By Julie Adamen

Most of the things we talked about last month were things managers deal with everyday. Let’s recap, quickly, on those “Dumb Things that Boards Do”[1]:

1. Micromanage
2. Fail to Hold Productive Meetings
3. Disregard Liabilities
4. Base Action on Emotion (thus making inconsistent decisions)
5. Fail to acknowledge staff or volunteers
6. Accept low bids and expect top notch service
7. Fail to move on or release personal agendas for the betterment of the community
8. Hire a Board member or homeowner to be the manager

None of these are new to anyone who has managed more than a year or two. And we don’t just see it once; we see it over and over and over. So, what is the missing ingredient? What do our Boards need not only for our betterment as managers, but for their own sake and that of their communities?

Vision - “the act or power of imagination b (1) : mode of seeing or conceiving (2) : unusual discernment or foresight <a man of vision>”

Without a doubt, Boards must develop Vision for their communities, and see beyond the three P’s of community management (Pets, Poop and Parking). They must use the power of imagination, look beyond the current and envision the future of their community.  And we must be ready with the tools to help them develop that vision.

As Rob Felix says in his essay Successful Boards of Directors are Set Apart When…  “They understand the power of Vision,” and “They don’t assume the current reality represents all the community can be.”  Think about it. A Board that looks to the future of their community, as opposed to being committed only to crisis management (or management by exception) that envelopes our industry.

Imagine your Board(s) understood the power of Vision in relation to their community - What type of changes would take place in the current Board? What type of people would be interested in becoming Board members or volunteers? What would it mean to those who manage communities? What would it mean for the communities themselves? What would it mean to management companies?

Developing Vision. What Vision does a Board have for its community?  Do they see their community becoming a less desirable place to live, without enough funds to enable future residents to take care of the common area?  Do they envision it looking seedy and run down where property values have dropped?  Or do they see their community as a place where units will be in demand in to the future, where the needs of the common area are taken care of, where residents feel safe and valued?  “The objective (in developing Vision) is to get Boards to think beyond the current year.  They think their job is to count sprinkler heads and are only concerned with the current assessment rate instead of planning for the future -- Proverb: ‘Where there is no vision, the people perish’ ”, says CJ Klug, PCAM, a long term on-site manager. 

Vision Statements can be very simple, and state the ultimate goal of the Board and the community as they see themselves in the future.  “We want to have the highest standard of living in our city,” or, “We want to be the best place for families to live,” or “To provide an unsurpassed quality of life for retirees.” These are lofty goals. Giving a Board opportunity to make a Vision Statement will make them think in higher and wider terms than they are probably used to. A Board would be hard pressed to make a Vision Statement that said, “To be the cheapest community in which to live,” or “To have our real estate values decline through ineptitude and benign neglect.”

Once a Board has articulated its Vision for the community (and published it in the newsletter, on the in house TV, or wherever else), it should develop a Mission Statement. The Mission Statement is the roadmap to the Vision.

Mission Statements
(plural mis·sion state·ments) noun
formal business statement of aims:  a formal document that states the aims of a company or organization

"If you don't know where you're going, it doesn't matter which way you go." [2] Bottom line: Communities should have a Mission Statement. Ok, I can see a lot of you rolling your eyes at this - I did for a lot of years – it sounded like one more thing I had to do between a committee meeting, putting together a Board pack and checking out Mrs. Schwartz’ petunias.  But I was wrong because like many of you, I bought into the industry’s mantra: We’ve always done it this way. And as Dr. Phil says, “How’s that working for you?” I didn’t then and it doesn’t today (15 years later!).

It is my contention that if every Board of Directors adopted a Mission Statement, and then followed its spirit even 50% of the time, the life of community managers, Boards and the communities themselves would be greatly enhanced.

Adopting a coherent Mission Statement, and following it, would eliminate many of the “Dumb Things” boards do that you all complained about so vociferously.  “A clear vision statement unites everyone in the organization, gives the team direction, and helps focus internal resources.” [3] Or, as one former Board member put it, communities and their Boards need a Mission Statement “So they stay on track and don't wander off responding to the latest complaint.” [4]

Every Fortune 500 Company, and thousands of countless smaller businesses throughout the world, for-profit and not-for-profit alike, adopts Mission Statements.  To think that it wouldn’t work for our Boards and industry is hubris. We like to think we are unique, that regular rules of business don’t apply to community associations, but they do.  The key is to make those Mission Statements relevant to the community through the participation of the community.

Mission Statements: How They Can Make Life Better.  Let’s get down to it. Let’s adopt a Mission Statement and see how it can help an association that does ALL the “Dumb Things.”

Pine Tree Palms Community Association and its staff are committed to providing the highest quality of life to our residents and owners through an aesthetically pleasing, well-maintained and secure environment. We will provide the most prudent, ethical, team-oriented, creative state of the art management for the community within our capabilities, and be socially and fiscally responsible, not only considering contingencies, but also planning and organizing for them.  [5]

In a perfect world, if a Board of Directors adopted this Mission Statement and applied it to their overall stewardship of the community, every one of those “Dumb Things” would be eliminated. This not being a perfect world, they may be able to eliminate only one-third or one-half of those “Dumb” things. What would that mean to managers? Overall, it would mean less time spent in unproductive activities, better working conditions, and a longer life in the industry. 

What would it mean to Boards and communities? Only a better quality of life and higher property values.

When you reach for the stars, you may not quite get one, but you won’t come up with a handful of mud either.[6]