10 minute read
From the Roundtable
As an individual community manager, you’ve likely figured out by now that this industry requires you to continually adapt, whether it be to changing laws or fickle board members. One of the best ways to ensure you are ready for whatever comes your way is to pursue continuing education and collaborate with your peers. Similar to your efforts to stay current and competitive in this career, CACM is also continually evolving to remain your number one resource for professional development. So, how exactly does CACM, an organization created by managers, for managers, keep a competitive edge that ultimately benefits you as a member? Many areas are important, but let’s focus on three of them: integrating vision, creating a results driven culture, and providing necessary tools to succeed.
In the previous edition of Vision magazine (the Emerging Trends issue), I mentioned the CACM Board would be meeting in October 2013 to discuss strategic “visioning” for CACM. We had some great group discussions about the vision for the community management industry, how CACM must continue to provide necessary tools for your success (e.g., certification and education), and the role of the CACM Board in creating strategic leadership and effective governance to ensure the necessary results. One key area we as a Board will be focusing on is seeking and recruiting you, our manager members, to consider serving on the CACM Board of Directors. We are committed to cultivating new and emerging leaders (our succession planning) who will contribute to developing important governing policies, bring diverse perspectives to the table and be dedicated to what CACM does best – empowering managers, enriching communities. You’ll be hearing more about this very soon. As we march toward our 24th year of operation, efforts to keep CACM fresh and relevant to our members was another important discussion at the October meeting. How we differentiate ourselves, our education, our competency training of community managers, as well as how we can increase the awareness and demand for certified managers and accredited firms, will continue to be of strategic importance on the Board’s agenda.
In striving for excellence and good governance, CACM will continue to keep its focus on creating learning opportunities and competency tools that we as an industry will need to sustain us in an ever-changing environment. Our governing Global Ends statement says it best: “CACM Exists so that Members Enjoy an Environment Necessary for Professional Success.”
THe Profession
Six short words filled with so much meaning. Though we don’t vocalize them we’re often thinking them. How can this be (almost) a universal experience among community managers when we work in a profession that offers a six figure per year earning potential! What’s wrong with this picture?
Now take a long, deep, cleansing breath and say this slowly and meaningfully, “The buck stops with me. This is not about my board’s preconceptions of me or my role.” This can be tough to swallow, but if you believe it, you can go about setting things right.
Continued on page 16
Representing the Profession Continued from page 15 dress. What would you wear to a breakfast at the White House?
Take it a step further and consider what your competency level is in asserting your professional authority when trying to convince your board to do the right thing and they push back, or That’s “A” game business attire. What would you wear to the First Be attire. What would you wear to a picnic on the White House Cr dibl lawn? That’s “A” game sporty casual attire. What would you wear What does it to Camp David? That’s “A” game casual attire. (Nowhere in any of mean to be credible? these situations do cleavage, sweatshirts or mini skirts apply.) The According to first step in building credibility – looking and communicating like Merriam-Webster’s a pro – cannot be underestimated. Knock this one out of the park Dictionary, it means and you can run for office. (Read more about how to dress for “offering reasonable success on page 54.) grounds for being To learn more about the psychology of interpersonal believed.” Your writing and speaking skills convey your level of communications and establishing credibility in your interactions education and intelligence, which establish your grounds for being with others, attend CACM’s course for community managers, believed – plain and simple. A college degree won’t take you very CMM200 Enhance Your Professional Presence, which focuses on far if you speak unpersuasively and cannot construct a clear and professional business writing, polished presentations, the art of concise email. influencing and professional image.
Lady’s charity event garden party? That’s “A” game business casual varying your verbal tactics to be equally persuasive with different Be a Pe ac personality types. For anyone whose source of income depends Kee p r on influencing other human beings, communicating effectively is You communicate job one. Luckily, these skills can be learned and honed either by with homeowners, modeling yourself after effective communicators or taking courses. board members,
Another form of communication – how you appear to others service providers, and – also affects your “reasonable grounds for being believed.” This countless others as part is similar to the house for sale that’s been sitting on the market of your professional over a year because the green carpeting, lavender wallpaper and responsibilities – and sometimes those communications can be black appliances (though perfectly suited to the taste of the seller) challenging to say the least. No pressure, but how you respond to don’t appeal to the majority of prospective buyers. Professional today’s irate homeowner might just tip the scales and prevent him appearance trumps personal taste if you’re in the business of from becoming tomorrow’s litigious plaintiff. Whether or not you influencing human beings. Just as a home with mass appeal step in to facilitate board members who cannot get along during a attracts more buyers, tailoring your appearance for mass appeal board meeting can mean the difference between getting home on time and everyone suffering through a late night of unproductive torment. You communicate with homeowners, board members, service providers, and Conflicts that are ignored or dealt with countless others as part of your professional responsibilities – and sometimes ineffectively can result in lasting damage to those communications can be challenging to say the least. relationships and, ultimately, a more difficult job for you. Skillful conflict management requires you to use the approach that makes triggers “reasonable grounds for being believed.” It shows that the most sense based on the subject of the conflict and your you are aware of perceptions outside your own and deem your relationship with the other person or people involved. working relationships important enough to bring your “A” game. For instance, how important is the subject of the conflict? Is
The key is to understand that appropriate work attire is part there any flexibility? Is this a unique conflict, or a common one? of your job. Self-expression or apathy in your attire is a personal How quickly does it need to be resolved? How much authority choice for your personal time. Dressing professionally means do you have in the matter? In terms of your relationship to the dressing appropriately for the situation and allowing others to other people involved, do you work for them? Do they work for focus on you, not what you’re wearing. Think for a moment about you? How strong is your relationship now? How important is it what it means to put your best foot forward in your manner of to maintain or even strengthen your relationship? Being able to
quickly run through this checklist helps you determine the best approach to dealing with any conflict-ridden situation.
