Wall Street Journal – and not for the usual sales and valuations of buildings. Return to Office, Mandates, Employee Experience, and Remote Working are all conversations taking place in national and global public forums. Non-real estate people care very much about our wonderful world of real estate these days.