The past month has been very busy with communication webinars, several of which I had the honour to take part in, and while I always provide condo boards and managers with info about knowing their audience and stating their goals, all the flurry of activity got me walking things back even further, thinking about the condo communication picture from a much broader perspective and asking myself:

“That word “communication”, what does it really mean?”

In Condoland (or Strata-sphere for those who identify), communication means different things to different people. For condo residents, I’d say it’s an Awareness, a connection, some level of understanding and knowledge. A sense of being tuned in to what’s going on, not just day-to-day stuff like window washing, but “out there” stuff, like records requests, reserve funds, roles and responsibilities.

For property managers and board directors, communication is not awareness so much as it is a Responsibility.

The onus/responsibility is on boards and managers to get residents to that state of Awareness (yup, I’ve capitalized it; now it’s a THING), using whatever tools they have at their disposal be it email, cork bulletin boards, or digital elevator screens (VERY effective if they aren’t cluttered with ads but that’s a story for another day :o)

But here’s the thing: while boards and management are often viewed as a “team”, when it comes to communication they’ve actually quite often got an entirely different set of goals.

Think of them like an NFL football team. Sure, a condo board and a property manager are on the same team, but they’re playing different positions.

Think of the board as the offensive line. Their job is to push forward, protect the bigger vision, and open lanes so the community can thrive.

The manager is the defensive line. Their job is to protect against breakdowns, stop problems before they take too much time off the workday clock, and keep the game under control.

To break it down even more, the board’s communication goals are often money-driven. Spend less on… well, everything. Keep reserve funds up, maintenance fees stable, property value high. Note that I use the term “money-driven” because it’s easy to say and remember. I could also say “security-driven” as in both financial security and people safety/security, both of which are paramount to this set of stakeholders but you get my drift.

On the other hand, the property manager’s communication goals are often time-driven. There are only so many hours in a day and managers can’t be there all the time; not to mention that they shouldn’t have to be… they deserve to go home and have a life like everyone else. Less responding to repetitive question, less fires to put out, less dealing with records requests, maintenance issues, etc., this all saves time, preventing burnout and helping achieve some work/life balance.

But for the board/management communication team to achieve both sets of goals and for residents to reach that wonderful state of Awareness, they need a healthy dose of communication that addresses both goals: money goals and time goals.

So what’s the communication game plan? Something like this:

Board of directors’ “money/security” driven goals:

• “Let’s reduce our water bill by 10%” WHY – so we don’t have to raise fees so much.
• “We jammed the chute 26 times last year! That cost us thousands; let’s get it down to 12, or once a month!” WHY? So we can use the savings to fund a community BBQ.
• “Tailgaters got into the building, stole bicycles and made everyone very nervous – let’s fix that!” WHY? We all need to feel safe at home.

Property managers’ “time-driven” goals:

• Let’s reach quorum weeks before the AGM! WHY: I don’t want to be running after people for their proxies; it’s less stressful to know attendance in advance.
• Another resident parked in visitors and someone else is complaining about noise. I need them to follow the rules so I’m not repeating myself all the time. WHY? So I can clearly focus on the lobby refurbishment project instead.
• I have to deal with another records request; let’s reduce the amount of these that I get! WHY? I catch up with this after hours; and there’s somewhere I’d rather be!

In the end, communication is the secret sauce that ties money goals to time goals and gets everyone to that big-A Awareness.

Boards push forward, managers hold the line, and the result?

Dollars saved, hours back, and residents who know what the heck is going on. Fewer headaches, stronger reserves, and a condo-munity that feels connected instead of cranky!

How’s that for a winning team effort!?

One less legal letter? $900 One prevented chute jam? $600 One avoided false fire alarm? $1,500 An entire community, working together to cut costs and build community? PRICELESS.

If you’re looking to improve condo communication or want to explore how Digi-Notice can support your community, here are a few ways to get started:

• Download our free Communication Scorecard – See how your building’s current approach stacks up.
• Book a Call with Us – Let’s chat about your communication strategy!
• Learn about our “Done for You” service – We handle the content creation and scheduling.