All posts by Tom Willis

Thomas L. Willis, PCAM, has over 30 years of community association management experience. His professional mission is to create spaces where community association leaders and the professionals who serve them can successfully navigate the challenges they face, reach the goals they choose, find satisfaction and joy in their service, and make raving fans of association members. He founded Association Bridge, LLC in 2006 to provide customized training, support, and consulting services to community associations and businesses. He has authored several articles in Common Ground and Community Manager (CAI National periodicals), and for periodicals published by several local CAI chapters. He speaks frequently on industry topics around the country, is an instructor of CAI’s Board Leadership Development Workshop, and is on CAI National’s Professional Management Program Faculty. In addition to being a member of SEVA-CAI, Tom has served the Washington Metro Chapter as a committee chair, council chair and board member. For his efforts, that chapter has given him a number of awards, including Educator of the Year four times. He was elected to the WMCCAI Hall of Fame in 2014.
Management, Time Management

TIME MANAGEMENT, MULTITASKING & OTHER MYTHS – TEN YEAR ANNIVERSARY!

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Time management… a critical business and life management skill. Yet, finding it in a school curriculum is unlikely. Most of us learn the concepts, strategies, and systems later in life. For some of us, it was a significant factor in our success. And perhaps our sanity.

There was no way I could have balanced everything I had on my plate, professionally and personally, without learning some gems about what we erroneously call time management. I was extremely fortunate to have a mentor who shared some basics, encouragement, and regular reminders. I learned the rest out of sheer desperation from a variety of sources. The Washington Metro Chapter of CAI first asked me to share a program on the subject way back in 2013. At the time, I had yet to learn that it would become my most frequently requested presentation topic. After two years as a manager’s luncheon program, it has been shared publicly at local chapter events from Atlanta to Cleveland and at private events for several management companies and law firms. You can even find a version of the program in CAI’s webinar library.

Why is the topic so popular? Because we are all works in progress. Because we tend to fall into non-productive habits. And because we all live in an increasingly chaotic world that emphasizes speed above all else. We all need tools to deal with modern life and work. We need to be reminded of what we already know to refocus our time and attention to deal with our current reality.

Fortunately, the fundamental time management principles and strategies developed over the past few decades still work. Applying them puts you in a position to succeed and find satisfaction in your work and life. First, though, it will help to debunk common myths to clear the mind and settle the heart so we can fully embrace the good stuff.

I am grateful for the opportunity to have shared this topic in those presentations and innumerable coaching sessions over the last decade. Feedback has been invaluable in identifying the most impactful lessons and fine-tuning how to present them. Plus, I need the reminders as much as anybody else! So here are some nuggets – five myths and ten practical principles.

The Myths

1. You can manage time. Time is a constant. Sixty seconds is always sixty seconds. You can’t manage that. I can’t help but wonder if we accidentally cause ourselves stress by using the term “time management” even though time itself is unmanageable. Let’s reframe the concept. What are we managing? Our attention, our intention, our actions, and our energy. What we call “time management” is the practice of adding value to our time.

2. You can’t manage “time.” Since we are stuck with the term “time management,” we’ll work with it. Those who believe they have no control over what takes up their time are doomed to victimhood. You can’t control everything, but you certainly have influence. Don’t give that away.

3. A professional keeps gobs of data in her head. This is the highway to burn-out. Get stuff out of your head and on paper or digital device. Albert Einstein had to look up his home phone number in the white pages. He didn’t see any value in keeping things in his mind that he could easily access by other means. There’s a lesson there.

4. You don’t have time. It is more accurate to say you choose to do something else with your time. Everyone has the same 24 hours.

5. You can multitask. Studies show that the mind can hold only one thought at a time. We may “hypertask,” but be careful. Fast doesn’t necessarily mean efficient. If you do something poorly, you create more work for yourself and others in the long run. Efficiency is only valuable when it is a function of effectiveness. Speed kills.

The Gold

1. Know the difference between a time investment and a time expense. Too many managers think they don’t have time for tasks that save time in the long run. If you don’t have time to do it right once, when will you have time to do it again? How many hours will you spend later because you didn’t take fifteen minutes to nip it in the bud up front and follow it all the way through?

2. Work from a prioritized task list. This is a cornerstone of time management. Brain dump everything you have to do, then prioritize. Plan the work, then work the plan. Of course, things will go differently than planned. That’s OK. You might not get everything done, but you will have a ghost of a chance to complete the most important things.

3. Important things are rarely urgent; urgencies are rarely important. Everything feels urgent these days. Most “urgencies” are menial. The most important things don’t call, text, email, or IM you. Urgencies can easily consume your time.

4. Know what’s important and what’s not. Differentiating between the two is one of the most important skills of a successful manager. Prioritization is vital. Time and experience are the best teachers. Sorry, kids – try to learn fast.

5. Outside forces can impact you, but they cannot control you. Only you can control you. Give that up, and you are the eternal, miserable victim. Not a great plan.

6. Reverse Engineer Everything. As the “Zone Coach” Jim Fannin teaches, we are trained to go from A to B, when in reality, it is far more effective to clearly visualize the end result, determine all factors that must be considered, and work backward to create the plan. You’ll be surprised to see how many little but necessary tasks you’ll identify. This puts you in a position to make a realistic timetable for completion and avoid the time-busting and stressful trap of self-imposed emergencies.

7. Attitude makes a big difference. Time management is as much a mindset as it is a skill set. Henry Ford said, “If you think you can or think you can’t, either way, you’re right.” Tasks are sometimes dynamic. Why does everything magically get done the day before you go on vacation? Attitude is the secret weapon of time management.

8. Apply the “single handling concept.” You can lose upwards of 50% efficiency by stopping and starting tasks. Whenever possible, block sufficient time to see larger projects all the way through. If you pick something up, see it through to completion instead of moving it from pile to pile.

9. Look for Little Efficiencies. We tend to think of activity in terms of isolated tasks. One of the values of setting a prioritized task list in advance is that you can see your time in context. Batching tasks can eliminate inefficiencies– you’ll start buying back little chunks of time that add up. Once you start thinking this way, your brain will be rewired for life. You’ll see inefficiencies everywhere! I’ll always remember feedback from one session participant who told me this principle was her favorite takeaway. She explained that she had always planned food shopping one day and a run to the dry cleaners on another. When I asked why that mattered, she exclaimed, “They are in the same shopping center! So now I do both on the same day. The shopping center is 20 minutes away. That means I get 40 more minutes every week with my daughter!”

10. You only have one life. Live it purposefully. Clearly, these principles can apply to your whole life, not just your work. Identify what’s important and create action plans to achieve goals that accomplish the most important things. Get it done one prioritized task at a time. Do that, and you’ll have a legitimate claim to peace of mind, probably the biggest idea of them all.

