March 2016
“Good management consists in showing average people how to do the work of superior people.”
John D. Rockefeller
Many condo corporations employ a property manager to manage the daily affairs of the corporation.
Among the responsibilities of a property manager are to supervise and provide direction to employees, vendors and trades servicing the corporation.
Conflicts and problems can arise if a condo board interferes with management responsibilities.
Condo boards should not interfere with management issues including supervision and direction of employees. Circumventing normal communication channels between a property manager and their reports is not helpful.
Condo residents or board members should not be providing direction to anyone doing work for the condo corporation. Concerns about staffing or quality of work should be directly addressed with the management office or property manager.
At times maintaining a clear line of authority can be challenging. Failure to do so may result in confusion, mistakes or misunderstandings.
A condo resident or board member may feel they are being helpful when asking cleaning staff to clean the wall of an elevator or hallway. They may feel this is preferable to bothering a busy property manager with something so minor. Circumventing the property manager means they may not be aware that areas of the building are not being properly cleaned. An employee taking direction from someone other than the property manager may also be at risk. There may be other work that needs to be completed by a specific time according to established priorities. Not completing tasks assigned to them by the allotted time can disrupt schedules or mean more important tasks are being neglected.
One way to maintain proper communications is to put everything in writing. Providing a job description for each paid employee clarifies responsibilities and authority.
