Education, Professional Development, Test Tips

How to Crush the M100 Exam (or Any Other PMDP Class Test)

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This blog may offer insight to some managers or business professionals who struggle with passing exams, learning content for a class or absorbing any material in general. If you’re intimidated about taking a Community Associations Institute test because the other students in your class look like they are fresh out of college, fear not! You can boost your confidence by developing your study skills!

Make the Knowledge Your Own

I learned these tips through tutoring kids, college students, and older adults and by applying them to my own studies. They don’t suggest cheating or hacking the exam. Instead, you can hone your skills by deliberately practicing these methods. Over time, they may influence the way you absorb information, becoming second nature. The goal is to make the knowledge your own. Once that happens, taking the test is easy!

  • Define: First off, rote memorization of definitions isn’t as effective as you might think. Many people will mindlessly recite words from their textbook without ever understanding what they mean. This doesn’t have much benefit without understanding their significance. Think of the definition as a jumping off point from which you can understand the basic idea. Then you have a foundation that allows you to dive deeper and fully grasp the concept.
  • Rephrase: When you come across a new concept, rephrase it in your own words as if teaching it to a child. This will clarify the fundamental elements of the concept. It might help you communicate concisely with clients in the future. No one at work will ask you to define “special assessment,” but you’d better be able to explain the concept and its impact to a homeowner!
  • Use a Lifeline: If rephrasing the concept doesn’t come easily, it may help to seek a trusted friend or mentor. This could be a boss with more experience, a business partner with expertise in the field, or a colleague who can help you identify resources. Your answers won’t always be black and white. Sometimes the response you get requires you to think critically, ask additional questions, or do further research. It might spur three new questions! Though it may sound like a lot of work, it’s worth it when a tough concept finally clicks.
  • Make It Real: Once you have a decent grasp of the concept, start making connections. Apply the concept to something you experience at work, hear at a CAI conference or read in an engineering report. Strive to integrate this practice into your daily work life instead of restricting it to your study time. When a situation arises at work, connect it back to the coursework you recently studied. This practice will help ingrain the concept so that it’s readily accessible when you need it in real life.

Now that CAI’s test schedule allows you to take tests electronically up to 30 days after the class, you can take advantage of applying new concepts to your daily work routine. Instead of waiting until the last minute to study the course content, think about it while it’s still fresh in your head. There’s no reason to compartmentalize your learning time to the two hours of studying you do every week. When you apply the concepts and make connections to the forty hours of work you do every week, not only do you benefit but so does your employer, who may have paid for the class. When applied correctly, it helps you do your job better.

Conquering Test Anxiety

You might understand and apply concepts effortlessly but still suffer from test anxiety. Here are a few strategies to help get the answers from your head onto the computer screen when it’s time to take the test.

  • Create Your Own Questions: When reviewing material for tests, immediately check your understanding by asking yourself what a good test question would be. Then make sure you can answer it, looking back at your notes if necessary. As you practice this exercise, you should become more accustomed to recalling information, better preparing you for test time.
  • Mnemonic Devices: A memorization technique such as a song or an acrostic can help your brain encode information and help with information retrieval. Here’s the acrostic that I mentally use to recall all the Great Lakes:

Huron
Ontario
Michigan
Erie
Superior

  • Summarize: There’s nothing wrong with the summaries at the end of each chapter, but it isn’t your own! A summary that you develop will force you to rephrase everything so that it makes sense to you. You can say it out loud or write it down.

Making Education Work for You

Preparing for and passing all the courses in the CAI catalog won’t help you become a better manager if you forget everything the day after the test. Reinforce what you’ve learned in the classroom with everything you do on a daily basis at work. Chat with other managers about concepts that you want to explore. If they go off on a tangent, soak it in and consider expanding on what you’ve learned. Curiosity about a specific topic may blossom into a new passion or become your niche within the field.

CAI’s PMDP courses will help you grow as a professional. Focusing on this broader perspective can help motivate you to master the material.

P.S. If standardized test taking still makes you anxious, remember— you only need a 70% to pass! Don’t worry. You got this!

I’m happy to welcome Chantu Chea, CMCA, AMS, as my first T-Rex guest blogger. Chantu has been editing and collaborating with me on the blog for quite a while now.  She deserves a lot of credit for the quality of the writing and Association Bridge work product in general. About a year ago, I realized her title of “Associate” really wasn’t cutting it. She is now our “Creative Collaborator & Resident Contrarian.” After tutoring a nervous M-100 student to help her pass the course exam and then acing her own M-205 test (a perfect 100!), it was clear she could help managers prepare for exams and face down test anxiety. It was time for Chantu and me to switch places.  I hope you enjoyed reading her blog as much as I did.  

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business life, community associations, Culture, Human Resources, leadership, Management

Do You Want To Keep Good People? Build an Intentional Culture

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Turnover is Expensive!

The struggle to attract and keep talented employees and volunteers is universal. For businesses, the hard cost of employee turnover includes hiring and onboarding, initial training, ongoing development, and integration with the team. Finally, it includes the interim costs incurred while a position is unfilled. Yet, soft costs can be far more impactful. Turnover loads a burden on the backs of everyone in a company. These can turn into hard costs with loss of business due to poor performance.

