resources

“Oh, no – not again!” Yes, again. And don’t try to escape, I have the doors locked and the airports covered.

Now that we’ve gotten that unpleasantness out of the way, I’d like to discuss with you or remind you of – as the case may be – certain realities about the condo management world that will inexorably affect your Board of Directors and the corporation to which the Board so selflessly administers. In my several decades of serving the condo community and serving on two different condo Boards during that time for a total of twenty years*, I’ve encountered many topics of considerable interest and importance to that community. Here are just a few – and there are many.

My management/board formula:

• the management company gives the Board advice
• the Board makes decisions based on that advice, and other appropriate criteria
• the management company carries out the decisions made by the Board
• the Board, as the executive body responsible to the condominium corporation, monitors the management company’s execution of the Board’s decisions

Recently, I heard someone say: “Management agreements should be fair to both sides.” Sorry, folks. Fairness has little or nothing to do with it.

The Management agreement between a service provider and a condominium corporation must, as accurately and pragmatically as possible, incorporate the elements of the management routine deemed most suitable to that very condominium corporation.

“Condominium Board Members face the world’s most demanding shareholders…their neighbours.”

I recently had to do one of the most difficult parts of my job. A board of directors had retained me to help them find new management, and I had to inform two out of three worthy management candidates that they did not get the contract.

I’ve been most fortunate in my travels, having encountered (and provided services to) many condo directors over the years who’ve earned my respect and admiration because of their selflessness and untiring efforts on behalf of their communities. They are an inspiration to their communities, and in return they are frequently misunderstood, often under-appreciated, and usually unpaid.

I could write a book, but the editor said I’ve got only a thousand words, so let’s think lean and mean. You must (a) consider your Corporation’s requirements; (b) reconsider them, in light of what I’m about to tell you; (c) decide whether your current management can be “fixed”, if not already doing the job properly; (d) assess what’s available out there; (e) pick the correct replacement.

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.