Why Do I Need to Write That?

At a recent homeowners association meeting, I sat listening to a number of attendees who asked the same questions a number of different ways. Perhaps they were hoping for a different answer each time the President replied. It seemed to me that many of the issues were simple to answer or explain. It became obvious as the event went on that the people were just not being kept as informed about issues as they could be or that when information was shared, they forgot or didn’t write down the details to help them remember all of the facts.

With the internet, email and electronic devices of today, it seems like dissemination of information should be a breeze. Right? Well, only if the people that are to get the information are on the internet and have an email address. If not, the US postal service is still the way to go. Another alternative is the personal delivery by the Resident Manager, a committee, or members of the Board. If you are the Resident Manager, the Committee member, or the Board member, you are probably thinking that’s not too effective, is it?

Many associations have a large membership, and monthly newsletters are not financially feasible. So often, these association’s will send out a quarterly or semi-annual newsletter. If so, there are many months that pass before information is put out to the membership. The fastest way to distribute information may be by notice, but not everyone lives at the property to see the notice. I have heard also that many people don’t read the information sent to them. This fact discourages the board from spending the money to print and mail newsletters on a monthly basis. I know the amount of mail I receive at home is immense. One more solicitation or unrequested letter may be placed in the “hold” pile and sit until time permits its reading.

How then do we get the information out in a timely manner? The email and website seems to be the way to go. Our company has offered free websites for all of our clients. Our goal is to have each association website up and running and if there is no one to take the lead at the association to maintain the site, we use a standard format and can do the maintenance for a small fee each month. Minutes can be viewed, newsletters posted and notices shared and updated regularly. The problem will be to obtain email addresses for the residents so that if there is something of importance, we can send the information direct to the resident’s email address. Now days, many folks will give that email address so that they can be kept informed.

Not everyone will log onto the website and not everyone will read the email, but it is a start. Who knows what technological advancements the future holds? For now, the importance of communicating cannot be emphasized enough. So let’s do what we can to get out the information, keep the residents informed, and keep the lines of communication open. Keep writing it down for all to read!

Doug Mattos, CMCA®, AMS®, PCAM®
Senior Vice President, Business Development
Certified Management, Inc.
Honolulu, HI