Not-for-profit community associations have different metrics. On-site staff and volunteer turnover result in soft costs such as service gaps and overburdened remaining staff and volunteers. This, in turn, takes a toll on member satisfaction. Increased stress and pressure result. Over time, this can lead to increased turnover and lack of volunteer interest.

Another common and insidious cost of turnover can be an intentional or unintentional lack of investment in employees and volunteers, which inevitably leads to more turnover.

The vicious cycle of churn is costly. And it sucks – it sucks the life out of organizations of every sort.

Strategies

There are plenty of strategies out there to retain employees and volunteers. Google the subject and you’ll find scads of them. They range from simple recognition to the adoption of lofty ideals designed to motivate the troops. Volunteer retainage is its own animal because compensation is defined differently. In all cases, strategies are focused on showing appreciation and providing benefits that are designed to reward people and keep them in the fold. And they might not work.

Don’t get me wrong, many strategies can be beneficial. They may help keep some folks around for a while. But they cannot stand alone. Strategies need to be part of a broader context to have lasting value.

Want Retention? Engage

Retention is a useful metric, but it’s not a goal. It’s a byproduct. According to a 2018 Gallup poll, 53% of U.S. workers are not engaged. Gallup states, “They may be generally satisfied but are not cognitively and emotionally connected to their work and workplace; they will usually show up to work and do the minimum required but will quickly leave their company for a slightly better offer.” Another 13% were reported to be “actively disengaged.” Let that sink in. Two-thirds of American workers spend a significant part of their waking hours at a job they don’t really want to do. Yikes! If they don’t leave, they should.

In their seminal work The Leadership Challenge, Kouzes & Posner conclude that people tend to look at their jobs in one of 3 ways; as a job, as a career, or as a calling. The difference? Engagement. The higher the level of the synchronization between the work someone does and their values and goals, the deeper the engagement.

Want Engagement? Lead

“Engagement is not an HR issue. It is a leadership issue” – Simon Sinek, Author & Organizational Consultant

If the key to engagement is the connection of values and work, it begs a couple of questions. What does your organization stand for? What deeper connection does it offer? This is where many leaders fail. Kouzes and Posner offer an approach to address this. They boil it down to what they call “The Five Practices of Exemplary Leadership:”

  • Model the Way
  • Inspire a Shared Vision
  • Challenge the Process
  • Enable Others to Act
  • Encourage the Heart

All five practices directly impact engagement. Leaders who are hypocritical, directionless, non-communicative, myopic, micromanagers with low EQ  kill engagement. If there is a serious weakness in just one or two of these areas, you can count on good people walking out the door.

So then, effective leadership begets engagement and provides a context for strategy. Putting this all together, what are the leaders charged with doing? They must develop and nurture organizational culture.

Build an Intentional Culture – Defining the Organizational “We”

Culture is who we are, proven by what we repeatedly do. Its engine is the shared values of the organization. Shared values lead to aspirational vision. The vision drives goals, which sets the mission. Goals and mission drive strategies, which then dictate day-to-day tactics. We do what we do because we are who we are.

All organizations have a culture. Leaders are responsible for making it an intentional one. That includes community association volunteer leaders. It’s not easy, but it is always worth it. Leaving it to chance leads to disconnected strategies and tactics. And churn.

“Culture eats strategy for breakfast” – Peter Drucker, Legendary Management Educator

As the stewards of intentional culture, leaders must make sure that what we do stays in line with who we are. They must walk the talk. Disconnects must be addressed. Few things cause disengagement more quickly than an organization that espouses values that are violated in the way things are done. A dedication to a values-driven culture draws like-minded persons and engages them. Engaged people not only tend to stay awhile, but they also draw others who will find a satisfying place in the culture.

“Culture is caught, not taught” – Rolf Crocker, CEO, OMNI Community Management, LLC

But They Won’t Let Me!

What if your boss doesn’t get it? What if you are an on-site manager with a board full of clueless non-leaders that make it difficult for you to lead your staff? What if you work for a soul-crushing CEO? You still create a culture with those within your sphere of influence. In fact, you must…or leave. That will be the subject of another blog.
If a public high school department head can create a pocket of excellence despite deeply entrenched policies and bureaucracy, the odds are good that you can build a culture that makes a difference. Leaders don’t ask permission to lead. They may sometimes have to ask for forgiveness afterward. But results tend to take the heat off.

If You Want Them to Stay, Forget the Fence – Build a Fire

External rewards without engagement are like a fence. Engagement produces internal rewards. If you want to keep people in the fold, stop worrying so much about the fence. Instead, build a fire of culture at the center of the organization. That fire gives team members light so they can see the vision and the warmth of shared values and mission. Create a space where people are drawn and want to stay.