This stuff isn’t brain surgery, but you need persistence and discipline. You will fail and need to start again. It’s all part of the process. Do you prefer chaos or achievement? Frustration or joy? Regrets or satisfaction? It’s your choice.

Which of these is most impactful to you?

Attitude, Best Practices, business life, community associations, Culture, Emotional Intelligence, HOAs, Professionalism

Civility in an Uncivil World

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by Chantu Chea CMCA, AMS

Over the past few years, some aspects of customary, socially correct behavior has seemed to regress or at times even disappear.  From leaders in the highest offices to our most beloved celebrities, we can read about name-calling, blaming, threats, and even outright violence.  Is it really surprising when these behaviors trickle into our communities and work spaces?  In order to guide our communities in a more positive direction, it helps to identify uncivil behavior and lead by example.  With a lot of deliberate, consistent effort, our positive behavior can become contagious.   

We’ve all dealt with the outburst from a client or Unit Owner who doesn’t get their way and writes a dramatic email or says something nasty.  It’s easy to dismiss them as unhinged, ignore all their future complaints and get defensive in these unpleasant situations. It’s important to be self-aware of these human tendencies, because it can lead to habits that will not serve you well.  If you hide from the tough conversations, you might miss out on the opportunity to connect with others, learn from the interactions and grow.  Even though it may trigger tough emotions to deal with the challenging client, confronting them can nip problems in the bud.  You may even gain an ally!  Start by making a conscious effort to put yourself in the strongest mental state so that you are best-equipped to deal with the inevitable challenges that arise.

  1. Self-Reflection: Be cognizant of how much media you’re taking in every day and the influence it might have on you.  The trend of constant media and social network notifications may work well for those who benefit from extra views or clicks, but excessive exposure might have an adverse impact on our thoughts, attention and behavior.  Sometimes we expend so much emotional energy reading the news that by the time we arrive at work, we’re depleted.  Disconnect from the breaking news long enough to focus on what’s most important, both personally and professionally.  How is the information you absorb moving you towards your goals and who you aspire to become? 
  2. Empathy: Depersonalize the situation whenever possible.  In more cases than not, the client isn’t yelling because of you but because of the situation.  Think about what they might be going through in their personal life with the challenges in the world and take a deep breath before responding.  You may be the only person who listens to them today.  If you can, counter their distress with a calming tone and a thoughtful response.  Will your undistracted attention for the next ten minutes save you hours over the next month? 
  3. Situational Awareness: Some of us have also noticed situations where someone makes a bold political statement to strangers or in the workplace, under the assumption that everyone agrees.  I’ve seen it make others in the room very uncomfortable or outright angry.  While it’s tempting to share your opinion about the latest piece of legislation in Congress, don’t forget to take note of your environment, your relationship to the listener and the possible repercussions.  For example, if you’re getting interviewed for a job, you may not want to risk blaming a person or administration for the current events of the day.  Even if the community is in a location where the demographics seem to point to a particular opinion, you don’t want to put your foot in your mouth later.  Once you learn about the political or ideological leanings of a person, just remember to keep it professional at work.

Keeping these habits in mind can help us deflect and appropriately respond to uncivil thoughts and behaviors.  Some other challenges that you may run into at work can be ameliorated by practical strategies.

  1. Write it down: Some people’s stress shows up as aggressiveness, while others’ stress manifests as anxiety.  Anxiety can cause us to start thinking selfishly or otherwise worry about possibilities that may never happen.  When others come to you with concerns or hypothetical situations, fight the inclination to dismiss them as unrealistic.  Instead, try brainstorming your concerns (or your residents’ concerns) and plan some possible solutions.  The anxiety becomes less of an abstract idea to obsess over and more of a concrete problem you can solve.  What are the pros and cons of each option?  What is the worst thing that can happen and how can you mitigate it? 
  2. Set Expectations: In a world where we can get instant groceries, dates and packages with the click of a button, some people expect the same instant gratification of their community manager.  Asking to “speak to the manager” has become an internet joke.  For managers, it can often translate to copying the entire Board of Directors to an email.  Unfortunately, some creative solutions require time to develop, especially if they are to last.  If a problem will take some time to resolve, let the resident know the challenges you are considering.  Provide an estimated time for completion or resolution and keep them in the loop of any progress. 
  3. Acknowledge opposing views: Things aren’t always black and white in community management.  Nor can we predict the future.  So it’s important to acknowledge counter-arguments even when they don’t fit the narrative we want to create.  If you make a mistake, predict something wrong, or there are possible negative consequences of your recommendation, talk openly about it.  How might you pivot your plans moving into the future? 

It can be instinctual to tune out anything that requires extra time or energy when it feels like you don’t have any to spare.  With everything going on in the world, our emotional state and the example we set may be the least of our worries.  However, as a leader of your community, you are in a position to be a calming and positive influence.  Small, deliberate interactions can accumulate and create real change. You may find that you not only save time in the long run, but you also get a little peace of mind!

Best Practices, community associations, condo associations, Cooperatives, HOAs, leadership, Management, Professionalism

8 Characteristics of a Great Board/Management Company Relationship

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There are seminal moments in our lives and careers. One of mine was circa 1985. I bumped into  a board member of a condominium for whom my maintenance company had completed some projects. The question she asked me that lovely spring day on a bustling city sidewalk 35 years or so ago changed the way I approached business and I am certain it led to both my entry and inevitable exit from the community management business… “Tom, how come we can’t find a good management company? Are there any of them out there?”  My mind raced as I thought through the three they had fired, all of whom I thought were among the better companies that I had worked with as a contractor. I gave her a tactful answer, but one she did not expect to hear. More on that in a moment.

As a young entrepreneur, I had begun to immerse myself in the study of leadership. I started working with community associations a couple of years before that fateful exchange. I became fascinated by the dynamics of volunteer boards, their communities, and the managers who served them. A few short years later, in a joint venture with a management company, I entered into a contract to provide part-time, on-site management for a small condominium. Eventually, I left my business and dove into management full time for the next 30 years. I had the privilege of working with some great managers and boards. For much of my career, I was also the company’s designated “Fixer.”  If it was messed up, my job was to find a way to make it work. Of course, I was not always successful, but it was the best business education I could have received. Along the way, I saw the great, the good, the bad, and yes, the ugly. Stepping away from the management business and working with clients from the community association field in a different capacity and in different markets has reinforced for me how unique communities can be.  At the same time, I see common principles, fundamentals, and practices that produce results. So…here are eight characteristics that exist in the most successful and sustainable board/management company relationships.

