they communicate is important even if
it’s not your way of
communicating. Perhaps you have a competent colleague who could step in and connect with them, for example, about the fi nancial component of their inquiry. Other times, simply stopping to chat for a few minutes is important to build trust. Ah, but what do you do with the daily visitors? Instead of saying “I do not have time for this,” encourage them to join a club or committee where they may fi nd like-minded people with whom they can share their time. Other times, perhaps you could excuse yourself for another appointment. However you decide to address these seemingly innocuous situations, keep in mind that loneliness can happen to anyone at any age and should not be ignored. For additional information please visit these links:
https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/loneliness-and-social- isolation-tips-staying-connected
https://aging.ca.gov/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Five_Love_Languages
All of that said, although at times it feels like it, community managers are not counselors or psychologists. But you are a human being speaking to another human being who may just need to be acknowledged.
For those of you who are fortunate to receive accolades and recognition from your boards, continue doing your great work. For those who struggle to receive any type of affi rmation and/ or feel most days like they are working in a hostile environment, try and understand your board members as individuals, set goals, and arrange meetings as needed to discuss these goals and individual objectives. If, however, your conditions are truly untenable, this needs to be raised with the entire board and/ or your management company, as no one deserves to work in a hostile work environment, a right that is supported by law.
Here are a few additional considerations to foster an environment of inclusivity and consideration.
Know your governing documents.
Try to cultivate personal relationships with municipal employees and government agencies such as code enforcement, planning department, water district, animal control, and law enforcement community liaisons.
If you have onsite support, mentor your team and foster a positive environment that enables them to learn from you and make some of these strategic choices in the future. The goal should always be to assume the best in one another. It is easy to be cynical, but we should always remain respectful, especially in front of owners and vendors. Perception is reality.
Follow up. Follow up. Follow up. Put reminders in your calendar to check in to make sure the issue was completely resolved.
Implementing the above tips will go a long way towards de- escalating confl icts, making your communities harmonious, and making owners feel comfortable and at home in their community! In the end, we all have a different style of communicating. The suggestions above are some of the best practices I’ve used over my 15 years of community association management.
—Rochelle Ceballos, CMCA is Executive Director of Marketing for SwedelsonGottlieb. Contact her at 800.372.2207 or
Rochelle@sghoalaw.com
www.caioc.org 17
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