Clear communication is key to a healthy strata community
No doubt we have all heard of the terrible shooting incident involving a strata manager at an owners corporation meeting in Sydney in April.
Though relationships can become strained between members of a body corporate community, thankfully inexcusable incidents like this are incredibly rare and completely unexpected. One must wonder how far communication and relationships had deteriorated for this to occur!
A body corporate is a community. Communities are based on relationships. And functioning, healthy relationships are based on clear and consistent communication.
There are many important relationships within the body corporate community; between those charged with management (RUM, community manager and committee); between management and owners; and between owners and owners. All of these relationships need to work to achieve a healthy and harmonious body corporate community.
The managing trinity – Take the relationship between the RUM, committee and community manager – these parties should work together to achieve the community’s goals. A committee or RUM may feel the body corporate manager is not doing what has been requested if they do not hear back from them promptly. The body corporate manager may feel limited in what they can do if instructions from the committee aren’t properly conveyed. Both situations can lead to frustration and stalling. To be able to realise the goals of the community, there needs to be clear and efficient communication.
The UNSW study, Governing the Compact City, found “the most common reason for both satisfaction and dissatisfaction of owners with their strata managing agent was responsiveness to enquiries and communication”. This statement holds true not only in relation to community managers and committees, but to any community and relationship. How frustrating is it to send emails or leave messages that go unanswered and unanswered phone calls? The seed for an unhealthy relationship could be planted from something as simple as an unanswered email or phone message.
Another common cause of frustration and confusion is unclear definitions of responsibilities. Many owners are unaware of what roles the committee, RUM and community manager play in their community. Indeed, sometimes there may even be confusion on responsibilities within this group. Clearly communicated definitions of roles and responsibilities are important to make sure that the community’s needs are attended to by the right people.
A good working relationship between the committee, the RUM and the community manager is crucial to the daily running of a strata scheme. Don’t let the relationship fail from lack of communication and properly defined areas of responsibility.
The community – Communication is equally as important within the body corporate itself. The RUM and committee, as leading figures, need to effectively communicate with the rest of the owners and tenants what they are doing with body corporate funds, what is happening with common property maintenance, and how they are dealing with any disputes which may arise. Being proactive and forthcoming with information is a great way to ensure communication is ongoing and relationships are maintained.
Maintaining relationships between residents is incredibly important in maintaining a pleasant place to live. Unfortunately effective communication is sometimes only emphasised as a response to raised tempers. The common disputes in strata schemes between residents are noise, parking, pets and smoking. Apart from the unfortunate situations where residents refuse to comply with clearly identified by-laws, most problems can be simplified to a lack of communication.
Imagine how much trouble could be spared by, instead of waiting until a new resident unwittingly parks in the visitor’s spot and everyone gets riled up, the committee and RUM instead welcomed the new resident with a small pack explaining the by-laws, including parking expectations.
By creating and keeping open lines of communication between all residents, disputes can be prevented, rather than addressed.
So, what can we do to maintain a healthy relationship?
Committee members
• Be clear and concise – If you ask something of your RUM or community manager, be clear about your needs and expectations. Structure your request with what, how and when.
• Be reasonable – Your RUM and community manager perform daily tasks to improve your community, even though you may not be in contact with them every day. You should be able to trust that your RUM and community manager are always working in your best interest.
• Be informative – Keep lot owners updated on what is happening in your community, let them know what you are working on and the challenges you face.
Community managers
• Respond to inquiries – Even if you don’t have the answer to the inquiry simply reply that you have received it and are looking into the matter, and follow it up in an appropriate timeframe.
• Take responsibility – You are the expert so you should be proactive and identify possible problems in the community before they escalate in the future.
• Stay in touch with your committee – No news is not always good news – the committee may be experiencing challenges, but unsure how to progress. The community manager has expert knowledge in legislation, processes and procedures, and will be able to guide a community through challenges. A healthy relationship will also require regular site visits.
Resident unit manager
• Be informative – It sounds obvious, but for owners and committee members to appreciate your work, they need to know what you are doing. Share your challenges and success stories. A simple way to do this could be through newsletters or from a community Facebook page. Take photos of any improvements you make, for owners to realize the value you bring.
• Know your community – Something as simple as regular walks through the complex and physical inspections will not only make you aware of any matters that need attention, it will also make you visible and approachable to the owners. If possible, do an informal quarterly walk through with the committee.
• Be proactive – In a large community you may find yourself answering the same questions over and over. Save some time and frustration by creating a list of FAQs to include at the end of every newsletter. Create a welcome pack for new residents in your scheme. This could include information introducing the committee and RUM, information about where to park, locations of child-friendly areas, a list of amenities and information about rubbish disposal.
Owners and residents
• Stay informed – It is in your best interest to stay updated on what goes on in your community. Always read the meeting minutes, check the notice board, if your community has a Facebook page you should join it.
• Be understanding – It is of course fair to let your committee know if you disagree with decisions made, but understand and appreciate that the committee members volunteer their time to improve your community.
Common ground – It is in everyone’s best interest that the community environment is a healthy environment, whether our involvement with it is as a job, home, investment or for some – all of the above.
Whether you are talking to a committee member, RUM, community manager or your next door neighbour it is important to act respectfully, even when you hold opposing views. After all, it is likely that you will have dealings with the same person for years to come. If you find yourself in a heated discussion, take a minute to appreciate the fact that we all share the common goal of making the community positive, healthy and liveable. Once it is accepted that everyone is working for the benefit of the community it is often easier to find your common ground and reach the finish line as a group.
And remember making a positive difference in the lives of all community participants comes from good communication
