Goal-Setting for Self-Storage Facility Managers: Taking the First Steps Toward Your Bright Industry Future

Every day you set goals for yourself, professional and personal, perhaps without even realizing it. The first may simply be getting out of bed when your alarm goes off. That may be followed by taking a shower, getting dressed, drinking a cup of coffee, getting in your car and driving to work. Once you get to your office, you have a whole new set of objectives to complete. You often go through this process subconsciously, but you’re accomplishing a multitude of goals every day.

This article is for people who work in self-storage facility management. You might be a part-time relief manager, a full-time property manager or a regional manager who oversees several facilities. Whatever your role, you have career aspirations. Perhaps you’d like to advance within your current company or explore opportunities elsewhere. Either way, the first step in planning for your future is to set goals! They’re fundamental, as they pave the way to success.

What Do You Want to Accomplish?

The answer to this question will depend on your current role within the self-storage industry. Before we get into tips for setting goals, let’s explore a couple of scenarios that might describe your current circumstances.

Part-time or relief manager. For someone who’s never worked in self-storage before, this is a common place to start. Many people come into the industry via this type of entry-level position. It’s a great opportunity, and it’s smart to make the most of it!

If this is your position, be on time for work. Pay attention and be hungry to learn. Ask your facility manager about their various responsibilities, for example, marketing and auction procedures. Focus on customer service and phone skills. Offer to fill in for colleagues who are going on vacation. Finally, let your supervisor know that you’re interested in full-time work.

Full-time facility manager. If you’re a full-time self-storage manager with the desire to move up within your operation, ask your division or area manager what you can do to support them and help the company grow. Find out what skills can help your pursuit of career advancement. Should you attend night classes at the local college, or take online classes in business administration, accounting, management or marketing? How can you improve your customer-service skills? Finally, offer to assist at other locations during training or site visits.

If you want to advance within your current company but there are no opportunities available, perhaps it’s time to look elsewhere. You’ll need to build a resume and detail your professional experience, skills and accomplishments. It helps to have solid references. You’ll also need to improve your interview acumen. You can find tons of information about critical job-seeking strategies in books and online. I’ve even written several relevant articles on these topics. Look for them at insideselfstorage.com.

It's Time to Set Your Goals!

The first step toward setting your professional goals is to know where you want to end up. What do you want to achieve? Are you looking to take on more responsibility at your self-storage facility? Do you want to help train new staff? Do you want to create a new maintenance program? Are you good at marketing and have skills from previous positions that can help increase facility occupancy and income? What can you bring to the table to help your current company or a new employer?

Once you understand your overarching objective, you can begin identifying the individual steps that will comprise your journey. Figure out the resources you’ll need such as time, skills, money for classes, etc. Implement your plan of action and reward yourself for achieving milestones along the way.

When writing goals, I recommend using the SMART method. In this approach, you ensure that every goal is:

All of this requires determination, organization and, most of all, commitment. How will you respond when faced with an obstacle or the need to increase your effort? You must remain motivated and have the flexibility to adjust your strategy if needed.

It may not be easy to get what you want. In fact, it may take longer than expected. Those who lack dedication are more likely to give up. The trick is to stay positive. Don’t give in to a negative mindset, which can greatly demotivate you. Stay focused and charge ahead to obtain what you truly want out of your self-storage career and life. Good luck!

Pamela Alton is owner of Mini-Management Services, which has been placing self-storage managers in positions all over the United States since 1991. She also offers staff training, operational consulting, facility audits and inspections. For more information, call 321.890.2245 or email [email protected].