Prioritization vs. Triage

By Scott Swinton Prioritization vs. Triage

What differentiates prioritization from triage? A disaster. Whether it be a train wreck or a toddler re-sorting the bottom shelves of the refrigerator, disasters demand decisive action; but action isn't enough. Triage is a need hierarchy established to determine how to act and sort out who or what is in the most urgent need of assistance. As I recall from my First Responder training, the “need” levels break down under some broad categories (These apply best to human lives – but there is some crossover to cabbages, yogurt and strawberry vinaigrette):

1. Those likely to live – whatever the treatment 2. Those unlikely to live – whatever the treatment 3. Those for whom immediate treatment will significantly affect their likelihood of continuing to live

As you can imagine, those in category 3 get all the attention.

But, triage is not prioritization. While triage is necessary following a train wreck or refrigerator disembowelment, might it not be good to also maintain the tracks and crossing signals and set refrigerator door “expectations” for the older kids? Maintenance, protocols and training will grow out of priorities. Prioritization should help prevent emergencies which demand a triage response.

But you manage an HOA, not an emergency room or the Norfolk Southern Railroad. How does this apply to the carpet in the community clubhouse or the townhouse roofs? Good question. The life of a community’s siding, carpet or roof shingles cannot compare to human life, but your decisions about carpet, siding and shingles do affect human lives. What are those decisions currently being based on – a prioritization of future needs or triage of the various existing crises? Quality reserve studies and strategic planning - are prioritization. Poor planning and inadequate reserves - will become triage. With that being said, it’s only fair to recognize that, like a first responder arriving at a train wreck, you might be in triage mode as an innocent. The previous board of directors, manager or management company may have run the locomotive off the rails, and now you have decisions to make. If you live in or manage a CID built before the year 2000 (and even some built since the millennium) you are among a growing cohort of Californians likely to be addressing deferred maintenance. You know what this looks like – sagging decks, rotting trim and siding, lifted sidewalk sections and collapsed French drains. So, with the goal of avoiding triage situations, let’s explore what prioritization might look like for HOA Maintenance.

Obviously, life safety is paramount. If it's going to kill or physically harm someone – of course, fix it first. Rotting trim should never divert funds from the fire suppression maintenance fund, and seal-coating the asphalt can wait while the tottering retaining wall is stabilized. Bear in mind, what goes into the lifesafety bucket may not be readily apparent. Certainly, compromised elevated walkways and decks go here, but included here also are lifted sidewalks, pool fencing, and that nasty 4-letter word: Mold. Ah, mold. Yes, I agree that the mold card has been overplayed, but the sordid mold frenzy only gained traction because real people were experiencing real negative effects. Recently, I've seen the pendulum returning on this issue, and well-meaning people are dangerously downplaying the concern. I discourage a cavalier approach, not only for the health implications, but also because with its history, mold carries the banner for the next category of need – Rapid Cost Inflators.

