The “Dream Team” label is often used to describe a perfect combination of highly-skilled people drawn together for a particular purpose. The 1992 U.S. mens' Olympic basketball team is probably the most famous example, but 'dream teams' have included everything from legal defense attorneys to diplomatic missions.

Teamwork

Like Pippin, Jordan, & Co., boards and their management professionals also work as a unit, collaborating to carry out the administrative duties and make the decisions that keep their communities humming along from day to day. If this partnership works well, the synergy between a management pro and volunteer board also has the makings of a dream team, keeping the condo or HOA community solvent, cohesive, and valuable. Legendary basketball coach John Wooden was known for getting the best out of his players, even when he was criticizing one of them. “A coach is someone who can give correction without causing resentment,” the Wizard of Westwood once said.

Management contracts typically spell out the manager’s role in the process in general terms, but there’s often more to a truly effective board/management partnership than what’s just on paper. There are various ways boards can more actively partner with their manager to improve not only their building/HOA’s bottom line, but community cohesiveness and quality of life as well. Managing a residential community requires similar leadership and diplomacy. “If you have a happy board and happy manager, you have a happy community,” says Anthony Marotta, the president of Allied Property Management Group, Inc., in West Palm Beach. “Everything will be running more efficiently and productively, and the community will look nicer overall.”

When that behind-the-scenes magic isn't there however, the residents feel the tension, the building or association suffers, and the community deteriorates. In other words, they lose.

Think back to the 1970s New York Yankees—another good example of a seemingly unbeatable team. That glory-days lineup consisted of such greats as Bobby Murcer, Lou Piniella, Bucky Dent, Reggie Jackson, Thurman Munson and Hall of Fame manager Billy Martin. However, in that Bronx Zoo clubhouse—on and off the field—players bickered openly and the on-air clash between Jackson and Martin was about as memorable as their victories during that era.

“The relationships between board and management is not always a smooth one either,” says Marotta. “Most of the time it is, but it all depends on people’s goals and objectives and their personalities.”

Know Your Role

Dream teams don't just spring into existence out of nowhere, obviously. They have to be assembled, cultivated, and trained to do what they do so well. The '92 Olympic basketballers knew who was blocking who. They knew who could shoot from the outside and who was stronger under the net. Before your own team can be successful, every player needs to know what their roles and responsibilities are. Much has been written about the role of the managing agent and the role of a board member, but it is easy to blur those lines. Before your own team can be successful, every player needs to know what their roles and responsibilities are. Only by having clear, concise written policy and procedures can the board expect the management company to effectively enforce their rules and regulations.

“The property manager in our community takes care of the financials, and when there is a written complaint from an owner he addresses it immediately,” says Patricia Sadler, a former condominium board president based in Clearwater. “He attends all of our board meetings and when a major project, like a new roof, is underway he is on-site. Usually the board treasurer reviews the financials and monitors the vendors’ work alongside the property manager.”

Sam Beida, CPM and owner of Integrated Property Management Group LLC in Boca Raton, says that being on the board can be a thankless job. “It’s also a collaborative effort between the board, manager and the residents,” he says. “Nobody can do it alone.” He says that the positive relationship with his dream team starts with the manager. “The management is who the residents see almost every day,” he says. “They should be open-minded, friendly, courteous and respectful. Managers should make the residents feel secure and answer all of their questions.”

To do this, Beida provides the residents with his cell phone number. “Once you have that accountability factor, it’s successful,” he says. “You do a better job, and there’s a high level of confidence between the board and manager. Communication is also key to staying in touch with residents. Social events are a great networking opportunity; we have barbecues, and the residents get to make friends with their manager.”

No 'I' in Team

In order for any board/manager relationship to be successful, everyone must function as a team. “Not so much that they are making decisions but rather that both of them are working together,” says Marc Rodriguez, director of management services at Associa in Miramar. Imagine if the 2013 Super Bowl champs, the Seattle Seahawks, had called no huddles during the game. It would've been a fiasco, with players scrambling, running into each other, or just standing still with no idea what to do next.

Same goes for running a condo. The manager and the board of directors are a team, working together to operate the building in the most efficient, painless way possible. Like any team, the players must rely on one another and know what the other needs in order to work effectively. When this happens, managers, boards and residents reap the rewards of a successful partnership. Rodriguez says that on his driving dream team, he considers himself the tires on the car and the board steers. “We’re more in the background,” says Rodriguez. “We make the wheels turn and the association steers the car.”

Management professionals are in near-universal agreement that when it comes to cultivating an active, productive synergy between board and management, communication is crucial. Most advocate keeping in touch via email, and some make it a point to send weekly email reports to client boards. Not only does communication help both parties do their job, it improves the relationship between boards and their residents.

Sadler agrees. “I feel if the manager receives a complaint or request for repairs, he should inform the board immediately so that they can follow up,” she says. “I have heard from owners who have been made to wait up to three years to have a repair completed. This happened because the management company didn’t inform the board. That lack of communication can cause a lot of trouble.”

Every winning team practices until they get it right. They know their drills, and there’s no such thing as the unexpected it because they plan for everything that can go wrong and evaluate every possible scenario.

You’re Out!

“When a relationship is going downhill, communicate it to the executives at that management company,” says one professional manager. “Tell them you know you have a problem you can’t fix. Usually it helps to resolve the problem. We also like to have the manager and supervisors do an action plan about what we are going to do in a week, month, and two months.”

“There should also be reasonable and realistic time expectations of projects,” says Marotta. “If a portfolio manager has multiple communities, it’s not always feasible to have a dedicated on-site manager, so projects need to be prioritized. It’s helpful for a board to solicit ideas or thoughts from the manager and ask for their opinion on things and, every so often, it’s helpful for the board to walk the property with the manager.”

In the end, Beida says that one of the best ways for a board and management to have a successful relationship is to let each other do their job. “Keep in mind that condo associations are all different, and need to be treated individually,” he says. “If however, the relationship really isn’t working, make a change and make it quickly. Change the management. The quicker you do it the better the association will be.”

Granted, it’s not the Olympics we’re talking about, and you’re not going for a gold medal or a world championship in community administration but creating your own property management dream team can lead to a whole new level of success. Just remember that Coach Wooden said: “Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do.”     

At the end of the day board members and managers should look at themselves as a team, working for the advancement of the building. And they should also have a clear understanding of their roles and a resolution for conflicts when, and if they should arise.                         

Lisa Iannucci is a freelance writer and a frequent contributor to the South Florida Cooperator.