Recommended Study Material:

 

The Leadership Challenge, 5th Edition by James Kouzes & Barry Posner 

The Excellence Dividend, by Tom Peters 

Gung Ho!, by Ken Blanchard & Sheldon Bowles 

The Culture Engine, by S. Chris Edmonds 

And if you are REALLY serious, go to Tom Peters’ website  www.excellencenow.com  for his 50- page “Extreme Humanization/Extreme Employee Engagement PDF 

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Communications, Management, Time Management

Time Management Tip #3 – Negotiate, Then Prioritize

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THAT Guy

You hear the phone ring and take a look at the Caller ID, or see the email pop up. Oh no…It’s THAT person. You know the one. You have a history with him. He notices every typo and berates you in public for it. He’s not only exacting, but he’s also demanding. You feel like you have to be fast and perfect to make him satisfied. And he never asks an easy question.
As you read the email or listen to the voice mail (having dodged the call), your gut tightens. Your brow furrows. You are pretty sure your blood pressure just went up. You think, “I do not have time for this today. And I’ve got to get this exactly right…. I will be a good time manager and put it on my task list for tomorrow, first thing. That’s responsive enough.”
Great plan. Until life happens. The day blows up, you get into emergency mode, and the day zooms by. And you haven’t responded. Now we are up to day 3. Having heard nothing back, the guy communicates again. Loudly. Copying everyone, their supervisors, and their grandmother. Now you’ve got several people hounding you and a crisis on your hands. So much for being a good time manager.

It didn’t have to be that way.

Seize the Opportunity

It’s natural to make assumptions when you have a history with someone. If a person is demanding, you may assume that they not only want a perfect answer, but they also want it NOW. You are under stress. You do not make the best decisions when under stress.
Having a process in place can help.

For the most part, people want acknowledgment and then a solution, in that order. By time-blocking email and phone message responses a couple of times daily, you can proactively take care of the acknowledgment part.
There’s an opportunity hidden in the acknowledgment. This is your chance to negotiate a solution that benefits everyone.

“Thanks for your email. I want to make sure I get you what you need when you need it. And I would like to take a little time to do some research, if possible. Would it be OK if I got back to you on Thursday? If you need the answer more quickly, just let me know and I’ll see what I can rearrange for you.”

Key points:

  • Fast acknowledgment with a message: “I hear you. I want to take good care of you”
  • A reasonable and respectful request 
  • Both a request and an invitation to negotiate
  • Non-confrontational way to determine the urgency of the request

Under Promise, Over Deliver

There’s an extra bonus built into this approach. In offering a negotiable solution, I am certain I can deliver the answer on Wednesday. If unforeseen circumstance rears its ugly head, my contingency planning makes it more likely I will deliver on time. And if things go well, I’ll be a day early and be a hero!

Our tendency may be to try and please people in the moment. This may lead to assuming a best-case scenario or overpromising. This will increase your stress and might set you up for failure. Stop. Breathe. Think with your head, not your heart.

Sounds Good…But Does It Work?

I started employing this strategy a couple of years ago. The results have been pleasantly surprising. About 8 out of 10 times, I find out the person is happy to wait a couple of days for the answer. In other cases, I am able to confirm this is a priority for the person. I do whatever reprioritization is necessary. Even in those cases, I can usually buy at least a little time.
They frequently appreciate the dedication to quality work. Sometimes I hear, “Thanks for getting back to me so quickly.” And I’ve turned a few critics into raving fans.

Give it a try. Let me know how it goes!

Oh, and my blood pressure is fine, thanks.

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Book Reviews, Communications, Magic Beans

Book Review #3 – The Power of a Positive No – How to Say NO and Still Get to YES

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The Backstory

I found this one while browsing in a used book store.  I’m a kid in a candy shop in places like that.  I’d already picked up a biography on Samuel Johnson, and then this one caught my eye.  I remember hearing about the bestseller Getting to Yes by the same author, but I’d never read it.

By then, I’d read and studied The Little Gold Book of Yes! Attitude by Jeffrey Gitomer, and adopted my 11th governing value: “I start with ‘yes’ and finish with ‘yes.’” I’d also learned that saying “no” to things of lesser priority was the only way I could say “yes” to all the things I really wanted to do.  So the book looked interesting and into the basket it went.

The Summary

Ury frames his concept with the illustration of a tree. Your personal Yes is the roots holding the tree firmly in the ground.  Your No is the trunk of the tree that comes from those roots.  From the strength of that tree trunk No, a final Yes of full limbs, branches, leaves, and flowers grow.

He breaks the concept down into three stages considering the first Yes, the No, and the second Yes in each:

Stage One: Prepare

  1. Uncover Your Yes
  2. Empower Your No
  3. Respect Your Way to Yes

Stage Two: Deliver

  • Express Your Yes
  • Assert Your No
  • Propose a Yes

Stage Three: Follow Through

  • Stay True to Your Yes
  • Underscore Your No
  • Negotiate to Yes

The Gold

In a world that is increasingly engulfed in emotional No, this book is right on time.  Ury’s perspective and practical tips on creating a space for mutual respect and setting the context for No as a tool for Yes are brilliant and apply to business and personal life. I will be recommending this book as required reading for those involved in community associations.  The answer to many questions posed in our arena has to be No.  But it should not end there, and the message must be delivered properly if we are to help our clients and communities thrive. 

“There is no doubt that delivering a Positive No requires courage, vision, empathy, fortitude, patience, and persistence.  But it is within reach of everyone every day, and the words are potentially enormous…You don’t have to choose between saying No and getting to Yes.  You can do both. You can say No…positively!”

