How do we Make Meetings More Focused and Productive? We must understand that the meeting doesn’t just occur during the actual meeting time slot – it’s an entire process called the Meeting Cycle, and each part requires attention and participation.
Feature || Courtney Cartmill, RCM
Essential skills for effective communication require email etiquette, understanding client preferences and adapting out of our comfort zone to accommodate communication requirements for our clients.
Whether the issue is resident safety, unsightly garbage, common element deficiencies, or a chargeback, managers are regularly caught in heated conversations with irate owners and residents. Although de-escalating conflict is a hallmark of a great property manager, some property managers can struggle to communicate disagreements or differences without heightening tension.
The classic comparison of a silk glove vs. an iron gauntlet regarding communication techniques is paramount in condominium management communication. Most people are generous and patient. However, out of the hundreds of owners and tenants that property managers deal with, there may be a few who will use every potential matter to criticize.
To ensure your communications are managed in a timely manner, you must be efficient and organized. Yet, many fail to utilize the available tools to help us manage our daily responsibilities and communications. Let’s review some best practices for organizing, planning, prioritizing and efficiently managing your daily duties so you can communicate effectively.
This article will offer strategies to avoid hot water by staying cool and address why soft skills are becoming increasingly crucial in Condoland.
Effective communication is a critical component of every condominium’s success. It is essential to keep the community informed and engaged. It helps managers and boards make more impactful decisions, making the community run more efficiently.
Feature || Linda Murphy-Kreimes
New research from Forbes Inc. suggests that more than half (56%) of business owners surveyed in 2021 said the most popular way for their customers to contact them was by telephone, with call volumes increasing by 16% since 2019. Notwithstanding advancements in digital customer service communication, this suggests that people want the reassurance of a human voice at the other end of the line.
On June 2, 2022, the so-called “Right to Disconnect” law came into effect in Ontario. It was introduced as part of the Working for Workers Act, 2021, omnibus legislation focused on improving working conditions for workers. The “right to disconnect” provisions were aimed at enhancing work-life balance. But here’s the rub – the legislation does not actually provide a right to disengage from work-related communications in any workplace environment, including in condominiums.
Recently, on July 1, 2022, the laws in Ontario changed. A new Bill 88 – Working for Workers Act, 2022 – was introduced. Schedule 4 deals with significant changes to the Occupational Health and Safety Act.
Competition Bureau laid criminal conspiracy and fraud charges against three GTA refurbishment contractors and their owners. A fourth firm was charged with conspiracy offences under the Competition Act. The Bureau alleged that the accused parties conspired to commit fraud and rig bids for refurbishment contracts with GTA condominium corporations between 2009 and 2014.
Which came first; good governance or the legal battle? Answer – most likely the legal battle since good governance will typically minimize or eliminate the legal action altogether.
Feature || Brian Horlick & Bharat Kapoor
In a recent decision, the Superior Court of Justice examined the serious repercussions that condominium corporations may face if they fail to respond and adequately address common element deficiency and noise-related complaints from unit owners in a timely manner which, in this case, went on for between 10 and 11 years.
Contacting a solicitor is necessary, but when? When is the right time for the property manager to recommend to condominium directors that they seek their solicitor’s opinion? There are no absolutes when it comes to this answer. However, this article will outline practical circumstances when the manager should be advising the directors to seek legal advice.
Feature || Christy Plaitis, RCM & Val Khomenko
The Board of Directors has decided to attempt to enact a Standard Unit By-law for your condominium corporation based on the advice of your corporation’s legal counsel, insurance broker, and property manager. The by-law has been written, approved in a lawfully held board meeting, and is now up for a vote among the owners. After receiving the package in the mail, an owner asks the manager in a perplexed tone: “What does all this mean?”