1. Shared Expectations

The working relationship between a board and management company can be very dynamic and fluid. Times change, technology changes, society changes, people change, volunteers change, and properties age. These factors all may impact expectations. An agreement for management services provides a basis for expectation and accountability. It also needs enough flexibility to address the variables inherent in the relationship. COVID has been a testament to this. Who could have anticipated the workload and process changes that the pandemic would require?  Agreement on contract terms and ensuring that these are in harmony with the board’s goals is crucial to a sustainable and successful relationship, which leads directly to our second characteristic.

2. Communication

In my management days, I would receive the occasional phone call from a board member along the lines of: “Would you be interested in sending us a proposal for management? Our company is horrible.”   These days, the question is: “Can you help us find a new management company?”  My first answer has remained the same. “Have you spoken to company executives?”  Astonishingly, 90% of the time, the answer has been no! Changing management companies is a big deal. It can take far less time and effort to repair a damaged relationship than it would to make a change.  Talk about it, set clear and reasonable expectations, see if it can be fixed.  If not, then it’s time to move on, but not before.

Management companies can bolster the relationship by maintaining periodic executive-level contact with volunteer leaders, especially when the players change.  This may be after annual meetings, changes in board liaisons, and any time there is a manager reassignment.  Likewise, new boards are wise to get on the same page with the management team as soon as possible during these transitions.  Don’t let the relationship fall off the rails!

At their core, business relationships are human relationships.   Just like in our personal lives, we get busy, make assumptions, and don’t always get the message right.  Communications suffer and issues fester.  The electronic age makes this a bigger challenge.  Consumer expectations for immediate gratification (the Amazon effect) have challenged all customer service industries.  Businesses can rely so heavily on technology to gain efficiencies that they adopt a transactional mindset without realizing the negative long-term impact on the relationship.  Zoom meetings are great for efficiency, but we miss the cues that the full human interaction experience provides.  Tech and society will continue to change, but some things remain the same.  Community management is a relationship business.  Relationships require effective communication.  And it needs to go both ways.  

3. Mutual Benefit

All sustainable business relationships are mutually beneficial.  A zero-sum game benefitting the client will inevitably lead to poor management performance.  A company that can’t make a profit will fail.  Historically of the real estate management niches (commercial, rental, and community associations), community association management is the least profitable.  A review of the history of the industry and market pressures helps one to understand how we got here. The full story would be an article all by itself.  The net result is that community association management as a professional field has become increasingly commoditized.  Profit margins are always tight.

This can lead to the zero-sum game benefitting the company, which is likewise unsustainable.  Unintentional service creep can happen slowly over time with managers and boards losing focus on contract specifications.  A manager may lose focus of contract out of sheer work volume and when the board is unaware and seems happy with their performance.  Regardless of intent, the reality of this situation is that the relationship is being abused and could end badly.  

In the end, the old axiom is true.  You get what you pay for.  The logical corollary should therefore be that you should pay for what you get.  Maintaining awareness of and regularly revisiting contract specifications for any adjustments to meet the needs of the community are the keys to ensuring mutual benefit.        

4. Flexibility & Reasonableness

Great service companies will go above and beyond from time to time.  Community management is such a dynamic field that a manager will inevitably see the need to do something technically outside of their scope.  They want to make their clients happy and just take care of it.  But there is a danger of an unintentional death spiral. 

I’ve seen this play out many times.  Management agreements typically include provisions to charge for work outside the scope of defined routine services.  Many managers fear a negative reaction from clients and shrink back from noting that a requested service is a billable item.  Sometimes, the assignment is completed and that’s that.  Everyone is happy.  But sometimes, the requests keep coming.  The manager becomes overburdened.  The task list gets longer and longer.  The board grows increasingly dissatisfied, and the manager grows increasingly resentful.  All the while, more times than not, the board has no idea that they are making unreasonable requests because the manager never said a thing about the contract terms.   

When there is healthy communication about the best way to handle non-routine services, boards can make business decisions to allocate funds that allow the company to bring in the resources necessary to accomplish the task or facilitate service by an outside party.  Reasonable boards understand that a set-price contract cannot be a blank check.  (See Mutual Benefit and Communication) 

5. Get Out of the Box

Fundamentals and time-tested principles apply to every relationship, but every situation is unique.  One of the most valuable skills board and management companies can have is the ability to see things as they are and recognize when glue diligence (“that’s the way we’ve always done it!”) needs to be replaced by due diligence, which may involve finding a non-standard solution. This is where my experience noted in the introduction had such a profound impact.  The board member who complained about perfectly good management companies didn’t have a performance problem.  She had a system problem.  She lived in a 27-unit condominium with a seven-person board and half a dozen or so active communities.  Most unit owners were retired.  I loved that community because it had such a remarkable commitment to volunteerism.  If you lived there, you were on the board, a committee, or both.  However, the volunteers had no context to see how much management work was being generated by all that activity.  They were NEVER going to be satisfied with the level of time and attention a portfolio manager could give them under the terms and price of a standard management agreement.  They needed to adjust the system, adjust expectations, or both.

Without analysis, we easily default to assuming that people stink.  Just fire them and get somebody new.   If you can’t see whether you have a performance problem, a system problem, or some combination thereof (usually the case to some degree), you’ll always be answering the wrong questions. Wise board and management companies invest the time to make the determination and have the creativity and flexibility to change the system if needed.

6. Clarity on Roles

The board’s highest and best role to benefit their communities will always be to lead. It sets the culture, goals, and standards for the community and its management.   Everything a professional management company does can be grouped in one of two baskets – supervisory or advisory.   Most boards have no problem rightly holding management accountable for the supervisory tasks it performs on behalf of and at the direction of the board.  Highly functioning boards allow management to assist and guide as it fulfills its role. This allows the relationship to function at its highest level – as a partnership. This can involve helping volunteer leaders to translate strategies that worked in their professional or personal lives into the context of community associations and the statutory requirements,  governing documents, and best industry practices that apply.  Both parties may need to check their egos at the door: Board members might have to recognize the realities of an organization slightly outside their area of expertise, while managers who may passionately recommend a particular path have to recognize that the board is the boss and responsible for the decision.

Ideally then, as a leadership body, the board sets the targets (Why, What, and When), taking into consideration feedback and recommendations offered by professional management.  Leadership gives management the resources to accomplish the resultant goals and delegates the details (How) to them.  In that paradigm, management can focus on getting things done and reporting to the board.   The board can focus on gauging results instead of getting bogged down in the process.   For the board to stay out of the weeds and maintain a bigger picture focus, management must demonstrate competence and proactivity, and be willing to be accountable.

That said, there may be factors that make a certain level of “co-management” ideal.   Communities that are blessed with volunteers who have subject matter expertise and time may allow them to successfully achieve more without having to pay more for management.  Also, small associations suffer from the inequity of scale, requiring more time and attention than their management fees can reasonably command and making the co-management model more likely.

