By Julie Adamen


It's been a few years but some of you may remember previous articles I've written with this same title.  I do so because with time has come wisdom and I have learned a lot of things that I wish I had known back when I started as a manager because it would have made life so much easier. Here are some things I know now I wish I'd known then: 

Embrace Change. "Change management" is the unsung skill of the community manager, as they continually balance what was with what is with what is going to be within the communities they manage. This skillful ability to manage continual change (this week's Board is next week's has-beens) is a skill for which community managers are seldom appreciated.

Managers,  always know that whatever is going on this year, likely next year it will be different. Don't lament that fact (or rejoice in it) because good or bad, this, too, shall pass. What I know for sure is that managing that passing of what is for what is upcoming, and moving on to the next set of circumstances with an open mind and clear heart  is what makes good managers great change managers.

Good vendors are everything. When I started managing, I realized very quickly that there are a whole lot of mediocre vendors out there, but really good vendors are few and far between. To obtain and maintain those good vendors I created with them a terrific working relationship. This means I paid the vendor on time, never tried to welch on a contract, gave them credit when credit was due, never micromanaged their work and went to bat for them when they were treated unfairly. Over the years, the relationships I developed with vendors produced dividends for my communities which the communities did not  know: When a pipe broke on Friday at 6pm, there was never a question as to how long it would take someone to get there or if they would show up to make the repair. It was a foregone conclusion that it would be handled quickly and professionally.

The thing I know for sure about good vendors is they can pull your fat out of the fire or let it burn, and it usually depends on how those vendors had been treated by you in the past.

You don't know what you don't know. [1]  Managers are usually good, Type-A people. And being those Type-A people, they are very competent multi-taskers, with most answers regarding community management at their fingertips or at instant recall. And because of this skill and that knowledge, managers can be tempted to think to know something they don't know. Asked a question for which they think they have the right answer but aren't sure, and they give that answer anyway hoping for the best and putting it out of their mind. Unfortunately, information of which a manager is unsure and given as fact by them has a way of finding its way back to them often in a very public manner (think: Annual Meeting).You don't know what you don't know. And when you don't know something,  just say "I don't know," find the answer and relay it back to the person who asked.  What I do know for sure is: Managers are NOT expected to know everything, all the time. Managers are expected to find the answer, and get back to the inquirer. Period.

Everything is urgent, but not everything is important. Think about it. Everyone wants something from you, and they want it right now. They email, they text, they call, they track you down. You are crushed by incoming communication that is never off which greatly extends (without warrant) the work day: Cell phones, Blackberrys, text messages, email.  This bombardment of continual communication creates a sense of urgency, giving all incoming communication a false sense of importance. And because it appears so important, many of us immediately answer those incoming communications regardless of whether they are truly 'important', or merely 'urgent'. This poor habit sucks up valuable time within the workday and work week, keeping managers from more important tasks. Less time to complete tasks = real stress. Make no mistake:  Instant communication - unchecked - can be your biggest obstacle to successful time and stress management.

Not falling in to the common community management trap of reacting to urgency as if everything is crucial and 'important' takes very serious discipline on your part. Initially that discipline itself may feel stressful as you break your addiction to reacting to urgency.  In the long run, as this discipline becomes part and parcel of your work habit, you will find yourself managing your time and your stress to your greatest advantage.  What I know for sure is: It'd always best to prioritize what comes your way and schedule your responses. Less urgency = less stress = better time management = better community management. [2]  

There are down days and that is a fact of our business. Those who focus on them will not succeed. Over many years in and around community management, I have found there is a segment of us out there that continually focused on the negative aspects of the business. For those who had that negative focus and stayed in the business, it led them from one job to another, to another…  As they continually found something wrong with each position… Some situation so untenable they just had to quit (or be let go) and move on.  The adverse affect of that behavior was far less obvious in a booming economy. Now, that person could find themselves unemployed for months. John Maxwell said, "Once our minds are 'tattooed' with negative thinking, our chances for long-term success diminish."  Now more than ever, that tenet is true. What I know for sure is: You'll find what you are seeking be it good or bad. Accept bad days and move on. They are part of life. Seek the good.