– William Ury

Intrigued?  Good.

Beans Everywhere!

I’ve shared the Magic Beans blog series in an attempt to help community association volunteer leaders and the professionals who serve them to find ways to communicate effectively with community members and each other.  This book is loaded with magic beans.

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business life, Time Management, Uncategorized

Time Management Tip #2 – Spend or Invest?

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After you’ve lived enough life, you realize that money is not your most valuable currency.  Your most valuable currencies are time and love.  Use endgame thinking and the logic makes the case.  If you run out of money but have time, you can likely get more money.  But if you run out of time, you likely won’t care too much about the money.  And while money certainly has value, it can’t buy love.

When it comes to money, we can choose to spend it with no long term return or invest it and earn interest.  The same can be said of time.  One of the biggest mistakes we can make is confusing a time investment for a time expense.  Interestingly, the reasons for doing so are very similar to the reasons why many people fail to invest.  It’s not logic that gets us, it’s emotion.

Opportunity Cost

Here’s how it works in business.  You have a meeting with someone.  You agree on next steps.  Your schedule is tight.  You know you should take three minutes to send a confirmation email. But you’ve worked with this person before and you are feeling the rush of the day.  I don’t have time.  Unfortunately, things go awry.  A few details get lost, and the whole thing blows up.  Now you are stuck with an emergency and have to take 30 minutes or maybe three hours fixing things.  Why? All because you saw those three minutes as a time expense.  Not a good time management strategy.  You could have gotten back far more than those three minutes had you invested up front.

Planning is always a time investment.  A failure to invest that time up front will result in an expense on the back end.

Opportunities Everywhere

Reaping the benefits of compounded interest doesn’t require huge investments.  Many small ones will do the trick as well.  Besides confirming emails and proper preparation, examples of time investments can include:

  • Setting an email aside for a little while to review and edit after you’ve calmed down
  • Having someone else review your work for accuracy and effectiveness
  • Checking with someone before a project due date to see if they are on track
  • Asking one more question before forming an answer
  • Taking a moment to look someone in the eye and encouraging them
  • Taking a moment to express praise for a job well done
  • Taking a break to rest and reset

With the speed of life and business, it’s easy to miss opportunities.  In the moment, it’s easy to lose focus and allow your emotion to fool you into thinking you don’t have time.  But once you start to practice time investments, little by little you start to see the interest you’ve earned in time. 

Hard to Measure is Still Real

The interest on time investments may not be immediately detectable.  It may come in the form of increased efficiency.  You may realize that you are dealing with fewer emergencies and getting more done.  Sometimes earned interest pays back in something even harder to measure.  When you add value to time in the way you work with others, you are partnering with them for their success.  Your relationships deepen.  Trust and appreciation grow.  And sometimes as a byproduct, you get the bonus of time.  Others are more motivated to look out for you, to lend you a hand and to help you get things done.   You show them a little love and they are more likely to reciprocate.

Real Life

The best part of all this is that it applies not just to business but in all areas of life.  Investing time in important things always pays back one way or another, some time or another.  The key is to be clear on what is most important and scheduling actions that work towards those things.

It’s not easy.  Never forget that urgencies are rarely important, and the important things are rarely urgent.   In our immediate gratification culture and business atmosphere, everything seems urgent.  Priority and context have gotten lost.  Important things tend not to call your cell, email you, or text you.   But unless you prioritize the important things, making them urgent, unimportant urgencies will take over and consume your waking hours.  

Figure out what’s important.  Figure out what you love.  Invest your time.  Do the important things, do what you love, and preferably do it with those whom you love.  That is the trifecta of life.  When you invest your time wisely, you learn one of the core truths of this thing we call “time management.”  It is not time that we manage, it is the value we add to our time.

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Best Practices, Communications, community associations, Customer Service, Professionalism

Nobody Trusts Herb Tarlek – Advice for Professionals Serving Community Associations

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How We Got Here

If you were to read governing documents for community associations written in the days of old (OK…the 70s), you might well get the idea there was a vision that volunteer homeowners would gladly offer themselves up to lead and manage their communities. The assumption seemed to be that communities would be full of willing, qualified and able owners ready to handle all the business of running the not-for-profit organization. Little did anyone envision the legal and technical challenges that would become part of the effort, much less the time that would be required.

Nearly half a century later, reality has set in. Volunteer leaders need professionals to some extent if they are to serve and protect the interests of their members. Regulation, emerging and ever-changing law, technical expertise, and available time are all factors. Yet, it is well known in the business community that serving community associations can be tough. It is a specialty niche, and professionals working in the space understand that. They know that, as compared to working in other forms of real estate such as residential, rental and commercial, it takes more time to get things done, usually at a lower profit margin.

But community members don’t always recognize this. It’s money out of their pockets, so of course, they want to watch their costs. A DIY, price-only, bottom line mentality can significantly influence financial decisions. The true cost isn’t always recognized….until after the lawsuit…or the third time something has to be fixed….or community spirit goes south….or the special assessment hits…Suddenly the cost of quality professional service and advice doesn’t seem so high after all.

It is very easy to chalk this thought pattern up to the prototypical penny-pinching board. But the issue may be deeper. Boards of directors may fail to discern the difference between up-front price and long-term cost, between investment and expense. It may be a lack of vision and the inability to perceive value.