7. Get Things Done Without Being Pennywise and Pound Foolish

It is important to remember that a key role of a manager is to facilitate, not necessarily to do.  A manager’s area of expertise is the administration of the community, governance, and business aspects of community associations.  As such, they may maintain professional designations such as CMCA®, AMS®, PCAM®, and LSM®.  If they were also credentialed professional engineers, insurance brokers, architects, or licensed lawyers, associations would never be able to afford them.  Yet, some boards expect managers to provide opinions and services outside their area of expertise, usually to save money.  Wise boards understand that there are times when bringing in specialists is an investment.   Wise managers, especially those with high levels of subject matter experience, know how to leverage that knowledge and put their boards in a position to make good business decisions.

Managers may feel pressure to have all the answers and assume they are expected to have all knowledge at the top of their heads. As a wise man once observed, it’s perfectly acceptable to say, “I don’t know,” if it is followed by a comma and not a period. “Can I get back to you on that?” can be the best answer a manager can give at the moment. Wise boards allow space for a manager to provide accurate information. Wise managers don’t wing it. This leads us to the final, and perhaps the most crucial characteristic of great board/management company relationships.

8. Trust & Respect

I was thrilled to get an “Aha” moment when I was introduced to a principle that was so simple, so profound, and so applicable to community associations. The basic premise of Steven M.R. Covey’s The Speed of Trust is this: When trust is present, things happen quickly and cost-effectively. When it is absent, everything takes longer and becomes more expensive in the long run. Trust is everything. It underpins all the other seven characteristics. Boards need to trust that their managers are advocating for them and acting in their best interest. Managers and management companies need to trust that the board is dealing fairly and reasonably with them.  Trust begets respect. Both are essential to any highly-functioning relationship.

Let’s Do This!

There is far too much negative media about community associations. Certainly, there are bad players out there, but I am proud to be part of a field where so many dedicated people are working to get it right.  Whenever I hear a negative comment about boards, I always take the opportunity to share that my experience has been that the vast majority of volunteers I’ve worked with serve for all the right reasons. That is particularly impressive considering how many goofed-up situations I’ve been asked to jump into. The same goes for managers and management company executives. Those that stick with the industry tend to be incredibly dedicated professionals with a servant’s heart, qualities that are all too rare these days.  When community volunteers and the professionals who serve them choose to fulfill their responsibilities in a collaborative way and to an elevated level, it has a positive impact on the quality of life and investment of every community member. And they put themselves in a position, not only to leave a legacy of success, but to enjoy the satisfaction of a job well done. It is always worth the effort.

community associations, condo associations, Cooperatives, Culture, leadership, values

Culture – Let’s Get Intentional

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In our overview of culture in community associations, we noted similarities with other organizations, whether professional, non-profit, social, or familial. We highlighted that there are three primary classifications of organizational culture.

Like most other organizations, associations tend to fall into the “Unintentional” category. Time is a critical factor. More in-depth organizational analysis is most rare. Getting a volunteer board to meet for regular business can sometimes be a challenge. How about dedicating even more time to discuss values, vision, and mission? That might feel impossible. Let alone floating a full-blown retreat with team-building exercises.

You Can See Clearly from Higher Ground

And yet, when community association leaders invest the time to elevate the conversation, they find that it pays back in time and energy. Organizations create and perpetuate an effective and sustainable culture in which principled action is cultivated. Once identified, underlying principles lead to fewer ego-driven opinion battles. There is a context to the conversation. Healthy debate replaces unproductive arguments that suck the life out of the participants.

The result of such an elevated time investment sets up a principle hierarchy for decision-making that looks something like this:
• Values (The Why – what’s important?) drive Vision
• Vision (Where do we want to go?) drives Mission
• Mission (This is what we are about) drives Strategy
• Strategy (How do we make this happen?) drives Tactics
• Tactics (The day-to-day actions we take)

Flow the hierarchy backward, and it looks like this: Our day-to-day decisions make more sense because we judge them in the context of our strategy. Rather than reinventing the wheel or exhausting all parties by going in several directions at once, our strategy is in harmony with our mission. We know what we are about and what we need to focus our energies upon. This is because we have vision. We know where we want to go, and our mission gets us there. At the bedrock of all of this are our shared values. Certain things are essential. We’ve been honest with ourselves and compared our reality with those values.

That all sounds lovely. It might also sound like a pipe dream. It doesn’t have to be. Combine realistic expectations with some practical steps and you’ll get there.

All or Nothing?

Do you need the whole package of values, vision, mission, and strategies to start your intentional culture? No! And that’s where most organizations get stuck. Wise leaders apply the sage words of Arthur Ashe: “Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.”
Like many things in life, the journey may be more important than the destination. Developing the habit of a higher level, principled thinking is the first step. From time to time, I will start meetings with a touch of comedy: “So who are we and what are we doing?” It sounds like levity, but it speaks to a bigger picture and sets a tone. Keep at it, and the baby steps will eventually add up.

So How Do We Do It?

There is no one right way. Every group and situation are different. Some need to rise from the ashes of disaster to get the motivation to do it right. Most need to look for opportunities, however brief, when they can poke their heads up out of the weeds to see what’s already there in front of them.

Baby Steps: It doesn’t matter where you start in the hierarchy. Can you agree on a “Statement of Values?” Great! One or two clear elements of mission? Please write it down. A Vision of what everyone would like to see? Awesome! If you have an agreement in one of them, it can lead to more later. If you stick with it, it will gel over time.

Practice Affirmative Inquiry: We’ve always said the Parrado Principle has a slightly different iteration in community associations. The ratio of people and issues that drive the corresponding amount of time and effort probably isn’t 80/20. It/s more like 95/5. Unfortunately, one of the foibles of human nature is that we will dwell on the 5% that divides us instead of the 95% we have in common. But what we have in common provides the most vital foundation for success. Get in the habit of asking, “What’s right?” instead of, “What’s wrong?”

Be Mindful and Seize the Opportunity: Listen carefully. Pay attention to successes. Look for patterns. Shared values are always there, waiting to be recognized. Some clarity on vision or mission may pop up while doing business. When you hear it, call it out. Record it somewhere, no matter how rough.

Here is a good, natural, non-confrontational question to ask at the right moment: “So I think what I am hearing is…. Is that right?” If heads nod, follow with, “I think we just found a (shared value/mission statement point).”

Annual Planning Sessions: This simple practice can make a world of difference. Scheduling a special meeting to discuss what you’d like to accomplish over the next year can be a terrific jumping-off point. The most useful time to hold this meeting is as soon as possible once a new board is formed after an annual meeting. You may start with strategy, but by applying the techniques above, you may find yourselves painting a bigger picture. After all, if you tell me what you want to do, I will understand what’s important to you. Once I know what’s important, values and vision begin to emerge.

Change Happens…Use It!

