There comes a time in everyone's life when they might feel they need to step up to the plate and take on more responsibility. Sometimes this comes from a place of altruism, other times it might be related to making more money or simply hoping out in a unique and exciting role. Being a great community manager is steeped in high-quality communication, delegation, and leadership skills – along with a healthy involvement with members of the community itself. Whether it's running a home on his association or managing a project underdevelopment, there are some essential skills you'll need to hone in order to become a successful community manager. Here's a short guide to some of those skills.
Keep Lines Of Communication Open
Good communication is the cornerstone of success when it comes to effective leadership. Being relatable, friendly, and firm all lead to excellent communication. The same is true across any field or organization. A lack of communication or misinformation has the potential to cause significant harm under any circumstances. Being an effective community leader requires consistent, effective communication with everyone from community members to vendors. Moreover, working with your support staff (rather than merely giving them orders) is essential to running a smooth operation. Ultimately, better communication keeps everyone in the loop, so homeowners know what's happening in the community, why it's happening, and can feel comfortable to provide feedback to you as the manager. If someone has a question about the by-laws (can they have pets? Is it okay to proceed with a renovation? What are the parking policies? And so on…) they can ask and receive a prompt response. That's the value of good communication.
Make Yourself Available
While communication is essential to success, making yourself available and being present/engaged when working with your community is another key aspect of being in charge. Scheduling issues can be a challenge, especially since problems can pop up at any time. As a manager, you act as the liaison between homeowners and the HOA board. That level of responsibility requires having a clear focus on your work and prioritizing some aspects of the job over others. If someone has a maintenance concern or request, for example, you want to be there to address it and take appropriate steps to find a vendor to carry out the repair. It might not always be easy, but being present and available is one of the hallmarks of great leadership. Your community shouldn't expect any less.
Be Honest About Finances
Financial matters are nothing to take lightly. The absolute best policy to take when it comes to finances is to be as honest as possible. When homeowners in your developments are paying their dues – anywhere from $100 or $200 per month to even higher depending on geographic location – they need to know where that money is going. Or they should at least have some idea of how these dues are directed. Honesty and transparency in this regard also contribute to helping the board make better, well-informed decisions and support the community overall.
Use Software To Automate HOA Management
The responsibilities of an HOA community board and its management are extensive. Automating some of these processes with dedicated, condo-specific software is a great way to get more work done, help homeowners, complete repairs / maintenance on time, and manage the association's finances. Use condo management software to streamline and enhance the day-to-day management of the homeowners association for your condo. Management software helps improve the flow of communication, allows homeowners to pay their dues online and access previous receipts, and much more. If you need to hire someone, the software can help build a database of reputable vendors. If you need to track ownership of a unit or ownership transfers, you can do that too. It also automates paperwork and budgetary calculations (including special assessments), making it easier to carry out your duties than if you had to rely on doing everything by hand.
Get The Community Involved
The last piece of the "great community leadership" puzzle is getting the rest of your community involved with running things. You can do this in a few ways. Start by being open and welcoming to new additions to the community, as a good first impression can set the tone for a positive future relationship. If a homeowner regularly volunteers for something or readily participates in board discussions, recognize their contributions and make them feel like they're adding value to the entire organization. Positive feedback and communication are extremely useful for doing just that. When it all comes down to it, getting the community involved is pretty easy and eventually leads to better management, happier homeowners, and increased property values.