To get “cheat sheets” for each conflict resolution approach, outlining when each approach should be used and the skills needed to use each approach well, attend CACM’s course, CMM220 Conflict Resolution for Community Managers, which focuses on techniques for diffusing conflict in everyday HOA situations, managing unreasonable expectations and group dynamics.
Be a Financial Guid Here is where the cream rises to the top. A manager of a corporation (or a portfolio of corporations) responsible for hundreds of thousands to millions of dollars’ worth of property who cannot confidently respond to questions about the financials, find supporting information in the statements when queried at a board meeting or provide guidance for improving the association’s financial outlook paves her own way to being seen as an order taker.
You do not need to have an accounting background to be a competent financial guide to your boards. In fact, as the manager of the association, you are the best person to fulfill this role.
Think about it this way: Who’s watching the store? The board treasurer? More often than not you’ll find yourself in the position of needing to train the treasurer to read the association financials and understand the importance of budgeting appropriately for preventative maintenance. Or, is it the accountant? The accountant’s role is to conduct reviews, prepare statements or maintain the financial records. How about the reserve analyst? The reserve analyst is an ally in promoting proactive maintenance and guidance on reserve funding, but doesn’t see the operating budget. Though they are “experts” in their roles, they each see only their pieces. None of them have what you have – the big picture.
As the community manager, you are at every board meeting, privy to every decision and group thought process, knowledgeable about industry products, service providers, industry trends, and responsible for the coordination of the operating and reserve funds. You are there every step of the way with access and influence at every stage.
So, looking back through the last year, can you see any missed opportunities for bringing greater value to your association(s) in your role? If so, you can increase your financial savvy this year by attending CACM’s courses, FIN220 Explaining Financial Statements, which provides hands-on learning about association financial records and prepares managers to interact with and explain those records to their boards; or FIN320 Strategic Financial Planning, which teaches managers how to lead their boards through a calendared process of analysis and decision points that can steer the association toward greater financial solvency.
Be a Le ad r
What does it mean to be a leader? Leadership must be exhibited before you can be seen as a leader. You do not require a title that gives you “permission” to lead. A leadership job title is the reward for being viewed as a leader – someone who can see the big picture, communicate its vision and organize the pieces that make it come together. Granted, this is no small task.
Yes, you already have your hands full dealing with the daily minutia. But it’s not until you provide a strategy that your boards can follow to achieve their vision for the association, that you will be seen as a leader. How do you do this? Firstly, it requires a new mindset on your part – shifting how you see your role and what you bring to the table. You can take the meeting minutes and compile the board packets and still be seen as a leader if you have a strategic leadership mindset versus an administration mindset. The difference is long-term thinking vs. task-oriented thinking.
You can learn more about making this shift at CACM’s courses, BDA300 Fundamentals of Effective Governance, which focuses on creating your strategic leadership mindset and learning the principles that allow boards to govern versus manage; or BDA500 Effective Governance Principles, for experienced managers who are ready to define goals, policies and standards of accountability with their boards.
CACM offers more than 25 courses geared to every stage of development in your professional community management career. Courses are available in: • Community Management • Insurance • Board Administration • Leadership • Finance • Specialization Learn more at www.cacm.org.
A tactical guide for turning a company’s vision into bottom-line results
2014 CEO Business Forum
May 8-9, 2014 The Grand Del Mar, San Diego
Keynote Speaker: Dr. Pete Johnson Founder, Strategic Performance Institute
Join executives from around the state as you gain new tactics and innovative strategies to turn your company’s vision into bottom-line results.
Dr. Pete Johnson will share his unique approach to strategic planning based on the brilliant strategic philosophy of Sun Tzu – the most noted (and quoted) strategist of all time.