People change. Times change. Perceptions change. Understandings change. Physical realities change. Adopted governing principles must grow with the organization in order to remain relevant. To prevent these principles from becoming a nice and shiny, yet irrelevant plaque on the wall (a precursor to the dreaded “Actual Culture”, these must be reviewed and challenged regularly.

If you are already following our recommendation to conduct an annual planning meeting, include reviewing your principles. This is especially important as you are going through the baby step process. It may take years to clarify your values, vision, and mission.

Why Wouldn’t You?

The gap between intentional and unintentional culture is the wherewithal and commitment to finding and memorializing what’s already there. Every group has shared values. Vision and mission are waiting to be found. Taking the time and energy to identify them creates a foundation that your association can rely on when it faces everything from day-to-day challenges to major disruptions.

Clarity in culture reminds us who we are and what we believe in. It saves us from situational thinking, conflicting direction, and wasted time. Any action you take to transcend mere tactics adds depth to your association. It builds team trust, commitment, and fulfillment. All upside with no real downside – so get to it!


community associations, condo associations, Cooperatives, Culture, HOAs, leadership, Uncategorized, values

Culture – The Missing Piece

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The culture of an organization either creates the space for sustainable, defined success or makes it difficult, if not impossible.  A healthy culture allows the organization to tap into the knowledge, talents, experience, energy, and intellectual capital of participants.  It does not permit ego, politics, or dysfunction to get in the way.

In this context, culture can be defined as the environment that establishes norms of behavior for the people in the organization.  It involves the connection between the goals and values of the individual and those of the group.  Culture is embodied in author Seth Godin’s statement: “People like us do things like that.”

Organizational culture provides the context in which the stakeholders understand their roles and can concentrate on doing their best. Healthy cultures in community associations put boards in a position to establish desired results and provide the necessary resources to achieve them.  Focusing on those results delivers rich payoffs. Building a healthy culture yields exponentially compounded interest in terms of time, energy, progress, and community spirit.

Culture is the difference-maker, and yet, community association managers and volunteers almost never talk about culture directly.  It’s about time we did.

Three Cultures

Organizational culture tends to fall into one of three general categories:

  • Intentional Culture- Values, goals, and norms have been identified, codified in some form, and provide the basis for principled action.  People in the organization are clear on “The Why.”
  • Unintentional Culture- Values, goals and norms are left to chance.  Defining them depends on who the influential people are in an organization at a particular time.  Frequently, decisions are made and actions taken on an ad hoc basis.  Sometimes leaders focus on rules and written procedures without explaining why they matter. Other times, there is no focus at all.  Everybody works too hard at reinventing the wheel or making it up as they go.  If such a community is fortunate, things will go well riding on the backs of a few good people.
  • Actual Culture- Values, norms and goals have been identified.  There may be mission, values, and vision statements with lofty aspirations printed on glossy marketing materials and plaques on walls.  Yet, leaders and members of the organization violate those ideals on a regular basis without correction.  The inherent hypocrisy of the organization destroys morale and trust. 

Most organizations fall into the unintentional category.  Their leaders may have no concept of culture or fail to recognize the benefits of the time investment necessary to build a successful one.  They cannot see that the hard work up front will significantly decrease their time and effort in the long run.  They are so caught up in the day-to-day operation that they miss the bigger picture.

What About Community Associations?

Why, specifically, do many community associations tend to have an unintentional culture?  First, boards can be mired in tactics, too busy putting out fires and stuck in the weeds to elevate their perspective.

Second, exclusive devotion to the standard board meeting model can cause an unintended consequence. Leaders and managers are trained to follow the legal requirements for board meetings.  They correctly conduct the association’s business in accordance with open meeting requirements and the standard meeting agenda.  Well-planned and executed board meetings are highly effective in handling the day-to-day business of the association.  However, regular board meetings are horribly ill-suited to address bigger picture issues, complicated projects, and strategic planning.  These discussions will never fit into a standard board meeting agenda in the best of times.  Switch it up by scheduling some town hall or special meetings to listen to what members have to say, get ideas flowing, and deal with big picture issues.

Getting to Higher Ground

Getting out of the weeds is not easy.  Leaders and managers first need the awareness that business as usual leaves too much to chance.  Then, they must recognize that the work to build healthy organizational culture is a time investment that will pay dividends.  For some groups we’ve worked with, it took disgust borne from crashing and burning to motivate them to meaningful change.  In our next segment, we will offer a roadmap to intentional culture for community associations. 

business life, Culture, leadership

What’s The Question?

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Everybody has a “tell” – that one, involuntary reaction that gives them away. Tells reveal themselves more readily in the face of crisis and stress. We may say that we hold to certain principles or beliefs. But when the fecal matter intersects with the air circulating device, an ugly truth may reveal itself.

A Test of Organizational Health

Pay attention to what happens when a mistake is made. What is the knee jerk reaction in the heat of anger or flash of embarrassment? If the first question is, “Who did it!?!,” you’ve got a problem. If that’s the go-to response, it is a sure sign of a sick culture. People in such organizations are motivated to stay under the radar. They fear sticking their neck out or owning up to mistakes- and for good reason! The culture fosters a fixed mindset that hinders the people and the organization from growing.

System or Performance?

Lazy leaders assume that every problem is a performance issue. The blame game is expedient, but it masks reality. When you fail to distinguish the difference between a performance problem, a system problem, or a combination of the two, you make false assumptions, ask the wrong questions, and get the wrong answers.

We’ve seen this play out in interesting ways. Sometimes the worst thing that can happen is having a superstar on the team for a long time. When they finally leave or retire, none of their replacements seem to make the grade. Only upon a more in-depth analysis of the situation does it become clear that one of the old superstar’s abilities was overcoming crummy systems. Their success masked the deficiency and set up their successors for failure.

Listen and Learn

If you listen to your organization…or yourself…and realize Bang & Blame (great song, by the way) has infected the culture, it’s time to change the game. How? By changing the question.

Organizations with healthy cultures react to errors and crisis with the following questions, in this order:
• What? Determine precisely what happened. Make no assumptions.
• Why? Was this a performance issue, a systems issue, or a combination?
• How? What factors contributed to the issue? And only then….
• Who? Now you can address the matter, take the appropriate action, and help people grow and learn.

Reality and Success

Without mistakes and challenges, there is no innovation, no progress, and no growth. As Tom Peters would say, “Fail forward fast.” Indeed, if the answer to “Who?” shows a pattern of performance issues, a tough decision may be in order. More times than not, there is something more to be learned. Follow the disciplines of a healthy organization. Ask the right questions in the proper order. You will create a space for yourself and others to see reality and the way forward. Your organization will take appropriate and forward-thinking actions, benefitting everyone.

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Lighting Candles in May – Take THAT Coronavirus!

