Every player on the team is important, and it's the manager's job to ensure they perform to the best of their abilities. At Pinnacle Realty Management Co., Stan Harrelson, 48, makes sure his team is equipped with the resources and training necessary to get the job done right.
With its clients scattered across the country, this third-party national management company needs to field talent with local knowledge and experience. When it comes to meeting the needs of Pinnacle's clients, "Harrelson tries to look at things like a coach, [asking] who is the best athlete for the position?" explains Jay Martha, director of property portfolio management at Henderson Global Investors, a Pinnacle client. As in sports, not everyone works out in their initial position, and that's what Pinnacle tries to find out and resolve.
"I'm a cheerleader," admits Harrelson, president and CEO of the Seattle-based company, which manages more than 100,000 units nationwide. "I'm the biggest fan of our people. ... I am a fan of their individual success. I love seeing people accomplish things; I love seeing somebody take on more and get excited about what they do."
The purpose of Harrelson's coaching is to give employees the confidence to do their job well. "I have a very good working relationship with him," says Rick L. Graf, Pinnacle's regional president of the Central division. "He's as supportive as I need him to be. If I need him tomorrow to meet with a client, he'll be there. He's a mentor, someone I can bounce ideas off of or share concepts [with]."
And, what really makes Harrelson happy is when new associates join the company and realize they can do more than get their feet wet at Pinnacle. "Once they figure out that the water is swimmable, they're in it up to their eyeballs," says Harrelson. That's what happened when Graf joined the company five years ago. Graf continues to run his division with an entrepreneurial spirit.
"Stan is a very progressive thinker and he is quick to listen," adds Scott F. Mencaccy, Pinnacle's regional president for the West. "Stan will help you size up problems to help you politically and economically work through issues. He's very much a customer service-oriented guy. He really strives to make sure the [clients'] needs and desires are met."