What are Rapid Cost Inflators (RCIs)? RCIs are those issues which if handled timely are easily resolved (like a $1,500 roof repair and drywall patch), but if ignored inflate rapidly into big problems (like a $15,000 roof repair, mold abatement, carpet, drywall and cabinet replacement). Two week’s delay makes a big difference here. Other common rapid inflators are: postponed paint projects leading to widespread rot this year, where only raw wood and open wood joints existed last year; rotting fence posts which will doom the entire fence line if allowed to topple; and landscape irrigation which in disrepair damages structures, and parches landscapes – requiring repairs and replanting. Another RCI which often comes with the expression, “we should have seen that coming,” is a lawsuit. You should probably think about mold here again. Certainly, any HOA issue can spiral into a lawsuit, but a deferred maintenance suit may gain traction quickly because unlike the barking dog, “damages” can be quickly identified. Whether the owners have legal standing or not becomes quickly irrelevant, since the time and energy demanded to deal with any lawsuit is reason enough to do what you can to avoid one. General maintenance and upkeep, while not as tantalizing as a new community sign or new LED lights, is the third critical category. Paint regularly, and you will put half the carpenters out of business because the wood-rot will disappear. Seal-coat the asphalt on time. Replace fence posts. Seal cracks in the concrete pool deck. And, regularly monitor where those irrigation sprinklers are pointing. Don’t be fooled, prioritization like triage is not without its nuance. Many “issues” can be massaged to appear to be a life safety issue. “If we don't replace the roofs now, they could leak and create mold...” “The deck coatings are old and could fail, rotting the framing and collapsing the decks.” “Poor lighting encourages crime…” Consulting with a licensed contractor, engineer, architect and attorney will be worth the time and money spent on issues such as these that legitimately ride the fence. Life safety, RCIs and general maintenance are great places to start when building your list of priorities. Placing all of those under the umbrella of good advice from industry professionals is even better. While even industry professionals have their refrigerators raided by rogue three-year-olds, those same professionals will likely be able to guide you away from poor prioritization leading to triage situations in the HOAs you manage or live in. Neither the individual board members nor the community manager is going to be expert at more than any one slice of the community management pie – if any. Let the Business Judgment Rule work for you by bringing in the experts who can guide you toward sensible priorities. You are going to need the same experts on hand for triage too, but why not learn to, you know, keep the refrigerator door shut?

Scott Swinton is CEO of Unlimited Property Services Inc. in Richmond

What Do We Truly Understand About Ethics?

By Melinda Young, CAMEx, CCAM, PCAM

IMPORTANT FACT

All CCAMs are required to take an ethics course every three years to maintain their certification in the State of California.

As members of CACM, our professional code of ethics may be something we take for granted. It is there and we know we are required to follow the outlined mandates, but past a basic overview, what do we truly understand about ethics?

Most of us define ethics as a concept or practice related to what is right and what is wrong, what is good and what is bad. Right and wrong or good and bad are moral concepts or values. And, morality and values differ between person to person, affiliate to affiliate, supervisor to supervisor and company to company. And, as most of us know, determining what is right or wrong isn’t always as black and white as we might hope.

Fortunately, professional organizations like CACM develop a professional code of ethics for members to follow. Our code of ethics establishes standards in three areas: general, technical and other. Within general standards we find references to topics such as loyalty, fidelity, integrity, confidentiality, due professional care and competence and education. Technical standards includes references to inspections, maintenance, financial operations, insurance, legal issues, communications, records and transfer of client property. Other standards include references to conflicts of interest, use of client funds, fees, commissions and gratuities. Of course, our code of ethics is more exhaustive than this brief listing.

Back to those ethics questions that aren’t black and white – there are a few simple tools for you to use to help clarify the question:

“How would this be reported on the local news?” If you knew your decision was going to be made public in every way, would it change your decision? (Note of appreciation to Mary Howell, Esq. for the news concept.)

Or you could run through this abbreviated list of Questions to Ask When Making a Decision: • Have you accurately defined the problem? • Would the other party(ies) define the problem the same way? What is different about their definition and yours? • To whom and to what do you give your loyalty as a person and as a professional? –Employer or company first and foremost? • What is your intention? • Whom could your decision or action injure? • Is it possible to discuss with potentially injured party(ies)? • Will your decision still appear to be the most ethical one in six months, a year, five years, ten years? • And again, if everyone finds out about your decision, will it adhere to our code of ethics?

At the end of day, our professional reputation may be our most valuable resource – without a consistent ethical approach to everyday business dealings, this resource is at risk.

Melinda Young, CAMEx, CCAM, PCAM, is a Senior Vice President with Walters Management, ACMB in San Diego. She is a former Chair and member of CACM’s Board of Directors and is a highly rated member of the CACM faculty facilitating multiple classes including Advanced Ethics, Financial Review, Budgeting, Portfolio Management and BAM courses for new managers.

List of questions amended from CACM’s CMM130 class materials and original author, Laura L. Nash, Harvard Business Review, Vol. 59, 1981

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