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Zig Ziglar told the story of a friend of his who explained that people tend to be either “cake people” or “candle people.” A cake person sees resources as finite. They will get theirs at whatever the cost, even if it means someone else gets a smaller slice. In contrast, candle people recognize that sharing light with someone else eventually brightens up the whole room for everyone, including themselves.

During critical times, it may be tempting to fall into “cake person” mode. We might feel like our light is so low that we must protect it. We might think we have nothing left to give. And we might be mistaken. It just takes a little spark to light a candle. The challenge is seeing the opportunity, recognizing what we might have to share, and making a meaningful connection.

Finding a Way to Light Up the Room

A few months ago, we decided to find a charity to support as a company. We were looking for an organization that made a difference for those in need here in our local area. When we found DC Central Kitchen, we knew that we had found our match.

We’ve always said that we have no interest in short term profits by giving clients “fish.” If someone does not see our fees as an investment, then they are not our client. We want to teach clients how to fish. They get the best value over time, and it frees us up to serve as many people as possible- thus fulfilling our mission. When we learned about DC Central Kitchen, we realized we found an organization that applied a similar mindset to serve a far more important need. From day one, they refused to just give people both literal and figurative fish. The organization was borne out of frustrations with waste, unfilled community needs, and the status quo. They turned a brilliant and innovative idea into reality. And, they make great use of every resource they cultivate. We wish we could be as cool as they are when we grow up!

Here is how they describe their work: “DCCK is an iconic nonprofit and social enterprise that combats hunger and poverty through job training and job creation. The organization provides hands-on culinary job training for individuals facing high barriers to employment while creating living wage jobs and bringing nutritious, dignified food where it is most needed. DCCK’s social ventures include serving scratch-cooked, farm-to-school meals in DC schools, delivering fresh, affordable produce to corner stores in neighborhoods without supermarkets, and operating a fast-casual cafe.” Wow!

The Campaign

DCCK is stepping up right now to help some of the most vulnerable folks in the DMV area and needs all the help it can get. They do amazing things, making a little go a long way. To learn more about their outstanding work during the pandemic, click HERE.

For our next phase of giving, we have decided to do a campaign in May. Association Bridge will match your contributions to DC Central Kitchen up to $2,000. If you would like to join us and share a little of your light, just click HERE. Thank you!

Best Practices, community associations, condo associations, Cooperatives, Management

A Good Start (and a Creative Solution if it’s Too Late)

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A recent blog focused on the unique challenges faced by small community associations face.  The crux of most of the solutions offered was to provide access to the attention and resources typically available to larger associations.

But First, Let’s Talk About Beginnings

One of the biggest difference-makers in the success of all community associations is how they transition from developer to homeowner control. I had an eye-opening experience taking CAI’s M-370 class , “Managing Developing Communities.” It became clear to me that in many parts of the country, litigation and firing the management company soon after transition are foregone conclusions. I realized how fortunate I was to have come up in the Washington DC area where litigation is not nearly as common. I think there are a few reasons for this; (1) there are more lawyers per square mile in DC than in most areas, (2) those lawyers understand the true cost of litigation, and (3) the transition engineering study procedure has been embraced by boards and developers alike for a couple of decades.

I also found that creating a very transparent, community-specific series of orientation programs leading up to transition was hugely beneficial. When homeowners understood what to expect, understood the fundamentals of the community association concept and best practices, were fully aware of the requirements set forth in their governing documents and prevailing law, and understood the context of the roles and relationships of the developer, association, management, and individual members, things went really well. Another factor was working with developers who were wise enough to invest in set-up fees so that systems and personnel were in place and in concert with the product they were selling so that everything was in place when the first owner settled.

Managing developing communities is a LOT of work. However, doing the hard work up significantly decreased the workload on the back end. For a manager, there is potential for a considerable payback. There are few things more satisfying than being an integral part of successful communities. By the way, the company I worked for very rarely lost contracts after transition.

When these factors are not in place, much is left to chance. I noticed that some of the new clients we took over shortly after transition were working through chaos that could have been avoided had effective orientations and systems been put into place. The same was true for clients of the company I was working with when the programs were not put into place. I heard it from everyone from unit owners to the managers to accounting staff. Failing to prepare and execute upfront impacts everyone adversely in one way or another.

Back to the Little Guys

We saw the impact of inadequate transition practices early in Association Bridge’s history. We would get calls from board members from tiny condominiums two or three years after owner control. The small developers either didn’t know enough or care enough about association operations to set up the owners for success. Owners purchased with no clue, only to realize too late that they would have to deal with issues that in some cases should have been addressed by the developer. It was too late to do anything about that now and the unit owners were faced with significant financial burdens, magnified by the inequity of scale endemic of their situation.

I thought…What if we could find a way to give small associations the tools I had been providing my management company’s clients for over 20 years? Would it work?

An opportunity to test the idea came up in a conversation with Matt Cheney. Matt was the agent selling for a developer of Lanier Station, a 9-unit condominium in Washington DC. I met Matt a decade or so below when he was leading the sales team sat one of my favorite old clients, the award-winning Lionsgate at Woodmont Corner Condominium in Bethesda, Maryland. Matt lit up with the idea of replicating the Lionsgate model at Lanier Station and made the introduction. Sure enough, the developer, Pete Lambis. We truncated the program from three sessions to one and agreed to help facilitate the transition meeting.

We were able to help the owners prepare to assume responsibility for the operation of the condominium. We laid out various operational models for the unit owner board to consider. In the end, they remained self-managed with a full appreciation of their options and the systems they needed to put into place to get things started and maintain them. Their small investment got them off to a great start that will no doubt benefit owners for a long time. The model works!

A Bonus for When It’s Too Late

Some of the condominiums developed in Washington DC over the past 20 years were townhomes converted into condominiums or newly constructed small buildings. Many of them were not blessed with developers as wise as Mr. Lambis. Owners bought in with no concept of how to lead and manage a condominium, much less with an understanding of the association’s rights or developer responsibilities. By the time the fecal matter hit the fan, they were faced with significant financial hardship.

An innovative solution comes courtesy of Don Plank, Assistant Vice President at National Cooperative Bank.  As Don and I were kicking around deep concepts one day, we noted that very small condominiums in distress usually do not have the option their big brothers in condoworld have. They will never be able to qualify for a loan. Suddenly, the proverbial light bulb appeared over Don’s head. “You know, the best thing one of those tiny condos could do would be to re-organize as a cooperative.”

There are legal hurdles to terminating a condominium regime, but this may be a rare time when small size presents a large benefit. Getting mortgagee approval could be tricky, so working with a lender who can write both underlying cooperative corporate mortgage and share loans could help. Unit owner approval to dissolve and re-create the legal entity would likely be a nearly insurmountable challenge for most associations. But with fewer owners to corral, reorganization may well be the best option if a small association is facing oppressive and unfunded capital projects. Working with a qualified lawyer, banker, and project manager, creating a new cooperative with an underlying mortgage would help to defray major expenses over 30 years. Legal costs could also be wrapped up in the loan proceeds. It’s just crazy enough to work! Don is a genius!

