Orange County Association Management

The best thing for managing a community association is communication. I studied Latin in High School so I always look to the root of a word to further define it's intended meaning. Since the first six letters of communication and community are the same, let's have a little Latin history to develop my 10 keys to effective communication and community management.

Latin Lesson:

Communicare: Impart, share or make common
Cum: Together
Mun: Community, meaning
Munus: Duties or gifts offered publicly
(Ms. Schuler would be so proud of me, but probably scold me for talking out of turn)

Community Communication Defined:

A community working together to share gifts and duties offered publicly for common benefit.

Top 10 Communication Skills:

1. Listen. I can't stress this one enough. If you are on the board of a community association you have a fiduciary responsibility to each member in the community. Listen to the membership, take into account their aggravation's, and try to address the problems as they were addressed to you. Property managers typically filter complaints directly to the board, so never underestimate how important it is for your property manager to listen and clearly communicate.
2. Respond. Take time to swirl the thought around your head, and digest what is being asked of you. If someone asks a question they deserve a real answer.
3. Specific. Be specific on what you want and/or repeat back what a person wants from you. Repeating the request shows people you actually listened, and eliminates most miscommunication. Create a specific timeline that both parties can agree to on a completion date.
4. Details. Be detail oriented. Little things matter just as much as big things in communication. If you leave baking powder out of a cake recipe what happens? It turns out flat and is not the product you wanted. Make sure the recipe is complete before you bake.
5. Transparent. Transparency is everything in a working relationship. Be authentic, genuine, respectful, real, ethical and don't be afraid to be yourself.
6. Think. I'm a firm believer in the fewer the words the better when responding. Think ahead, frame your response, and anticipate questions that could unravel by your answer.
7. Point of View. Take the time to understand someones point of view even if it doesn't align with your own. If you take the time to understand why someones point of view is different, you can better communicate your own point of view. In short, ask questions and stop trying to prove your own point all the time.
8. Don't take it personally. You never know what someone has had to deal with on any given day. Be quick to respond respectfully, help solve the problem, and make it a better day for the client.
9. Right or Wrong? Who cares! Get the problem solved. The ability to be humble in communication is often over looked. I listen to sports radio and they are always debating. I'll never forget these two words that came out of one of those debates: point taken. Think about those two words because they really resonated with me. It's the same as "agree to disagree," but better because you can accept their opinion, still have your opinion and move the conversation along.
10. Follow-Up. What happens if you complete every assignment in school and don't hand them in to be graded? You fail the class. You will fail at communication if you don't follow-up and close the loop on communication.