The Issue is TRUST

Typically, there are many missed opportunities to build trust and provide value to association members. Vision, communication, and leadership are the keys to the perception of value. And a key component of recognizing value is trust.

A challenge for professionals serving community associations is your clients might not fully trust you. Consciously or subconsciously, you might be Herb Tarlek to them.

Yes, Herb Tarlek, the occasionally abrasive, egotistical & self-absorbed salesman from the old sitcom WKRP in Cincinnati. He isn’t trusted, not only for his godawful sports jackets but because it is crystal clear he’s in it for himself. His approach is selfish and transactional. Sadly, attorneys and consultants are sometimes perceived in a similar way. Some clients feel your primary goal is creating opportunities for billable hours. The research you do in providing opinions can look like billable busywork to them. When management companies highlight the value of their services it might seem like manipulative self-promotion.

Some community association lawyers and management companies have a knack for building trust and proving value. As a consultant, I am viewed similarly, so I’ve been happy to apply the following concepts I’ve learned from these exceptional community association professionals.

  • Ask More Questions: Lawyers who listen build partnerships. Those who ask questions get buy-in. Socratic training has benefits that transcend depositions and courtrooms.
  • Simplify the Message: Ego will not permit many clients from admitting they do not understand what their lawyers are communicating. Many lawyers don’t help themselves by communicating strictly from their training and perspective, forgetting that communication is supposed to benefit the client. The old W.C. Fields quote works against you: “If you can’t dazzle them with brilliance, baffle them with [BS].” The more words you use, the more likely you’ll be perceived as the self-absorbed, egotistical Herb, trying to sell them a justification for the fees you are charging. Using plain English summaries, FAQ format and other tools can help to make the communication palatable and trustworthy.
  • Use Humor: A little levity at the right time can build rapport and show clients there is a human behind the suit. So long as it’s genuine and you actually HAVE a sense of humor.
  • Give a Little Away: There is great power in the zero invoice. Choosing a moment where you can give a client a break can make a significant impression. An $800 invoice detailing all the time and activity followed by an $800 courtesy discount shows value. It shows the client it’s not all about fees, and that the relationship is appreciated. I’ve also heard clients recount with appreciation conversations with attorneys noting, “He was nice enough to tell me he was turning the clock off during our conversation.”
  • Give a Little Away (Part 2): Some law firms and management companies offer board training as part of their agreement. As soon as one is perceived as a consultant providing value, they are less likely to be perceived as a self-promoting salesman.
THE TAKEAWAYS …

  • Value begets trust, trust creates value.
  • Think relational, not transactional.
  • If you focus on billable hours or self-promotion, you may have an average client for a while. If you focus on giving value, you are more likely to have a great client for a long time.
  • Think and communicate from the client’s perspective. Always.
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Attitude, Management, Professionalism

Tie Guy

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When I taught my first M-100 class for the Community Associations Institute, I had a little bio to share with the class. I wanted to let them know where I came from, and that at one point in my career, I was them. In many ways, I still am. I’m still a student too, nervous amongst people I don’t know and worried about saying something stupid in the classroom. And once upon a time, I too was anxious about passing a test so I could get reimbursed for my educational expense. I wanted to let them know I respected them and would do my best to give them the best value I could during our time together. I also wanted them to realize how impactful their jobs were, and how important it was to be a professional.

And then a funny thing happened. I said, “I’m a tie guy.” It just fell out of my mouth.

Respect

Community association management is an interesting field. It is typically less profitable than its older cousins, commercial and “residential” (i.e. apartment) management.  This is true for a few reasons, which I will no doubt rant about in a future blog. To do it well requires a skillset and level of emotional intelligence uncommon in the workplace. For these reasons, many commercial and residential managers want nothing to do with community association management.

Community association management has a different paradigm than other real estate management niches – community managers are managing their bosses.

Volunteer leaders are ultimately responsible for the success of their communities. And as successful as they may be, or may have been, in their respective fields of endeavor, only a tiny percentage have ever been in the shoes of their community manager. They frequently do not realize what it takes to be one.

Put it all together and it’s not surprising to find that many community association managers struggle to feel appreciated and respected.

Chickens and Eggs

In all these years of training and mentoring managers, I noticed a pattern. Many managers were missing the boat and accidentally creating self-fulfilling prophecies. They yearned for respect on their terms, but they weren’t always doing the things that would earn respect in their client’s eyes. Feeling underpaid and under-appreciated, they assumed a victim’s mentality. They often say, “I’ll do more when I get paid for it,” which is somewhat akin to staring at a gas stove and saying, “If you give me flame, I’ll give you some fuel.”

On the whole, the profession hasn’t always been synonymous with respect, even within the industry. I gave a presentation at CAI’s Law Conference a couple of years ago. I bumped into one of the lawyers from the Midwest who had been in the audience. He let me know he really enjoyed the presentation, but he was confused that I was from the management side of the business. His exact words? “…But you are articulate.” Ouch. We’ve got work to do.

