One of the most impactful elements of community living is the quality of the relationship between the board of directors and the community property management company. This relationship can really influence the community living experience for board members, homeowners and residents alike. Unfortunately, the relationship’s health is often overlooked and either the board or a board member winds up micromanaging the property management company. To make matters worse, the relationship is commonly seen as having one side rather than two, which interferes with the ability of the board and property management company to accomplish more through mutuality.
Here are the 10 best ways board members can positively impact community living:
- View the relationship between the board and the management company as mutual.For a relationship to thrive and achieve desired goals, it must have mutuality. The board/management company relationship is the same as that between a couple. Property managers aren’t robots – they’re real human beings. Consider treating your property manager differently from how you might treat your cable provider. If the cable TV service is out, that typically means equipment has failed. If something goes wrong with the association’s daily operations, it could be due to a range of reasons such as vendor mistakes, technology failure, board member failure, homeowner failure or manager error.
- Apply the Golden Rule: Treat your property manager the way you would like to be treated.This is important even though you are paying the property management company. You are receiving a service in return for the payment, and it is being provided by human beings with feelings and dignity. Treating service providers kindly results in better service. Of course, I am not suggesting you condone services provided poorly. I am however pointing out that yelling and screaming at your property manager will not inspire harder work for you.
- Invest in the relationship.The management company often builds the bridge between parties alone. The board should put in effort to create great working relationships with the property management team. Take time to get to know them. Arrange a meeting at the management company’s office and become familiar with the professionals who will serve and support your association. This will just about guarantee you receive better services at once.
- Offer compliments.Why do people typically criticize only service providers such as management companies? I suggest that board members and homeowners send an occasional note to the management company about something they did right. I can assure you that this small but meaningful effort will result in a higher level of service.
- Accept responsibility for mistakes.The management company often takes the blame when something goes wrong. The truth is that the customer is not always right. If a board member says he/she is going to do something and then does not do it, that person needs to be held accountable just like anyone else. This should not result in undue stress on the manager. Board members should be willing to hold each other accountable as well. If the secretary does not take meeting minutes, he/she should answer for it. Not taking meeting minutes can result in an angry homeowner who is trying to sell but can’t because of the lack of the minutes. They will then typically confront the management company even though the secretary is the one who should be explaining and trying to resolve the situation.
- Give the benefit of the doubt.When something goes wrong, don’t be quick to assume it was because of the management company. This approach interferes with developing an effective working relationship with your management company – or with any service provider, for that matter. Your management company provides hundreds of services. Vendors may be involved as well. With so many services being delivered over weeks and months, sometimes not everything will work perfectly, but it’s something that a relationship based on mutuality can solve.
Mistakes will happen.The truth is that mistakes will happen regardless of which management company and vendor(s) you work with. With this in mind, you want your focus to be on how the management company reacts to situations and mistakes. Do they get defensive or try to avoid ownership of the mistake if they made it? Or do they accept responsibility if they have caused the issue? Start by giving them the benefit of the doubt and then see how they respond.
- Objective feedback is critical.It is important that the homeowners and board members give the management company objective feedback. A good way to achieve this is to ask the homeowners to respond to a survey. In responding, the homeowners should keep everything in perspective rather than focus only on the negatives. As mentioned, mistakes will happen. Constructive, useful feedback will consider the steps the board and management company take to mitigate those potential issues and how the management company responds when situations do arise.
- Set clear and reasonable expectations.Expectations should be based on the terms of the management agreement. Services and response times requested should fall only within the scope of the agreement. If you prefer to be contacted by cell phone instead of work phone, make sure the manager is aware. Invest some time and effort in creating a great relationship. Make sure you understand the manager’s working style as well.
- Understand the management agreement.It is imperative to understand what is included and excluded in as much detail as possible. Every management company has a different formula for providing community management services. This ranges from (A) billing everything hourly to (B) a menu of services (i.e. some services are included and some are a la carte) to (C) “EVERYTHING” is included. There is no right or wrong way. It really depends on how effectively the management company provides the services and how responsible their approach is to serving your community.In the end, all management companies are in the business to make money. The question becomes whether you know how much money your management company is making from your association or if you are you in the dark. Are they making money without your knowledge? The relationship between the management company and the board is also a function of trust and financial transparency.
SUMMARY
How healthy is the relationship between your management company and your association’s board of directors? Are you taking a comprehensive approach to the relationship or are you simply analyzing the actions and behaviors of the management company subjectively? Are you part of the problem, or are you part of the solution? The relationship you have with your manager reflects the relationship you wish to create with your management company. Rather than view your manager as an adversary to confront, envision the relationship you’d really like to have. It just might lead to a life-changing experience.
AUTHOR
Salvatore J. Sciacca aka “Condoboss” is the nation’s leading expert in the community property management industry and is also recognized for his stress relieving blogs and insight on personal and organizational transformation.
Salvatore has also traveled extensively around the world and has meditated with Buddhist monks in Nepal and met the world’s happiest man, Matthieu Ricard. He’s passions include cooking, traveling, meditating and hiking. He is also the founder and executive director of the Chicagoland Italian American Professionals organization and an amateur chef.
Salvatore can be reached at: 312.455.0107 x102 or at ssciacca@chicagopropertyservices.com.