October 2013
Far too often condo residents misunderstand the role of their board.
Those elected to the board of a condo receive no financial compensation so work for nobody. They are volunteers who have agreed to commit time to the management of their building.
A condo is a community comprised of individuals, each with their own perspective, priorities and concerns. An effective board is not self-serving nor can it give everyone all that they desire. There must be a balancing of expectations with practical and budgetary considerations by condo boards and owners.
Effective management requires a constant effort and a significant time commitment by an active condo board. Condo residents should understand that this commitment by their board is both necessary and voluntary.
What gets forgotten when dealing with daily issues is the need to inform. Too often, management and boards see communications as time consuming and unproductive. Conversely, condo residents are generally comfortable leaving the management of their building to others. This approach typically results in an overall lack of communication that over time results in misunderstandings and conflict. And it is often this lack of communication, rather than actual problems, that create this conflict between residents, boards and management.