Professionalism

Several years ago, when my concerns about professionalism in the industry began to rise, I served as Education Council Chair for the Washington Metro Chapter of CAI  I was thrilled that Joe Douglass of Whiteford, Taylor & Preston agreed to present on the topic for CAI. During that time, I was working for a management company that had a reputation for being “old school.” Unfortunately I was slammed and could not attend the session. The next day Joe took the time to call me.

“Thanks for calling, Joe. How did the session go?”

“It went really well. But I wanted to reach out to tell you about something I said before you heard it from anyone else.”

“Umm…OK….”

“Well, I got up there and looked around, but I didn’t see you or anybody else from Zalco there…”

“Joe…what did you say??”

“My intro was ‘What does it mean to be a professional? Do you have to wear a suit and tie every day like a Zalco guy?’ The room broke out in laughter. Then I said, ‘No, but it doesn’t hurt!’”

He was worried it would seem like he was making fun, but I loved it. I thought it was great that our reputation was so well established with the local business community. Talk about branding!

So Why the Tie?

Does a tie make me smarter? Nope. Does it make my work better? Not directly. But it sends a message. It reminds me about my mission and it lets the world know I’m serious about it. Don’t get me wrong, I know several professional community association managers who represent themselves, their organizations, and their industry in an exemplary way who rarely if ever, wear ties. Plus, CAMS in Texas and Florida might even faint from heat exhaustion if they had to wear one every day!

Still, here in the Mideast, a tie says something. I want to equip as many managers as possible to be worthy of the respect they seek. I want managers to get paid what they are worth. I want the profession to be respected and appreciated. Like it or not, appearances can either add or detract. A tie dresses up a man physically. It can likewise accentuate his professionalism. If it’s backed up by actions, it says:

  • I am serious about what I do
  • I respect you
  • When I represent you, I want to do so favorably
  • I respect the value of the work I do for you
  • I am a professional

Necessary? No. But it doesn’t hurt.

The M-100

So there I was, beginning of the class. I gave my spiel about our profession and the tie, and why I would be wearing one throughout the class. I explained that I am more comfortable wearing ties pretty much every time I do educational presentations out of respect for the participants and their time. Most of the class was dressed in business casual, which was entirely appropriate. I thought nothing further of it.

Then Friday morning, Marvin shows up with a nice red tie. I was so tickled that I couldn’t even give him a hard time about the unbuttoned collar.

Marvin was on the staff of a high rise condominium. He was an excellent student, bright-eyed and clearly serious about his career. I could tell he understood the impact a professional manager could make on a community, and he was into it.

A few months later, I was not at all surprised to learn that Marvin had been hired as the general manager at another condominium association. I am certain he will do well.

Did he need the tie? No. But it didn’t hurt.

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change management, community associations, condo associations, Cooperatives, Culture, HOAs, leadership

Just Don’t

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Silly Human Tricks

We work/live/hang around with certain people for a while. We have experiences with them. We get to know them. We disagree on a few things. We begin to get annoyed with them. We draw conclusions about their motives. We remember the disagreements.

Here’s where it gets weird.

We strategize to get the results we want, with assumptions about evil intent and ugly history close in our mind and heart. We overstate. We accuse. We blame. They are doing the same thing with us. The disagreements deepen. On the surface, conflicts appear to be about the matter at hand. But just under the water line, the real conflict lurks. We are simultaneously talking about the issues of the day and the distrust of the past. These bi-level communications can last forever. Things bog down. Nothing gets done. History repeats again and again in the vortex of a vicious failure cycle. Dysfunction reigns supreme.

Sound familiar? Congress, anyone?

The pattern can set in with any organization where we silly humans are involved. The more emotionally or physically close the people and the longer the relationship, the more entrenched the pattern. I’ve seen it happen in social circles, in businesses, in families, and yes… in community associations.

Learning How to Break the Cycle

Breaking the failure cycle is not easy, but it’s achievable in most circumstances. It took me a while to appreciate the uniqueness of my career in the community associations field. Since my first on-site management contract, my main, though unstated, role had been to fix broken things and build trust. In the ensuing years, I was thrust into similarly challenging situations. I’m not complaining. The experience turned out to be the best education I could have gotten. It led to me doing most of the consulting for a management company and the formation of Association Bridge.

Here’s what I learned…

Don’t Let the 5 Percenters Rule the Roost

One of our silly human tricks is to focus on the negative. 95% of things might be working well, but we only focus on the 5% of that which makes us unhappy or divides us. Community association leaders and managers will always spend a significant amount of time fixing problems. It’s a big part of their jobs. But that can create a challenge. A constant focus on the 5% makes it hard to see the other 95.

I learned a secret. There is a reason people decide to move into a particular community. There are shared goals, values, and aspirations there. I’ve never worked with a community where its members didn’t have more in common than that which divided them. They just couldn’t see it at first. They were so into the weeds that they could not see the forest. The weeds are where the 5 percenters live and flourish. And yes, that includes those with wildly diverse demographics.

The problems are real. Different opinions are real. But the bigger picture is just as real. Getting out of the weeds of distrust and dysfunction requires elevation.

