We in the Leasehold & Estate Management Department tried a new training exercise: Chairing an Annual General Meeting is a key element of the Property Management role; and so, one evening this week, in order to sharpen our newest Team Member’s skills, we held a mock AGM for Rob Humphreys to chair. Each member of the Team attended (possibly temped by the promise of pizza beforehand!) along with a special guest, our Colchester Assistant Lettings Manager. So, after a slap-up meal of take-away pizza to ensure that we were all fully energized, each attendee adopted a role and positively revelled in putting poor Rob through his paces. By the end of the evening Rob looked a little like he wanted to cry, but had admirably and expertly fielded most of our enquiries, despite our best attempts to put him on the spot!

Although we had enjoyed ourselves, the evening’s activities did have serious point. Here in the Boydens Leasehold & Estate Management Team we understand that effectively chairing an AGM for a Residential Management Company is an imperative part of managing a development properly. AGMs are important to our customers, giving them an opportunity to meet with other owners and their Property Manager face-to-face and discuss issues that are significant to them. This is why we want our staff to be able to chair meetings with confidence and understand how to handle any issues in a positive manner. One thing is for sure, Rob is unlikely to have a meeting this challenging again – even if they don’t normally start with pizza!