Creativity and Innovation

Business as usual can be the death of success. Small associations need creative solutions. We can learn from enlightened developers like Mr. Lambis and original thinkers like Mr. Plank. Community members in small associations will benefit. Success and excellence are possible. Let’s make this happen!

Best Practices, community associations, condo associations, Cooperatives, HOAs, Management

The Annual Calendar – A Key Component of Management Success

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No one can dispute the value of preparation. Coach Wooden knew it firsthand. By his own admission, he was a poor tactician. Still, he was one of the most successful and respected coaches in the NCAA. No team ever out-prepared UCLA.

For various reasons, many managers fall short in this area. They are in reactive mode much of the time. Acting without planning quickly creates a vicious cycle of rushed response and crisis triage. Many never learn the secret of slowing down in order to speed up. 

It’s no surprise then, that many of the annual calendars (a.k.a. “management plans”) in use tend to be less than complete and not always user-friendly. An effective calendar identifies as many controllable activities as possible. It breaks down those activities to specific deliverables. It creates a mechanism to track activities and proactively plan for upcoming events. It is a tool to analyze the workload and make adjustments. It promotes accountability and communication. Creating and implementing a detailed annual calendar will make you the Coach Wooden of community association management!

Manager par excellence Karen Harris, CMCA, AMS, of the Old Georgetown Village Condominium in North Bethesda, Maryland, began utilizing a detailed annual calendar 16 years ago. She notes:

“The annual calendar system is a comprehensive management tool that enables the manager to “manage.” It initiates the planning and discussion between the Board and Management at the beginning of each year, giving everyone the data and participation necessary to promote buy-in.

With an emphasis on organization and goals throughout the year, it keeps management on track, prompting action instead of inaction. In the field of property management, unexpected emergencies always pop up. If you are on top of everything else, you can minimize overall stress. Sitting in the driver’s seat is the best place to be whenever possible.”

Note: This blog is geared towards managers, but a detailed annual calendar can be hugely valuable for volunteer leaders of small and self-managed community associations. In addition to the benefits noted above, the calendar memorializes processes and supports continuity of services as board members change over time.

Yeah, but…

Buying into the concept can be a challenge. It is a lot of work up front. And it requires accountability.

10 Reasons to Use a Thorough Annual Calendar and Include it with Status of Items Noted in Every Management Report

1. You will save time by being more efficient – no time wasted on fixing errors and communicating embarrassing problems.
2. You will rush less, thereby greatly improving the quality of your work.
3. You will have the confidence that you have more things under control.
4. You will have less stress and worry.
5. Your clients will have more confidence in you.
6. You will reduce the potential for unnecessary expense.
7. Your rear end will feel better. (Since you won’t forget important events and deadlines, those things can’t bite you in the butt!)
8. You will control your time better.
9. You will set yourself apart from the pack. (Most managers in the industry do not do this).
10. You will have a clue why you do what you do – once you embrace the concept and use it as a tool, everything makes more sense and a whole new world opens up to you.

Busting Four Commonly Held Myths 

1. Myth: “I don’t have time.”
Reality: If you don’t have time to do things well now, when will you have time to do things poorly later?
Reality: Planning properly and executing a plan saves time because you are far more focused and efficient than when you wing it and perform tasks randomly.
Reality: Successful managers learn to recognize the difference between a time investment and a time expense.

2. Myth: “My clients don’t care – they don’t read my reports as it is.”
Reality: Even if they don’t read it after the first time they see it, no client has ever
failed to be impressed when first introduced to the concept.

3. Myth: “If I tell the client everything I plan to do and for some reason can’t deliver, they will hold me responsible. What they don’t know won’t hurt them or me.”
Reality: Whether the client holds you responsible or not, you ARE responsible. Some think being held responsible is a bad thing.
Reality: If you keep winging it, it’s only a matter of time before you will be held responsible for a major error because you failed to plan – better to be held accountable for little things if they don’t go 100% according to plan.
Reality: Your client will find your willingness to be accountable and honest refreshing. They will trust and respect you for it.

4. Myth: “If I give them all that data, the Board meetings will take longer and they will nag me about everything.”
Reality: The first meeting or two might be longer, but you will find that because they know you have things under control, the meetings are shorter…and they get OFF your back.

OK! I’m a believer… now what?

When is the Best Time to Create or Review a Calendar?

1. When you take over a new client from another company or manager (helps you to learn the property QUICKLY)

2. Right after a budget is adopted and while you are completing your 12 month spread (helps you merge the physical and administrative plan with the financial plan)

What do I Need in Front of Me to Build my Calendar?
1. 12-Month budget spread
2. CC&Rs or bylaws
3. Policies that might impact management activity (ex. ARC)
4. Contracts
5. PM schedule (if it exists…and if it doesn’t, make one!)
6. Annual meeting file
7. Anything from the files that helps you to identify when things are to happen at the community (paid bills, etc)

The 10 Steps to Success

Step 1: Identify the tasks you can control and do routinely, and those tasks and projects that are on the plate this year in the following areas:

  • Administrative tasks (annual meetings, budget processes, etc)
  • Contract administration
  • Board, committee, and community activities
  • Basic preventive & scheduled maintenance
  • Capital and other projects

Step 2: Identify the steps you need to complete each task

Step 3: Identify deadlines and decide during which months these tasks should be completed – work backward from deadlines (ex: contract award process).

Step 4: Draft the plan on a chart in a format that allows you to see the total picture and how tasks relate to one another

Step 5: Review the plan and adjust the timing of events as possible so that you don’t overload yourself.

Step 6: Roll out the plan in the next management report. Let the Board know their input is appreciated and that the plan will be adjusted if needed as time goes on.

Step 7: Schedule time to review your plan during the month, verifying you are on task in the current month and prepared to handle next month.

Step 8: Mark completed items in the chart to track performance and include in the monthly management report.

Step 9: At the end of the year, analyze performance vs. plan, learn from the past, and adjust the plan or your performance as necessary.

Step 10: Enjoy the benefits of being a truly professional manager!!

Means & Methods

Any plan is better than no plan. Annual calendars or management plans exist in various forms ranging from lists by month to tasks plugged into Outlook or Google Calendars. To achieve all the goals outlined above, it is most helpful to have one master document. To find a sample and template you can use, we’ve placed a link on the Association Bridge website for you.  Look for the Samples You Can Use! box.

community associations, condo associations, Cooperatives, Governance, HOAs, leadership, Management

Inequity of Scale – The Challenge of Leading and Managing Small Condominium Associations

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Association Bridge was formed in large part due to my experience teaching CAI’s old “Essentials” program for community association volunteer leaders. Ken Ingram of Whiteford, Taylor & Preston and I were tapped to teach the full day program for a few years at Reston Association. RA member associations are typically very small communities known as “clusters.” By the early 2000s, some of these small associations were facing some serious challenges. The class gave them access to resources that board members in larger associations would probably take for granted.

