Partner Post: Managing Condo Association Workflow

This post was republished with permission from BetterCondoLife.com. 

Being on a condo board is a challenging job.  You may understand what you’re getting into, but living it is a whole different beast. Board members have numerous challenges to contend with. You resolve disputes, create budgets, execute major projects and deal with emergencies. And as life works, these issues usually come up when you’ve got personal or professional things going on in the background. Working on a board is a marathon, not a sprint. To be successful, you must pace yourself and work with your fellow board members to be successful.

Don’t Let Board Work Own Your Life

You (hopefully) have a robust and healthy life. You’ve got a career, friends, family, and hobbies. These are all very important things. Do not neglect them because of your board activities. It can be easy to get swept into the drama of a condo association.  Your job is to make sure that it doesn’t become all-consuming.  

Trust Your Fellow Board Members and Empower Them

There are going to be times when you can’t give the condo association your attention. You might have travel for work or vacation, or be planning a major event like your own wedding, or be looking at colleges with a child.  During these time periods, it’s OK to ease off on the gas. Make sure to clearly inform your fellow board members that you won’t be available to support events for a set period of time.  

What’s key is that you set the rules of engagement. Are you going to be completely non-communicative? Or are you going to be reading email and digital collaboration tools and providing feedback that way? Whatever you choose, make sure the rest of the board understands what they can expect from you and how long you’ll be in that status. Then – most importantly – stick with your decision. If you say you won't be involved, and a decision is made without you, don’t second guess that decision. 

Learn When to Shift Into High Gear

While there are times when you’ll be easing on the gas pedal, there are others where the board does need to become a major priority. Most often such times are during special assessment or major project planning. In these cases, particularly if they are important to you, you need to ensure that you’re focusing your time on the condo. Maybe you need to reschedule a night with your friends – that’s OK. While being a board member is a volunteer job, it is one with major responsibility, so there is a give-and-take to keep in mind. There are times when managing condo association workflow will mean stepping up and making sacrifices.

Moderation, Consistency, Communication are Key

Successfully managing condo association workflow can be done. You can have a life while also serving on your condo board. The key is to be a professional – if you’re going to be gone, let your fellow board members know so they can pick up the slack in your absence. Conversely, when they need to step up for whatever reason, make sure you’re ready to pick up the slack for them as well. Ensuring that everyone is able to keep their board activities in moderation keeps everyone fresh, engaged, and leading a better condo life.  

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