6 minute read
Four Skills That Help Move Our Industry Forward
By Scott Ford
There are benefits to having team members with diverse backgrounds. When we say “diverse” we’re not only referring to race or gender; diversity also comes in the form of skills that team members bring to the table. This includes everything from their unique professional background to their personal attributes.
A good community manager, for example, wears many hats and plays a crucial role in keeping residential communities safe and sound. Community managers work closely on tasks and decisions with HOA boards, making sure those tasks are completed and that everything is done in accordance with our state laws.
People who have gained skills from several experiences may know how to handle more difficult circumstances—and as any of us know, working with HOAs has its share of challenges and difficult situations at times. Having a team of exceptional customer service managers who are all diverse will make a difference in helping both customers and the company see all the options available to them.
As the President of California Builders Services, I work closely with community managers and developers as well as the state of California. We see this industry from a unique lens and realize the complex, nuanced role that a community manager plays.
Here are four skills that can come from diverse backgrounds and help in community management:
1. CUSTOMER SERVICE
Customer Service
Relationships mean everything in our industry— we must be great with customer service to meet the demands of the HOAs that we work with. Customer service skills can be refined in many ways.
For example, someone with a retail background who has learned to deal with customers or demanding managers will learn valuable skills which can carry over and apply to overcoming hiccups or challenges as they navigate HOAs and community members.
A big part of customer service is learning how to be patient, show empathy, and listen. These are three crucial components of being a great community manager. Customer service entails being relational and building relationships. Knowledge and expertise can be refined with time in the industry, but a successful career starts with the ability to connect at a human level.
Providing great customer service and finding people with these skill sets—whether it is from retail, sales, marketing, or other areas—helps your organization grow lasting relationships with the communities you serve and develop future communities. When thinking about finding people with great customer service, broaden your horizons and look outside the box. You may be surprised at what you discover.
For example, you may find your next great community manager from the aviation industry. Flight attendants must adapt to different locations when traveling, as all passengers come from different countries where they have their own rules, cultures, and lifestyles.
They also need to be extremely patient—as viewing one of those viral videos online of an unruly passenger would showcase. The transition from flight attendant to a community manager of an HOA may not be obvious up front, but people with great customer service can learn the industry, adapt, and leverage their previous experience to bring about a stronger industry moving forward.
2. COMMUNICATION
Communication
Adding to the first point, communication is also very important in community management. In many ways, being an effective communicator goes hand-in-hand with excellent customer service. Community managers are in constant contact with HOA members and other key players in the industry.
When we’re developing reserve studies, we’re working closely with community managers every step of the way and those that are crisp, effective communicators help the entire process run smoothly.
Speaking clearly with eye contact and the correct body language—even when on a Zoom call—is important when communicating key messages to HOAs. Additionally, having communication skills means that you are calm under pressure and think on your feet.
Several jobs can help produce these skills, such as TV journalists. These types of reporters must communicate with the audience to inform them of a current topic at hand. Remaining unbiased, clear, and poised is a prerequisite to delivering news.
Encouraging people with great communication skills to become community managers is helpful for our industry and for the HOAs that we all service. A good communicator can think on their feet and answer questions from board members efficiently and effectively.
3. FINANCIAL KNOWLEDGE
Financial Knowledge
Although community managers don’t need to be full-fledged accountants, they still need to have adequate knowledge of finance—having a firm understanding of HOA budgets and helping the board make sound financial decisions is an important part of the role.
Being “numbers-oriented” and having skills such as knowing how to use or interpret a spreadsheet or software programs to keep track of accounts and budgets are very helpful.
Roles that consist of forecasting future budget requirements for contracts with third-party suppliers of goods and services—this could come from several different places—would help in community management. Or, someone with an associate’s degree (or some training in accounting after high school) has the potential to be an excellent community manager, assuming they have the necessary communication skills to go along with it.
My path towards this industry was not a straight line. It was very much a meandering pathway. I spent time in the military and in law enforcement before finding my way into this industry. I love numbers and data, which led me to pursue my MBA and specialize in real estate finance.
4. PROJECT MANAGEMENT
Project Management
Creating tasks, scheduling meetings, and organizing events are other important aspects of community management. Staying organized and on top of new budgets through every phase of the project is essential for these types of professionals working on new developments.
Project management skills—such as balancing schedules and being able to keep up with lengthy to-do lists for numerous vendors—are crucial to the job. When community managers are able to remain organized and precise, it helps everyone involved in the HOA.
Turn-around time is also important in this industry. Being able to respond quickly and getting the information you need when you need it demands extreme attention to detail.
Community managers need to be collaborative and flexible. They must find partners to work with who share these core values. While project management skills could come from a role as an actual project manager, the skills needed to manage projects with HOAs could come from elsewhere. For instance, someone working as a project manager for a marketing firm or website development company will need to do this to achieve successful ends. This happened with us. Working as a general contractor, one of our key team members who was a project manager in the construction industry had to balance major construction projects. He balanced many different people, timelines, and budgets. That experience helped him create reserve studies for HOAs and now, manage every project we take on.
You can find project managers in other industries too. As an example, a grocery store manager balancing different departments, scheduling staff, and on top of it all, dealing with the changes in COVID restrictions over the past year and a half would know what it takes to work in a fastpaced, customer-facing environment with many moving parts. They would have the project management chops to take on responsibilities delegated over to HOAs.
Scott Ford
Scott Ford is the President of California Builder Services, a single-source consulting firm specializing in the services that homeowner associations and developers need.
