Contemplating the Future in the Fall: Before-New-Year’s-Resolutions For Managers, Board Members and Others…

By Julie Adamen

It’s fall. What happened to the year? All of a sudden, there’s a nip in the air, the kids are back in school, football is back on Monday night television, and I’m raking wet leaves! Somehow it just got away from me, and probably from you, too. So before we all hurtle headlong in to the holidays---when life really gets complicated---I thought it would be a good time to talk about how we might approach the coming year, while we still have a moment to think about it. Call my thoughts Autumn Resolutions.

I based these resolutions on situations that have come to my attention during the past several years in my conversations with managers, board members, and others from around the country, as well as my own experience. Take what you want from this. If it makes you smile, shake your head, or lets you know that your concerns (and problems) are universal among your peers and colleagues and that you are not alone, then I have done my job.

I will not take it personally.  All of us in the community management industry operate in a very intense people- and service-oriented business.  And no matter how you slice it or sugarcoat it, the problems we deal with are often pretty negative: the sprinklers don’t work, there’s dog poop on the lawn, the ducks are in the swimming pool, and the snow hasn’t been plowed yet. So what are YOU (the board, the manager, the vendor) going to do about it? Here’s what you are going to do: You are going to take a step back, breath deeply, disengage your emotion, and work on solving the problem. Why? Because that’s what we do. We solve problems for others; it’s what we are elected to do, or what we are paid to do. Always remember, the negativity swirls around the problem, not around you. Don’t take it personally.

I will not worry that others did not take my advice. Bottom line for managers, vendors, and board members: The community you manage, service, or are elected to govern is bigger than you. They can paint the trees purple and plant them upside down if enough of them want to do so. All you can do is recommend otherwise, pull your ego out of the mix, and… see below:

I will let go of the result. In the world of managing, servicing, or governing communities, so many things can spin out of control in an amazingly short amount of time.  Because of this fact, it is very easy to become a control freak. STOP! Do your level best, tell the truth, do professional work, do your fiduciary duty, and let go of the result. Recognize that the only thing you can control is your contribution to the situation – and NOT what happens in the end.  Letting go of the result will drop the stress level of managers and board members alike. Do it.

I will take my vacation time. For community managers, their profession can feel like a never-ending string of deadlines, projects and problems. Not taking the time due to you doesn’t change that fact. So go on your vacation, even if you aren’t going somewhere exotic. Take all the compensatory time due you. Do not work more than, on average, 45 hours per week. And try to get yourself down to 40 hours per week. Seriously. Board members, if your manager hasn’t had a vacation and works very long hours, he or she isn't doing the best work for your community. Insist that you manager takes the time off that he or she has earned.

I will not take abuse. Abuse comes in many forms. In our industry, the obvious abuse comes from the homeowners that we govern or service and is delivered in the form of yelling, cursing, nasty letters, and worse. Board members have to listen to it on the phone, on the way to work, or on the golf course, which invades their living space in a most detrimental way. For managers, in addition to the obvious abuse, abuse may also take on more subtle tones: unstated expectations (by employers or boards) to put in long hours, sabotaging micromanagement by board members or employers, the left handed comments<QUERY: do you mean "undercutting asides"? or something?> (you can change it to read that if you want, means the same thing) made during board meetings. Many of these, by themselves, have little or no meaning. But when they shift from random events to a pattern of behavior, this type of behavior constitutes  abuse in its most pervasive form.  And abuse in any form is unacceptable. Walk away or hang up.

I will do something for myself professionally, something that is positive yet out of my normal routine.  Let me make a suggestion to every manager, board member, and service provider: Go to the next national conference, just to see what other professionals in your industry are like, and what they are doing. How are your challenges the same, or different? Perhaps you could join a local or national committee. If you are a manager, take an advanced professional class that you’ve been putting off. Everyone, write an article for publication.  Step out of your self-imposed parameters and expand your horizons.

I will not micromanage my staff or contractors. Do not become one of those whom you yourself despise. Recognize that micromanaging your staff and/or contractors make them feel devalued, and eventually destroys their morale. Give up your false sense of control. Allow your people to contribute by not second-guessing their decisions and actions, and allow yourself to go on to those things upon which you should concentrate. Value those who help you do your job. People do make mistakes, but it is mistakes that help us grow. Everyone should recognize this fact and accept it.

If I lose my job, contract, or elected position, I will accept it, act with dignity, and move on. As you can imagine, I deal with many people who are in crisis because they have lost their job. If I can impart just one suggestion to those of you who will face this difficult event in the future, it would be this: Take it with dignity and mourn your loss with a trusted friend or family member. Take a deep breath and vent in private. When the mourning is done, take the next step and, if applicable, start making your contacts. For managers, especially site managers, being 86’d is often a hard reality of our industry. But remember – as one door closes, a window opens.  Happens every day.

If I must terminate someone, I will do it quickly and with compassion. I know many supervisors and board members who hate this part of their jobs, so this interaction probably doesn’t get handled as well as it might. If you are the one doing the terminating, please allow the “dead-employee-walking” their professional courtesy – even if you feel they have given you none. Terminate them in private, and allow them to say good-bye to their coworkers if they so desire (unless you feel as if they are truly a danger). Remember, everyone in the office sees how you deal with this situation, and you will be accorded the appropriate respect – or not – based on how you handle it.

I will not procrastinate. Procrastination is the enemy of the community management industry. It threatens all of us: on-site, portfolio, and executive managers, board member, and service provider alike. Eventually, the hurtling pile of uncompleted work, decisions left hanging (or ignored),  phone calls not returned, incomplete classes, and everything else will squash you like a bug. Good work habits and the courage to make decisions and move on are procrastination’s biggest enemy.

I will not take on more than I can handle. This condition is so pervasive in our industry that I thought it merited its own resolution!  Because many managers want to help out, or be noticed, or get more money, they will likely take on more than they can handle in terms of workload. Managers: If you value yourself personally and professionally, you will avoid this malady. In the long term, it doesn’t work for you, your company, or your association(s).  Board members: Be aware that if your manager is overloaded, he or she won’t---in fact, can’t---work to his or her potential for your community. Paying the management company a little more so your manager can maintain a reasonable workload will give you the best bang for your community’s buck.

I will, on occasion, look up. Look up to see where you are going. Look up to see where you want to go. Look up to see the sun, the moon, and the stars. Look up to see your loved ones. Look up to see the view. Look up to see yourself on vacation. Look up to see what you can do to improve your professional life. Look up to what your community can be.

Look up to see the open window, and not the closed door.