Understanding, Coping, and Learning to Thrive in the
Community Management Environment.
By Julie Adamen

The 5th in a series of giving manager's tools they can use right now to better their working lives.

Last month we spoke with managers from different regions and asked them to talk about the most stressful aspects of their positions. We then addressed those issues, one by one, giving them tools they can use, right now, to deal with those specific situations.

We continue with the remainder of what those managers termed as their largest sources of stress. Here's what they told us (again, in no particular order):

"I can't rely on accurate (or timely) work product from our support staff."

To a manager, every one stated they are absolutely fed up with having to go to a meeting and get upbraided for mistakes made "in accounting." It seems things haven't much changed since I started managing back in the 80's. Managers walk a fine line here - they don't want/need to take more abuse than they do already, let alone for someone else's mistake. Yet, they can't immediately lay the lame elsewhere - it makes them look unprofes­sional. Here are some suggestions.

Make sure you understand the financials. I am willing to bet that only one or two out of five portfolio managers fully understand the financials. Do we lack financial training as an industry? Yes. Now, let's MOVE ON. If you don't understand the financials, it is your obli­gation, as a manager, to get yourself the infor­mation you need to understand them. It is my experience that if you ask someone in account­ing to sit down with you and explain the finan­cials, it will clear up a lot of the fog.

Look at the financials BEFORE you go to the meeting - and preferably before you make the Board packet. If there are problems, this gives you time to meet with and/or memo accounting re the problems - or - just maybe - get them re-run in time to make the Board pack­et. If not, and if it's appropriate, bring them sep­arately to the meeting. This is all a part of managing, not controlling, and understanding you are not alone as a manager (accounting has a role in this, too).

Don't pass the buck. I know you want to, but never pass the
buck. You are the manager. If you work for a management company, you are their representative (read: salesperson) to that community. When you tell the Board "Oh, that darned accounting, I TOLD them to fix that!" – Not only does the accounting department look bad - you (and your company) do. Think about it. You have just told the Board 1) You don't look at the financials prior to the meeting or 2) You probably don't understand the financials in the first place. Be pro-active. If there are errors find them and have accounting fix them. If the error(s) aren't fixed by the time of your meeting, make sure to have the memo you sent accounting attached to the Board packet.

Don't ignore a continual problem with accounting. If you have a continual problem with your financial statements, don't ignore it and complain to the rest of the staff about accounting. Do something about it. Set up a meeting with the appro­priate person(s) in the accounting dept., explaining your problems. You might be surprised at what you learn!

Make sure and take notes, then write a memo about outlining the salient points. Send accounting a copy. CC your supervisor. Is the problem with you? Don't forget to look to yourself to see if you are causing or adding to the problem. Are you coding expenses correctly? Or are you missing accounting's deadline for timely financial production?

If it's not going away If the prob­lem(s) you are experiencing is/are not going away, and you have tried all of the above (and maybe more), it's time to bring your supervisor in the loop for active participation.

"Because of all the night meetings, I am always tired - and stressed out."

As an industry, we talk an awful lot about night meetings. So far, it's just talk. And from where I sit, it is the number one challenge facing the industry in terms of retaining good employees. It is espe­cially hard on people with families and very, very hard on single parents.

It would be stating the obvious to say that night meetings cause serious fatigue. But let's go beyond that. Fatigue is stress inducing. Fatigue makes normal problems and issues take on proportions that are way out of whack with their true importance. Fatigue can cause serious errors in judgment, and those judgments can lead in all sorts of inappropri­ate directions. Let's go over just a few things that might help until the long awaited day when most meetings are held during regular business hours.

Take it off, take it all off. Compensatory Time, that is. That time you accumulate throughout the month in attending those evening meetings - TAKE IT OFF! It is time clue you, you have earned it and you deserve it. We hear from many, many managers who refuse to take the time due them, or only take a portion of the time because "I'll be so far behind if I take it!" Humbug! Community management is a continuum: You could work 24/7 and never "catch up." Taking the time due you is a long-term decision on your part towards longevity in the industry, and ultimately, your physical and mental well being.

Work smarter, not harder (or longer). Are you putting in more hours than your co­workers with similar account loads are? Do you feel guilty if you take time off? Are you unable to say "no" when you are asked to take on a new account (that you know you can't really handle)? If you answered yes to any or all, you need to stop and take stock of how you are working: How are you organized? Are you managing your time efficiently? Do any of your basic skills (typing, for instance) need honing? Are there specific tasks that take you longer than your co­workers? By taking an honest look at how you are working, and adjusting those areas that need adjusting, you are managing your workload and your pro­fessional life, as well as your accounts.

"Every time I finish one thing, another comes due. It drives me crazy!"

Managers are awash in a sea of deadlines. As soon as one is met, another is looming on the horizon of your in-box. Once again, planning and organization can help you deal with this stress; Deadlines are, and are going to be, your life as a community manager. Help your­self and make it better.

Don't act like it's a surprise. You know when Board packs are due, annual meetings are scheduled, budgets are due, and committee meetings scheduled. Take a long ­term approach to your job and maintain a calendar that not only includes those dates and times, but the dates and times of when you should start a project. And do it.

Prioritize Your Deadlines. Yes, you have a lot of deadlines but not all of them carry the same weight and impor­tance. Getting the budget in the mail on time is far more important than your Board packet going out a day late. If the budget carries an assessment increase, it takes on even more importance.

Here's a quick way to prioritize those deadlines and if you do this just once or twice you'll probably be able to do it in your head the next time - and soon it will be second nature:

Start on or near the first of the month. List all the deadlines you have to meet, including projects you have to finish and projects you have to start. Don't worry about the order. Make two additional columns next to the first, marked "Start" and "Complete". Place the appropriate dates for each deadlines, project, or whatever, in each of those columns.

Look what you did: You prioritized your deadlines, giving yourself a tool to deal with them.

Overall Stress Management

There are many publications and websites dedicated to helping individuals manage the stress they feel in their jobs and in everyday life. And, of course, many of the old adages apply: Get enough sleep; don't abuse alcohol and drugs, exer­cise. These are important issues and we urge all man­agers to look for balance in their lives.

In the past months, we have addressed some very basic skills needed by managers on a daily basis: Communication, Time Management, Organizational and Stress Management Techniques and practical applications. We hope that by giving managers these tools, tools they can use right now, we have con­tributed to their overall well-being, and towards the greater goal of extending the profession life of managers and enhancing the quality of that life.