Get to Higher Ground

There are a few strategies that can help to elevate the discourse and begin to turn failure cycles into success cycles. Here are three of my favorites:

  • Use Affirmative Inquiry:  Identify that which members have in common. Establish shared values and goals. Then apply those to the 5 Percenters. Seeing the bigger picture helps to set a context and changes the game.  
  • Let Data Drive the Discussion: Much conflict comes from what I call “Theoryworld.” Absent reliable data, people will always rely on what they know – their opinions. Do the homework, communicate the data vigorously, and let that drive the discussion.   
  • Fresh Blood: Sometimes new leaders with a fresh perspective can help groups come together. In other cases, a “disinterested third party,” a facilitator with no dog in the fight, can help bridge the gaps.

Trust is almost always the key. Stephen M.R. Covey made an astute observation in his excellent book The Speed of Trust. When trust is present, things happen quickly and cost-effectively. When trust is absent, things take longer and cost more. Who doesn’t want cheap and easy? Getting to higher ground begins the process of melting distrust and creating a culture of trust.

Yeah, Sounds Great, But….

Does this stuff actually work? Here are some real-life examples of “Breaking the Cycle”:

Case Study #1

One association had an incendiary newsletter that torched the board over every decision. They undermined confidence and deepened divisions in the community. After about a month, I realized that its editor was a board member’s wife.

I expanded my “Board Orientation/Tune Up” program into a two-part community leadership program. The community had several committees, including the newsletter committee, which were contributing to the dysfunction to one degree or another. The first session was for all committee members and board members. This was followed a week later by a board-only session. There was a clear communication of both the letter and spirit of the law and governing documents. Both sessions included a section about best practices in leadership. We applied universally accepted principles to the community association paradigm. This created a space where the group could follow up with a productive planning session. They were able to agree on goals for the year and a program to reach them. Two years of progress ensued.

Case Study #2

Another condominium we took over had severely underfunded reserves and an unrealistic budget. They had also been the victim of theft from their prior attorney, who had pocketed the fees provided by members in collections. The stories were heartbreaking. Community members were equally upset about the condition of the property and the prospect of higher condominium fees. I facilitated a town hall meeting to share the difficult news. The Board, worried about a violent reaction, made sure to hire an off-duty police officer to keep me and them from being attacked.

By the end of the presentation with the data clearly shared, we had unit owners offering to organize to perform some repairs and property clean-up as volunteers. Once members saw clearly the reality of their situation, working together to find solutions became the obvious alternative to blame and complaint. Despite the increase in fees and many challenges, there was a palpable improvement in community spirit at the next annual meeting.

Case Study #3

At an annual meeting 16 days into a new management contract, I had a unit owner point her finger at me and tell me she was going to hold me accountable for everything the board did. In the ensuing months, she took full advantage of owner comment periods at board meetings to remind everyone of every bad decision that had been made over the last 30 years and to call into question board members’ intelligence. I got to know her and at one point suggested she consider running for the board to be a part of the solution. She declined. I still remember the look on her face when I told her that at some point the community would need to learn how to agree to disagree in an agreeable fashion. You would have thought I had two heads. After a pregnant pause, she whirled away and exclaimed disgustedly, “That’s the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard!”

After a full analysis of the operation and a particularly vigorous and expanded budget process, the community understood the needs of the building and where their money was going. At the next annual meeting, my finger-pointing friend rose to deliver her usual diatribe, only to be encouraged to cease and desist by her fellow unit owners. Deferred maintenance projects were eventually initiated. The turnaround put this previously notorious community in a position to win a Community Association of the Year award.

The Bottom Line

We spend too much time and energy allowing our opinions get in the way of getting things done. We are missing opportunities that are right in front of us. Imputing the motives of others has no value. Even if you are right, it doesn’t help.

Stop. Just don’t. Find facts and stick with them. Get to higher ground. Focus on strengths. Find the shared values, goals and aspirations. Let that create context and culture. Put people in a position to be their best. And then…watch success happen.

The iconic Sgt. Joe Friday had the right idea…

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business life, Time Management

Time Management Tip #1 – Do You Think It OR Do You Feel It?

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The next time you hear yourself saying “I don’t have time!” pay close attention. We all have the same 24 hours each day. You have the time. It would be more accurate to say that you are choosing to use your time to do something else.

Granted, that choice may have been made for you. It might be a deadline. Perhaps an emergency has raised its ugly head and thrown your best-laid plans into the circular file. In other cases, it’s the juggling of day to day activities. For certain, you’ll never be able to do everything you could do. Your success (and your sanity) will lie in the ability to do everything you must do, and then doing what you should do. Your challenge isn’t unmanageable time. It’s managing your priorities and somehow aligning your actions to meet them.

Stop, Drop and Roll

When the day catches fire, you have to stop and put it out. Failure to do so will only feed the flames and you’ll be toast soon enough. You may say you don’t have time to grab the extinguisher, but that might not be your brain talking. You cannot ignore the emotional side of decision-making and time management. A wise man said many centuries ago, “The heart is more treacherous than anything else and is desperate, who can know it?” Going with your gut has its place. But in times of stress, it’s a good idea to make sure the old noggin is fully engaged. How can you do it?

