April 2025
Too many condo board members feel or find that their role is more akin to being a property manager. This takes away from their primary role and has them involved in operational aspects better handled by management. The primary reasons for this can be avoided by establishing and enforcing both board and management practices.
Management Overload
Some condominium managers are overwhelmed. They handle too may properties or have too many responsibilities. Communities where their condominium manager has insufficient time to do everything expected of them need assistance. This often comes from volunteer condo board members. This can be avoided by employing competent management, having a job description and providing them with support by helping to control the workflow.
Quiet Quitting
Unhappy employees don’t quit which means the condominium corporation continues to pay salary, and eventually severance pay, without receiving the services and support being paid for. They are more likely to do the least work possible, make mistakes and not care about their work. This leads to dissatisfaction with management. Eventual dismissal and severance pay gives the underperforming employee time to search for alternate employment and paid time off between jobs.
Condo boards suspecting that management is not doing their job well should find a replacement before this occurs, and terminate their employment before the situation worsens.
Technology Gap
Lack of technology means everything takes longer, costs more, or that critical decision-making information is missing. Building systems should be accessible remotely from management’s office computer. Board and resident communications should be timely and accessible. Responses to service requests should be prompt with requests being logged for ongoing analysis and decision making. Accounting should be electronic to the greatest extent possible.
Board Support of Management
Board support means regular contact with management without board members doing the job of management. Too many people making independent decisions tends not to go well.
Warm Seats
Some condo directors like the idea of “being in charge” without doing the hard work. They lack passion and focus. There can be dozens of e-mails about paint colour or questions about prior management decisions, and limited interest in evaluating upcoming major expenditures. A condominium manager responding to these individual minor inquiries and detailed explanations of prior decisions has no time to deal with more important matters.
Board members should meet separately to identify concerns and questions, then present them to the condominium manager in writing or at a separate meeting. This allows the manager to focus more of their time on managing the community and building.
The condo board controls how their community and management operate. They decide priorities and efficiencies.
