December 2023
The success of communities depends on effective communication between board members, managers and residents. Virtually every matter can be improved or worsened through communication. Toronto Condo News places such importance in communication that it warrants a major classification in the Condo Archives. There are 11 categories of articles!
Any community that hopes to achieve optimal results and operations needs to be effective in their communication.
Effective communication is about managing expectations. People should know what to expect and what will be delivered. Communications should always be clear, concise and transparent.
Owners and residents should not be able to say they don’t know what’s going on
Owners and residents should not be able to say they don’t know what’s going on. Open board meetings allow residents to listen and participate, with a private session for the board to discuss confidential matters. Meeting minutes and basic financial information should be posted monthly on a website or online portal. Elevator and electronic notices inform all owners equally, as do newsletters.
Condo management software and applications are built for communication between management and residents. From private correspondence to the posting of general notices, there is no better way to enhance communication, improve efficiency, gather insights and reduce problems. Digital libraries are ideal for documents of all types; financial records, governing documents including declaration and rules, building policies, new resident information, government mandated information certificates, and newsletters. Residents learn to check their library before requesting information if that library is regularly updated. E-mail blasts, which may be sent daily, provide updates on building services. Internal messaging allows residents to communicate directly with management or board members by direct sending and receiving of private messages. All communication is stored and accessible in the system which reduces recording keeping.
Answering each question once is better than individually responding to identical inquiries. Residents are impressed when they read a well-written response available to all rather than a shortened response to a personal inquiry. This leaves a positive impression among residents and creates an environment of trust.
General Rules
Questions, complaints and service requests should be in writing to management. Using the condo management software portal ensures a historical record is maintained.
Confidential information relates to owner information, conflicts, financial issues, health concerns, labour disputes, and legal matters. None of this should be shared with owners.
