Platinum can be applied to the
community association world as well. In addition to being a level of sponsorship available for CAI Illinois, it can be described as exceptional service from managers, or a valuable board of directors who serve their association successfully. Or, a platinum team could be considered to be a partnership of outstanding management plus an effective board of directions. How can your association aspire to such platinum standing? Glad you asked!
Just as many community associations have common areas, the boards and managers who work well together have “common areas” as well.
Communication
Communication is vital to any successful operation and a community association is no different. Communications between the board and the manager should be regular and should occur on at least a weekly basis. Effective board and managers share their resources with one another in an open and honest manner. An example might be that a board will appraise a manager of a previous situation that will help the manager to learn from the boards past lessons. Another example could be a manager who freely shares information regarding best practices for the betterment of the community.
Communities that have the greatest successes plan for their long term future together. The best vehicle for this is the reserve study. A reserve study conducted by a reserve specialist will highlight capital repair projects that need to be undertaken to avoid mounting repairs bills and dangerous conditions. A community’s preventive maintenance schedule will determine the type and frequency of routine and preventative maintenance. A maintenance schedule helps to exploit efficiencies, extend useful life and lower repair bills.
Up to date and regularly reviewed Rules and Regulations enable both parties to understand what is expected of all of the major stakeholders which helps to eliminates any doubt.
Surveys are a great communication tool that will allow your homeowners and residents a chance to communicate with you. A survey may help you to understand the wants and the needs of the community which in turn can lead to greater resident satisfaction and improved value for money and home values.
For a manager and board to truly understand each other’s requirements a comprehensive contract for management services should be executed. The terms of the contract should be clearly set. The terms should cover as a minimum, the duration of the contract (dates), payments (amounts and frequency), and a detailed list of the delegated tasks. The limits of authority that the manager may have should
be clearly defined. Any unusual tasks or expectations should be agreed upon from the beginning.
Boards and managers who are to be successful together must listen to one another. To have good communication the dialogue must be a two way street.
Objectives
Smart boards and managers set themselves up for success by setting “SMART objectives.” A SMART objective setting can help to keep boards and managers focused on the many challenges that they may oversee. SMART objectives should be Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time oriented.
“Specificity” helps to determine what is to be done. Specificity not only describes the task but describes the results that are to be expected. A well worded objective will be written so that everybody has the same understanding so that any ambiguity will be eliminated.
A “measurable” objective will let all parties know the “quantifiable terms of the objective.” A well thought-out objective will set out in clear terms the measure, value, occurrence, costs, timeline/time orientation and deadlines that may be necessary for any given task of project.
Any good objective will have a realistic chance of success and will be defined as “achievable.” Can the person who has had the objective set realistically complete the task or project as described? Some things that boards and managers should consider are skillsets, costs and deadlines.
“Relevance” pertains to the importance and appropriateness of an item. At times meetings and projects can be taken off- track by distractions, other agendas or unexpected events. Associations must stay focused on task and dedicated to achieving successful results. Good objectives for an association must be relevant to the associations business.
“Time-oriented” is the concept that a specific amount of time has been set to work on the task at hand regardless of whether it’s completed or not. When applied to a board meeting, this means that the meeting will follow a set agenda with time periods assigned to the respective topics. Often a conversation that allows many people time to speak their own opinions can be helpful; however, it tends to extend the length of a conversation past the point of productivity. Set timelines and keep to them.
Delegation
Boards and managers who are effective will have established trust and understanding. Boards who have a successful relationship with a manager
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