Ebooks

6 By Nancy Hastings, CMCA®, AMS®, PCAM® Regional Vice President, Eastern Region In the early days of community associations, the trademark tools for a community manager used to be a clipboard, large 3-ring binder that contained community information and a very large rolodex. Community mailings, telephone calls and faxes were the communication methods used. The amount of time it took a manager to complete tasks with this limited set of tools created a reactive approach to communication between boards and owners. Often communication received as a resident was in the form of a violation notice, delinquency notice and/or newsletter with a list of do's and don'ts, which no surprise, did not promote positive relationships. For many communities, board meeting inconsistency and lack of transparency led to closed door meetings and apathy. Fast forward to today. Smart phones, the internet, enterprise platforms and social media has dictated a new approach. We spend time and resources training our teams on customer service and improving the community living experience. We leverage technology to provide managers with time and resources to engage members through multiple methods of communication. A huge shift in transparency and self-help is the new standard, giving board members the ability to access community information at their convenience. This shift from the one way communication of mass mailings to two-way conversations taking place on websites and social media has required managers and board members to become comfortable with receiving and replying to homeowners, and one another, in real time. That's why, innovative technology is going to be the linchpin of community success in the years ahead. Engagement is on the rise, but the challenge facing communities is containing that engagement in a structured environment so that the interactions have positive outcomes. If some homeowners are having important community discussions in one place and other are having discussions in another place, while boards use a different tool to communicate, there are many missed opportunities for the community to work together to solve community issues. On the other hand, if homeowners, board members, your community management team can communicate in one place, imagine how much more powerful and effective the community can be. That's why technology platforms won't just be used for helping boards manage data; technology will also play a key role in facilitating seamless communication between homeowners, board members, and other key community stakeholders. Now, these tools cannot replace the in-person guidance from your management professional; nor can they replace the immeasurable value of volunteer members planning activities and providing input to keep the community functioning. The best technologies will add to the convenience of your members while maintaining the messages and information that are so necessary to community living. Boards will have some big decisions to make when it comes to choosing technology — you're choosing technology that will help you manage your board duties, to be sure, but you will also need to look for solutions that help you engage the community as well. The good news is because of the technology boom, there will be no shortage of options; the key will be choosing the right solution for your community. COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT FORECAST It's More Than a Notion: Using Technology to Facilitate Community Engagement Nancy S. Hastings, CMCA®, AMS®, PCAM®, is the Regional Vice President for east coast operations. Before that, she served as the president of Associa Mid-Atlantic, where she focused her efforts on ensuring exceptional management to clients and communities. Hastings is active member in the Pennsylvania/Delaware Valley Chapter of CAI and was the 2016 recipient of Associa's Roger Kramer Memorial Award for Leadership. ABOUT THE AUTHOR

• Cover