Under the weather: Preparing communities for natural disasters
Natural disasters are occurring more frequently — and more violently than ever before. Community associations caught in the path of extreme weather find the devastation lingers long after the storm has passed. Although it is not possible for associations to insulate themselves completely from catastrophic weather, there are lessons to be gleamed from those who have been hit that could help mitigate loss and protect owners’ investments.
Difficult conversations: Solving communication challenges with tactics and technology
Even the most well-prepared and effective communicators in community associations will inevitably be faced with situations that have escalated into conflict, but experts have several strategies to de-escalate and resolve most difficult conversations. Dealing with difficult conversations doesn’t necessarily mean coming to a final resolution, but it’s a step in the process.
Spoonful of sugar: Communicating with CAI’s Member Service Center
CAI’s Member Service Center takes pride in answering calls live and responding promptly to emails to ensure everyone gets the information they need. But we need your help. Clear, concise, and courteous communication is essential on both sides. Here are some tips to make the most of your interaction with the Member Service Center:
Thinking ahead: Developing a crisis communication plan
When a crisis strikes a community association — whether it’s a natural disaster, a financial scandal, or a safety issue — the response must be prompt, measured, and organized. Having a crisis communication plan in place before an incident happens is essential for managing the situation effectively.
Condo safety today: What’s changed since the Champlain Towers tragedy
Four years ago, the tragic partial collapse of Champlain Towers South in Surfside, Fla., took 98 lives. The devastating event highlighted the critical need for proactive building maintenance, structural inspections, and financial preparedness to ensure condo safety. Over the past few years, CAI has educated community association residents, board members, community managers, business partners, legislators, and regulators about structurally sound and fiscally responsible communities.
Community standards: 3 strategies for compliance communication
Engaging with homeowners positively and proactively about community standards encourages collaboration and cultivates a sense of shared responsibility. By getting ahead of compliance issues before they become significant problems, we enhance the aesthetic appeal of our neighborhood and can also protect and increase property values. Consider three strategies for communicating about community standards and design guidelines.
Community management: Advancing the profession with purpose
Whether you chose community management or it chose you, you are part of a mission with profound significance. This profession offers the rare opportunity to blend practical skills with meaningful purpose, creating spaces where life’s most important moments unfold. To elevate our industry, we must establish clear pathways for professional development.
Effective communication: 8 tips for delivering clear messages with empathy and respect
Effective communication skills are vital to relationships and interactions among community association managers, boards, residents, and colleagues. “We’re dealing with peoples’ homes, and there is a huge emotional component there. We need to embody a mutual respect and be nonjudgmental and allow community members to feel heard.”
New leadership: Bauman to become CAI’s next chief executive officer
Dawn M. Bauman, CAE, has been named the next chief executive officer of Community Associations Institute, the leading international authority on the community association housing model that includes condominium associations, homeowners associations, and housing cooperatives. Bauman begins her new role on July 1. She succeeds Tom Skiba, who is retiring after 23 years of service.
Managing mental health: Permission to pivot
A community association management company executive shares her mental health journey. She argues that managers need to give themselves permission to reshape their roles because success isn’t always linear. It needs to take the shape that makes them happy.