Don't wait to learn new technology. The other day I had a "seasoned" manager ask me if his age was going to be factor in his hiring.  I told him what I  tell everyone: We are not an ageist, racist or sexist business, but we are techongyaverse-ist. This means if you run from new technology as if it had teeth and horns, you'll be relegated to lesser positions. Look, even I  grumble whenever my husband adds another computer monitor, gadget or program (think: Vista)  to our array of technology, but shortly thereafter I think, "What did I do without this?"

My advice to everyone is, keep up. In our industry we don't use a lot of very difficult programs, but we do need to be versed in Word, Excel and the use and protocols of email.  I emphasize protocols because nothing will spotlight your understanding of how to use technology appropriately  and professionally - or not -  than email. Every professional email needs to be written as if it will be public, because it may very well end up that way. No sending an email as if it were a text message, NO ALL CAPS, and no slang or shorthand. This applies to new and mature managers equally. What I know for sure is: The world is changing fast and we must  keep up or find ourselves sitting on the sidelines. (By the way,  you should familiarize yourself with Twitter and Facebook if you have not yet done so.). 

Industry Education: Take classes. Read business books (for a great list, check out Rolf's column from our June 09 publication). Get your designations, and I don't mean just the minimal designations. Go for it. Because every ounce of education you receive benefits your clients, your employers and most of all benefits you. There is never anything such as too much knowledge. But getting more education, specifically industry education, has even more implications than you may think. Read on: 

Get involved. Recently I recommended to a top-notch professional executive that she nominate herself to the Association of Professional Community Managers (APCM) Board of CAI. (https://eballot.votenet.com/cai/register). She came to find he couldn't place herself in nomination because despite her near- 20 years in the business, she only had the minimal, state-specific designation which kept her from the nomination process (no national designation  of CMCA, AMS or PCAM). For the legions of folks saying "Who cares?" and who don't get the whys of national involvement, let me be succinct: National involvement not only brings you up in terms of contacts, information, education and yes friendships, your involvement can have a major impact - however unsung publicly - on the policy or function of our industry. Enough of our folks, especially in the world of portfolio management, sit on the sidelines complaining about one thing or another. Willingness to be involved takes courage and commitment. What I know for sure is that education is important to help you understand your job and learn new things, but it's also important because through that education, you develop a professional network of colleagues that can help you (and vice-versa) in  many ways in the course of your career.  Get involved and stay involved.

Be positively prepared for success. Success comes to those who seek it with a sense of positive intelligence. They are usually the first ones to recognize an opportunity, because they see possibility where others see problems. They see possibility because they have focused on all the things that go right, not the few that go wrong. People with a positive outlook are always giving back to their profession in one way or another, because they understand that the more they give, the more opportunity comes their way. And guess what? They have a blast doing it. For these reasons, positive people are able to spy opportunity in lots of places. [3] What I know for sure is: People who have a positive outlook will look to their future with pleasant anticipation and always be prepared for success.

Same stuff,  different day. I've been out of actually managing communities for several years, but my daily contact with managers and executives tells me that the main functions of community management remain much the same as they were 20+ years ago: Provide excellent customer service to the client while continually working on the day-to-day business affairs of the community. As a definition it seems simplistic but it works as it takes in to account all those people, communication and organizational skills needed to provide that excellent service to the client in a professional and timely manner. As any Board or executive can tell you if a manager can provide that level of service, they have the right goods for a successful career in community management.  What I know for sure is that exclusive of some more extensive laws in specific states and the advent of blessed technology, the job is really the same as it was in the beginning. Get 'er done, and all will be well. 

What do you know for sure? You have the wisdom to help your professional community.  Share your wisdom so that information does not fade away.  That is why I write,  and why I hope you all read. Professional community involvement is part of the giving meaning to the wisdom and experience you have acquired  in a larger sense. That is why your local and national professional associations are important. Just think how much easier life would be if we could access wisdom when we have a seemingly impossible problem. And you know what? It's out there - you just have to tap in to it, and then give back to it.  What I know for sure is: More of you can share your wisdom with other in the business. Let me ask you: What do you know for sure?

[1] Thank you Rolf Crocker for reminding me, and Larry Pothast for saying it - way back in the day.
[2] http://www.adamen-inc.com/Vol.-11-No.-10-Tyranny-of-The-Urgent~177376~12525.htm
[3] http://www.adamen-inc.com/Vol.-07-No.-04-When-Opportunity-Knocks~79591~12525.htm