I will never forget hearing a board president proudly explain his excellent system for keeping the books for his cluster.

“I use different color ink in the checkbook.”

“Oh, you mean to help identify different types of expense and income or something?”

“Well yeah, kinda…”

“OK, can you share the system with the class?”

“Sure. You see, everything in green ink is cluster activity, and everything in blue is mine…”

“Yours?”

“Yeah. That’s how I can easily separate the cluster activity from mine in the account.”

“Wait, are you saying you collect your neighbor’s fees, deposit them in your personal bank account… and pay cluster expenses from the same account?”

“Well…yeah.”

Yikes!

Time & Attention

Teaching the class was an instructive experience. Board members were searching for creative ways to get two things all community associations need if they are to be managed effectively – time and attention. I frequently heard the refrain, “Our management company doesn’t do ANYTHING!” Without fail, some follow up questions revealed the boards weren’t paying for very much of anything. Some gave up and went fully self-managed. They were doing a lot of work themselves to make up the difference between what they wanted from management and what they felt they could afford.

It reminded me that small associations have to make tough choices, all borne from the inequity of scale. Certain costs simply do not scale. Managing a 20-unit building will likely require the same number of site visits as would a 150-unit building. The time required to create board packages, produce monthly financial reports and attend meetings will not scale to the unit count. Neither will the costs of independent audits or reserve studies. This can apply to capital projects as well. A 3-story high rise and a 10-story high rise could have the same building footprint, meaning that the cost to replace their respective roofs may be about the same. Bottom line: Inevitably, unit owners in small condominiums are very likely to pay more per unit in total fees than their counterparts in larger condominium associations.

As a result, boards of smaller associations frequently opt for less service, requiring investment in the time and knowledge base of volunteers to make up the difference. That burden can be very difficult for volunteers.

There may be solutions that require some creative thinking. While I applaud the resourcefulness and sense of duty shown by the board member who co-mingled personal and association finances, I pray he never gets in a beef with a fellow unit owner. That association clearly did not have any crime coverage. I doubt they had proper directors & officers liability coverage, either. Not all creative ideas are great ideas.

What Can We Do?

The goal is to identify the needs and wants of the board and membership, and then design a plan that is in harmony with them. It is a mistake to assume that small associations can’t afford “good” service. Such thinking is a variation on the sin of fee targeting. Many a community has found that a cheap price results in a high cost later on. Whether it comes in the form of making up for deferred maintenance, the bottom dropping out of resale values, disengaged unit owners, or dissatisfied residents, sooner or later everyone bears the cost of short-term thinking.

Analyzing the Operation

A Responsibility Grid is an excellent tool to help see where you are and where you have gaps. First, list the tasks involved in operating the association along the left margin to create rows. Then, along the top of the page, create columns by listing the volunteers and paid personnel or contracted parties who have roles in the operation. A sample grid you can use can be found HERE.

Once the tasks and responsible parties have been listed, fill in the grid boxes, describing each party’s current role in each task. Soon, you will have a snapshot of the operation, seeing the interrelation of the parties involved. This frequently leads to Aha! moments. We’ve noticed that many Boards have a tendency to assume most issues are performance problems. The Grid helps to reveal weaknesses in the system, allowing everyone to differentiate system problems from performance problems. The Grid may point out that someone else in the organization is better suited to take on a certain responsibility. Or you may find that some tasks aren’t being performed at all under the current system. Once clarified, performance issues can be more effectively addressed.

The trick is to use the Grid to address system problems by making adjustments. The context of seeing the operation in totality helps the board to identify areas where more support is needed. You can redline the grid until it makes sense. It takes the guesswork out of the picture, communicates responsibilities with clarity, and increases the likelihood of finding successful solutions. The final grid can then be a tool to adjust contracted specifications and position descriptions as needed.

What Are The Options?

Many contracts are designed to be “competitive” without regard to the actual workload required for the job. Standard “full service” management may not provide the required attention needed to support volunteers in your specific case. Some approaches to bridge the gaps include:

  • Customizing the management agreement to provide more attention in specific areas. Quantify time and attention where possible. If a minimum weekly site visit and monthly or quarterly property inspection with written report will address many of the issues a community is experiencing, include those as specifications in the management contract. Set the expectation and create a system that takes some of the burden off the shoulders of volunteer leaders. It may be that some specifications can be decreased to help compensate for additional cost, such as decreasing the number of board meetings attended.
  • Decrease the management contract to “financial-only” or “financial-plus” service levels to free up assets and redirect them to on-site management. This is where it gets creative. I cut my management teeth as a part-time on-site manager for five different associations over the span of ten years. Two of them had fewer than 50 units. All of them had something in common. They were all too small to justify full-time, on-site management, but too busy to be well-served by off-site management.
  • Adjust the scope of the management contract to dedicate a specific allowance of time. If the management company is willing to consider an out-of-the-box option, they could provide more attention by defining a number of hours per week for dedicated attention, including on-site time. Some management companies in the northwest use this model.
  • It takes a village. Depending on the configuration and condition of the property, a combination of services might make sense. Perhaps the volunteer base is strong, and you can engage management on an a la carte basis to provide only the services needed when you need them. Perhaps you just need a management company or consultant to set up the annual calendar and preventive maintenance programs and come back to audit the system periodically. Perhaps a maintenance position can be beefed up with a system to provide valuable eyes, ears, arms and legs for Management and the Board. Perhaps strategically scheduling a contracted annual architectural and engineering inspection to coincide with the annual budget process combined with “financial-only” professional management gives the association the best bang for the buck. The possibilities are endless.

In the End

The quality of volunteer leadership will always be vital to the success of any condominium association. The smaller the association, the more important this is. Smaller associations have special challenges. Even volunteer leaders who have the time and talent to assume certain management roles are wise to seek resources to set up systems and find best practices. National organizations like the Community Associations Institute  and the National Association of Housing Cooperatives can be very valuable resources. Associations in the Washington Metro area can tap into additional resources such as the DC Cooperative Housing Coalition, the Montgomery County Office of Common Ownership Communities, and the Office of the Virginia Common Interest Commission Ombudsman 
Small associations may have special challenges. But they don’t have to give up, and they don’t have to settle. There are resources and options for volunteer leaders to provide quality service to their members. It may take some creativity and a realistic view of the expenses related to inequity of scale, but it can be done.