Changes in Personnel – It Happens!

We all know how disruptive it can be to client services when there is a change in Manager’s. Whether a Manager resigns, is transferred or worse yet, terminated, there will be a period of transition for the affected clients. As professionals, we must do our best to make sure that the transition is as seamless as possible to our valued clients.

How do you begin to train a Manager that is new to a client? While training never really seems to end, here are ten things vital to successful training:

1) Property Knowledge
What is the type of ownership of the community (i.e., condo vs. townhome), how many homes are in the community and what are its physical qualities?

2) Financial Information
What is the current fee level and how often is it assessed? What is the Association’s fiscal year? When was the last time the reserve study was updated and how does the Association stand financially?

3) Board Members
What are the Board members names and titles? How long have they been on the Board and when do their terms expire? It is also important that you give the Manager a little insight into the personalities of the Board members. It will be very comforting for a new Manager to know that Mr. Smith always twitches that way and it is not just because of his or her presence.

4) Maintenance Responsibility Chart
It is very important that the new Manager gain a working knowledge of the maintenance responsibilities of that Association. It can be difficult to explain why a work order was issued for a roof leak when the Association does not maintain roofs.

5) Meet with Major Service Providers
Do take the time to have the Manager meet with the Association’s contractors. Remember, it is the work of these contractors that help make us look good (or even bad) so encourage that Manager to build a trustworthy, respectful working relationship with the contractors.

6) Learn the Resolutions/Rules for Property
Much like the maintenance responsibility chart, it is vital that the Manager familiarizes him or herself with the Association’s rules and regulations.

7) Meeting Protocol
While Managing Associations is what we do, we all know that no two Associations are run alike. The new Manager should be given some insight into how the meetings are run. Does the Board President run the meeting or does he or she prefer that Management leads the agenda? Are the minutes taken by the Secretary or is there a Recording Secretary paid? Is a timed agenda used or are they vehemently opposed to using them? No information is too much to prepare the Manager for that first meeting.

8) Conduct Complete Property Inspection
Prior to the new Manager’s first Board meeting, a comprehensive inspection of the property should be conducted. The Board will be very impressed if the Manager is able to express a knowledge of the property, or better yet, can bring something to the Board’s attention first.

9) Insurance Requirements
What type of insurance policies does the Association maintain? What is the insurance responsibility of the homeowner? Is the insurance schedule updated? Insurance is not something that can slip through the cracks.

10) Update and Maintain the Emergency Contact List
The emergency contact lists need to be updated immediately upon the departure of the prior Manager. As its name indicates, the information on the list needs to be reliable in the case of a true emergency.

While this list is by no means all-inclusive, knowledge of these ten things will place the Manager on the right path for a successful Manager transition.

Meg Kitchin, PCAM®, AMS®, CMCA®
Regional Director
Mid-Atlantic Management Corporation
Plymouth Meeting, PA