This actually happened. There are two condominium corporations involved, one we’ll call “Savarin Place”, and the other “Sunnyview Towers”. (The names have been changed to protect me.) Two Annual General Meetings, two fairly similar problems, two different approaches. Two vastly different results.
Savarin Place and Sunnyview Towers resemble one another in terms of demographics (homogenous, mid-to-retirement age), location (North Toronto), size (large, single high-rise), facilities (elaborate), and longevity of many of the respective Directors’ terms of service (forever). Each is blessed with reasonably well-attended AGMs, sincere Board members, and interested unit owners. The General Meetings to which I refer each occurred within weeks of one other.
Savarin Place has a rule specifying that its communal outdoor barbecues are to be put in storage for the winter. At the AGM in question, a young couple, newlywed (and newly arrived into the building), were engaged in fierce lobbying for the purpose of amending the “barbecue” rule. They were persistent, they were fervent, they were determined. And they were angry.(“Why shouldn’t we be allowed to barbecue in the winter?” and “This is discrimination!” etc., etc.) Smoke fairly poured from their ears, somewhat symbolic considering the topic in question. They’d thought ahead, of course, to demand in writing that the issue be included in the evening’s agenda.
Came the critical vote, after the requisite speeches, pro and con. You’ve no doubt guessed by now that our battling duo were kayoed in the first round. (As I recall, the vote count was something like 76 to 2, a plurality one doesn’t come across all that often.) The barbecues, of course, continue to hibernate in the wintertime.
There’s no guarantee that outdoor grilling would have replaced hockey as Savarin Place’s winter sport of choice, had these two folks adopted a kinder, gentler approach at the General Meeting. It’s fair to say, however, that their neighbours, for the most part, had been around the track, as it were. There was enough collective good judgement in that room to enable a sensible assessment of any case on its own merits, without the ill-advised theatrics. The issue’s fate was sealed by the style of the message, more so than by the message itself.
Things started similarly at the Sunnyview Towers AGM at least to the extent that the antagonists were vastly outnumbered. That’s where the similarity ends. Here was the beef: Motorcycle Noise in the Underground Garage. (To understand how aggravated the residents were, just think “echo”.) In the auditorium, the pre-meeting buzz had indicated that the unit owners didn’t give a hoot about elections to the Board, audited financial statements, or any other such bothersome trivia; just get rid of those bikers and their choppers!
Then came the big moment. After several speakers had approached the floor microphone and expressed their dismay at the noise from the motorcycles, a young, well-tailored man raised his hand and politely requested an opportunity to address the meeting. “I am speaking on behalf of my grandparents,” he began, “because their command of English is very limited. They are unit owners in Sunnyview Towers, having purchased here some five months ago, upon their arrival from Hong Kong. They are the ‘typical old-world, far-eastern couple’, quiet, hard-working, dignified.”
He paused for effect, then said: “They are possessed, however, of one rather unconventional quirk: they love to ride their Harley Davidsons. At this time, ladies and gentlemen, may I introduce the Sunnyview Towers Motorcycle Club.” The young man motioned to his grandparents, who rose shyly, smiled deferentially, waved gingerly and tentatively, and took their seats, eyes cast downward. “My grandparents have no other way to get to and from the building, although they are very concerned, as I am, about any inconvenience they are causing. I assure you they will co-operate in any way possible, but I appeal to the residents to allow them to continue to access the garage with their motorcycles.”
These last two sentences were almost drowned out amidst the good-natured, wide-spread laughter generated by the phrase “Sunnyview Towers Motorcycle Club” in reference to these grandparents, who, as you can imagine, didn’t exactly resemble Hell’s Angels. I don’t recall ever seeing such a dramatic turnaround in public opinion since the last Ontario elections. Needless to say, the Sunnyview Towers Motorcycle Club flourishes to this day, though membership remains stuck at two.
This tale of barbecues ‘n’ bikers may not be the last word in getting one’s message across, but I learned a thing or two from it all. There are many ways to communicate. Some of them are highly effective, all of them involve some measure of getting the audience, whether two or two hundred, on your side. Humour vs. anger, knowledge and understanding vs. indignation and threats. The bikers’ grandson had obviously sized up the scenario and had researched the demographic surroundings. He then calculated the absurdity of the situation and used that absurdity to his advantage. Contrast this with the approach utilized by the young couple at Savarin Place.
Again, these events actually took place, proving once more how a condominium community is a microcosm of life, and how revealing these AGMs can be. (So be sure you attend that next one, to see what you’ve missed, all these years!)
Oh yes, the moral: if there is an Art of Communication, it is this more honey, less vinegar.
~ Alan Rosenberg
Photo: Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy via CC BY-ND 2.0