Aahhh,
sailing can be so very pleasant when the water is still, and the undercurrents are kept far away from the hull. Add in a gentle but
steady and purposeful breeze, and worries melt away. However, if the winds blow from alternating directions and the water is rising and lapping over the side, and those who are supposed to maintain the stability of the ship are not sure of the desired direction or who should be initiating the orders, it can be a disaster in the making!
The answer to having the necessary stability is to make sure the captain, the elected board of directors of the association, and the crew, the management company, are speaking the same language, understand the desired direction, have a solid grasp of each other’s responsibility, a clear understanding of the roles each should play, and a definitive agreement as to the day-to- day responsibility of each party. Without these securely in place, an association may be moving into the type of unchartered waters that result in leaving smooth water for a very rocky shore.
The key here lies entirely with the relationship and understanding of roles between the board and the management company personnel with special emphasis on the onsite crew members. Especially in larger associations, this clear understanding of proper governance roles is so very important. Both parties need to be thoroughly knowledgeable of good governance models and the expectations for both entities involved to command a smooth voyage.
Let’s start with the role of the board of directors of the association (collectively, the Captain). The Captain’s primary role is to determine where to lead the association – where is it going. In addition to the direction, they need to determine how quickly they are going to proceed in that direction to reach the desired goal. What level of resources are they willing to spend to arrive at the goal(s)? And, it is also their responsibility to clearly relay the direction of the goals to the management personnel (collectively, the Crew) along with their expectations as to time frame for accomplishing their goals.
The Captain can accomplish their part of the relationship by regularly meeting with the Crew and engaging in direct conversations and soliciting input from the Crew.
In so doing, anything that may not be initially clear can be easily clarified prior to setting sail. The size of the Crew is a decision that the Captain is called upon to make with input available through best practices.
The Crew has an extremely important part of the process. Whereas the Captain must set a clear direction of where they want to go and establish clear expectations for the voyage, it is the Crew who must understand where they are to be going, and what is being expected of them to accomplish the goal so they can marshal the resources to get it done. In addition, the Crew is responsible to provide ongoing and specific information and updates so that the Captain is absolutely current with the status of the goals with respect to the logistics needing to be implemented during the voyage. When there is current information being routinely provided then alterations to the course, if necessary, can be made smoothly assuming situations require same.
Understanding the clear distinction of roles and responsibilities is imperative for a smooth voyage. If roles get confused that result in a muddied churning of the water, the entire relationship can be in peril. Once that occurs, extra time and effort must be exerted to reset the course involving all parties.
Within an association, the reality for both Captain and Crew involves understanding the financial footing necessary to be achieved in order to move the organizational ship forward. Determining the level of desired amenities and assignment of bringing options to the table is to be done by the Crew while the final selection is to be determined by the Captain. An area that can be done equally by both parties involves the reaching out to owners, so they feel invested in the association; and both need to be responsive to ownership.
www.cai-illinois.org • 847.301.7505 | 13
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