  • Start the day in a quiet place, where you can think clearly and make good decisions. Create a prioritized task list (NOT a “to do” list).   You’ll have a clue as to what’s most important and have a legitimate shot at getting at least some of it done. It creates context and a basis for decisions during the day.
  • Plan breaks. Jim Fannin recommends quarters, like a football game. Plan time to disengage mentally and emotionally, even if only for a few moments. Then analyze how things are going. You plan might have imploded by 10AM. Adjust as needed. Take a deep breath and dive in.
  • If you need to make a few calls or send some emails to reschedule and manage expectations, do it. Fight the urge for procrastination or conflict avoidance. You might make someone upset, but how much angrier would they be if you don’t deliver and say nothing? It might work out better than you imagine!

Counterintuitive or Fearful?

It might seem counterintuitive to take a break when you already have too much to do. But you will find your focus and productivity will go way up. Daniel Pink’s latest book When – The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing   and Jim Fannin’s 90-Second Rule  are full of great techniques and exercises that can help.

To a large degree, you are managing your energy and attention, not your time. Those breaks become time investments.  When you get your focus and productivity boost, you will find that you will get back far more time than you spent. 

People under stress tend to make bad decisions. It’s not that they aren’t smart enough. Fear and anxiety goof up the decision making process. Don’t let your heart scare you into thinking you don’t have time. Deal with the emotional side first and then let your brain do its thing. Your heart will thank you later!

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Best Practices, community associations, Governance, leadership, Meeting Tips

Meeting Tips #5 – Little Things Set a Tone & Help You Get Stuff Done (Part Deux)

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“Excellence is doing ordinary things extraordinarily well.” – John W. Gardner

Nip It in the Bud

One negative person can dominate the tone of a whole room. A proactive approach can be an effective strategy to keep things positive and productive. Arrive early. Before the meeting starts, read body language and other non-verbal cues. Look for members who may have expressed negativity in the past, or those you know have a complaint they want to bring up. It might feel natural to duck and cover, waiting for the meeting to start. To defeat fear of conflict, try approaching the person with a friendly greeting. You might be amazed. Short, personal, respectful and positive interchanges can be a game changer. The person might just tell you what’s on their mind and you will be able to have a productive interchange even before the meeting starts. Taking the initiative in showing respect and civility makes it easier for people, even the unhappy ones, to be at their best and respond in kind. It won’t always work. But if you don’t try it, it definitely won’t work.

Bob’s Got a Point

Some people chafe at the thought of using Robert’s Rules. It might seem overly formal. Some chairpersons seem to use it as a sledgehammer to control people, further giving Ol’ Bob a bad name.

While it makes no sense to employ every detail and nuance included in Robert’s to a small group, there is one process that can make a world of difference. When a board sticks with the basic discipline of making motions, it can save a ton of time and make sure the discussion stays civil and on point. It also emphasizes two key principles that are essential for group decision-making. The will of the majority is done and the minority is heard and has the opportunity to impact the final decision. Too many boards talk their way into a motion and try to get everybody on the same page. I remember one board president, who was a professional grant writer and part-time poet, who wordsmithed every motion on the spot. Approving minutes with an edit could take 20 minutes! Here’s the process that negates talking your way into a motion and the endless and inefficient chatter that goes with it:

  1. Make a specific motion. A board member would like to approve an action.
  2. Second the motion. Another board member agrees the thing is worth considering. If there is no second, there is nothing to talk about. The motion dies. That’s it. Stop talking.
  3. Chair calls for discussion. Only now is discussion initiated, and it is focused on the merits of the motion. Questions are asked and answered. MAYBE a better idea comes up – and if so, the original motion can be amended. If it’s clear the motion seems fatally flawed, it can be withdrawn and replaced by a completely new motion – or not.
  4. Call the question. Once it becomes clear to the chair or other board members that the points have been made, it’s time to vote. If someone objects to calling the question, they should have a brand new point to make.
  5. Vote. A 5-0 vote has the same effect of a 3-2 vote. If board members are respectful and gracious…i.e. good fiduciaries and leaders… the minority will support the decision and set a tone for the community.
  6. Next!

If your meetings are chaotic and directions unclear, give it a try. You might be surprised.

And Finally…

I’ve had a mentor for over 30 years. One of the reasons I’ve stuck with him all these years is “Best Idea Wins” has always been his motto. He stays faithful to the principle, no matter how challenging the people and circumstances have been.

Think about it… a good idea is a good idea. It doesn’t matter who comes up with it. It doesn’t matter how well or poorly the idea might be communicated. Ideas have no ego. Ideas lead to solutions. Committing to Best Idea Wins demonstrates principled leadership, especially when things get complicated and contentious. It creates a space where people can resolve conflicts and be at their best. Try it. You will inspire the same respect that I have for my mentor.

To all the board members and professionals who serve them, I offer this encouragement. Please never forget that when you choose to carry out your responsibilities in an excellent way, you absolutely make a difference in the quality of life of everyone in the communities you serve, sometimes in large ways, sometimes in small ways, whether or not members realize it or not, and whether or not they ever say “thank you.” The only person who can take that truth away from you is you. Please don’t let that happen

So there you have it. Thirty years of meetings boiled down to twenty-six tips over five blogs. Have you found any that work for you that we missed? Let us know!

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Useful stuff for community association leaders and the professionals who serve them