Managing Board Conflict

building relationships

BY LORI R. STORM, CCAM

board conflict

Boards are entities separate and apart from the individuals that comprise them. Even when they are meeting as a group in front of the members, a board can be much more (or less) cohesive than the separate directors.

What are the reasons for this? It might be the notion of public debate, accountability or possibly deference to others in public that make folks act in a certain way as a board.

Individual homeowners run for election for a variety of reasons. There are those who have a specific agenda, a desire to change the direction the existing board has taken. There are some who run to prevent someone with very different ideas from serving on the board. Then there are some who want to wield power in and of itself. And finally, the people we fervently hope all our board members will be, there are those who are thoughtful, calm negotiators who want to serve the community they live in and strive to work toward the greater good.

Let us pause a moment here and imagine an entire board made up of thoughtful, dedicated community servants. This group would email you if questions came up when they looked over their financials, asking you to look into this or that issue for them and report to the board your findings at the next board meeting. These very same people would arrive at their board meetings with their board packets well read, notes in the margins, and possibly their budgets and governing documents in hand – just in case they need to refer to them.

This board would succinctly dispatch the items that were not controversial and calmly debate the items that … sorry, I am afraid that I was caught up briefly in my flight of fancy. I am not saying there are no such boards, but I am saying that if you have such a board, then you don’t need to read this article. Go back to your calm oasis of work, where you have the sounds of the ocean waves breaking gently on a sunny shore.

If you’re like the majority of us (and this dream sequence is far from your reality), let’s take a look at some more common board scenarios and consider how you might approach these situations.

Boards Who Antagonize Owners

This type of board seems to know what is best for the community in spite of homeowners who want them to act differently. This type of board does not do anything too egregious; they just frustrate owners and keep them on edge. How do you make this board work well and provide good governance in the face of a major attitude?

This is the board that takes a bit of finessing. You keep them focused on the work at hand and don’t let them wander off on tangents during the board meetings. You encourage a thoughtful approach toward challenging owner actions, and remind them that we are all neighbors here and want harmony and compliance. We are not looking to foster a police state. It is not about wielding power over others but behaving as servant leaders for their community.

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Boards Who Antagonize Each Other

This type of board seems to constantly be looking for a fight. What we want to foster among these members is the idea that everyone has a voice and the right to be heard. Remind these directors to offer one another the same respect for their opinions that they themselves want to be afforded. Encourage the idea that the other has a valid point of view. While the board member may not agree with the opinion being expressed, remind them to respect the person sharing it.

The second thing that is so vital to impart to these types of boards is the need to unify behind the board’s final decision on a matter. Although they may not have won their point, the individual must support the majority’s decision. No grumbling or backstabbing allowed after the vote. The Manager as Mediator

There are times when you need to step in and prevent further degradation of meetings or board effectiveness.

As a manager, you are the diplomat and counselor in these situations. This is where you have the opportunity to shine in your role. With the right guidance, both owners and board members will respect your subtle touch and caring attitude.

Be sure you establish a relationship of respect and empathy with each person on your board(s). The better you understand their motives and personalities, the easier it will be for you to learn how to help them in group dynamics. Even board members whom you find to be the most challenging to work with have a backstory and a reason for their actions. If you can discover what makes them tick, you can help them work within the board structure.

Just as important, there will be times you need to act as advocates for homeowners who are not able to clearly articulate their needs or position in a matter. If you have established communication with the owners and understand their situations, you can help smooth things over when these issues come up before the board.

We all want to be a manager who can work with very different personalities and keep (most) everyone focused on goals and positive outcomes. It starts by putting in effort and increasing your ability to bring groups of people through conflict and disagreement to a satisfactory solution. This will increase your board’s level of trust and reliance on your ability to oversee their operations.

Lori R. Storm, CCAM, is a General Manager with FirstService Residential California, LLC, in Gold River.

DEALING WITH CONFLICT AT YOUR ASSOCIATION?

CACM’s CMM220 Conflict Resolution for Community Managers course can help!

Developed specifically to help managers diffuse everyday HOA conflict situations, this course teaches the different approaches to conflict resolution and specific techniques to use with various difficult personalities and groups. You will leave this course feeling confident that you can manage any communication challenge – from an irate homeowner to a contentious board meeting.

Identify difficult personalities and appropriate techniques for diffusing conflict with each Manage unreasonable expectations Assert your professional authority Maintain a customer service mindset Manage group dynamics including consensus building, facilitation and conflict between others Develop a protocol for communications during a crisis

Coming to Sacramento on September 16. Learn more or register now at www.cacm.org.

achieving professional excellence

Congratulations Managers

It is with pride that we recognize managers who have taken the next step in their professional career by pursuing advanced educational opportunities. Congratulations to our newest Certified Community Association Manager (CCAM) and Specialty Certificate recipients for the second quarter of 2015.

NEW CCAMs

Dora Acosta, CCAM Valsamis A. Almalidis, CCAM Artour Babayans, CCAM Scott A. Bland, CCAM Mark Borson, CCAM Laura M. Bowman, CCAM Nafisa Braimah, CCAM Selina Bravo, CCAM Irma Breceda, CCAM Mark E. Bruce, CCAM Nycole T. Burts, CCAM Jamiah L. Calderon, CCAM Susan Calhoun, CCAM Kimberly K. Carr, CCAM Bryan M. Chan, CCAM Stewart A. Dalie, CCAM Bonnie Dalrymple, CCAM Cecilia de Heras, CCAM Arash Etemad, CCAM Teresa A. Falconer, CCAM Brigitte Y. Fernandez, CCAM Trish A. Forté, CCAM Gregory Fox, CCAM Tony Gutierrez, CCAM Mary G. Hall, CCAM Nancy J. Harlow, CCAM Kimberly M. Harrigan, CCAM James A. Hayes, CCAM Kristian R. Hill, CCAM Patricia A. Hooper, CCAM Forrest W. Huisman, CCAM Carolyn Ivancovich, CCAM Emily J. Jauregui, CCAM Jessica R. Kelsey, CCAM Joanna Lam, CCAM Alfred V. Logan, CCAM Trish A. Lowe, CCAM Daniel Magier, CCAM Tess E. Mailloux, CCAM William Mazza, CCAM Melody A. Murray, CCAM Martha A. Osborne, CCAM Catherine A. Pannell, CCAM Joan Pilar, CCAM Leticia Rodriguez, CCAM Lisa M. Royster, CCAM Nicholas B. Saadi, CCAM Frank Sansone, CCAM Brian O. Simmons, CCAM Denise Smith, CCAM Lucille S. Sulano, CCAM Cami L. Surette, CCAM Michelle D. Tabron, CCAM Jenna M. Warriner, CCAM Linda S. Wilhelmy, CCAM Chris M. Wooden, CCAM Brian M. Yohn, CCAM

SPECIALTY CERTIFICATES

High Rise Community Management

Brandon Patterson, CCAM-HR

Large Scale Community Management

Melissa Brown, CCAM-LS Laura Goss, CCAM-LS

Portfolio Management

Christine Alfaro CCAM-PM

New Development Community Management

Shannan Ogilvie, CCAM-PM.ND

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