I Wish I'd Known Then
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. 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. Pay vendors on time, never try to welch on a contract, give them credit when credit is due, never micromanage their work and go to bat for them when you should. Great relationships with vendors produce dividends for your communities: When a pipe breaks on Friday at 6pm,  there will be no question that your vendor will show up to make the repair, it's a foregone conclusion. Good vendors can pull your fat out of the fire or let it burn, and that depends on how you develop the relationship.

You don't know what you don’t know.¹ 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. Instant communication – unchecked – can be your biggest obstacle to successful time and stress management. Constant incoming communication creates urgency, giving all that communication a false sense of importance. Not falling in to the trap of reacting to urgency as if everything is crucial and ‘important’ takes very serious discipline on your part; but once you embrace the truth that not everything is important, you will manage your time better: Prioritizing what comes your way and scheduling 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. There is a segment of us out there continually focused on the negative aspects of the business, because, let's face it, there is so much negativity. 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. 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. 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. The world is changing fast and we must keep up or find ourselves sitting on the sidelines. Look, even I grumble when I have to get a new Smartphone, but after a week with it I always wonder how I got along without it!

Industry Education: Take classes. Read business books, 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. For the legion 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 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.

Same stuff, different day. My daily contact with managers and executives tells me that the main functions of community management remain much the same as they were 25 years ago: Provide excellent customer service to the client while continually working on the day-to-day business affairs of the community. 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. 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? 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 say it - way back in the day.
2. http://www.adamen-inc.com/Vol.-11-No.-10-Tyranny-of-The-Urgent~177376~12525.htm

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