Contributed by Rick Beers

In the classic Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, Alice famously asks the Cheshire Cat, “I wonder which way I ought to go?” That question succinctly describes the intent of strategic planning for community associations.  

For community associations, strategic planning establishes a roadmap in a changing environment. “It sets priorities, focuses energy and resources, strengthens operations, (and) ensures stakeholders are working toward common goals,” says Kirk Watilo, LSM, PCAM, a manager and CAI faculty member in North Tustin, Calif.  Strategic planning “allows stakeholders to assess their current business strategy, identify the association’s goals and objectives, and develop performance metrics.”  

In April, Common Ground magazine conducted an informal survey concerning strategic planning and found that 55% of community association respondents had no strategic plan and, of those, over 80% did not plan to start one. 

Conditions continually change, and communities need to adapt to remain viable and provide residents with the experiences they expect. As a result, a strategic plan is not a static document; it evolves over time as the needs of communities change.  

A compelling case for a strategic planning process lies in the frequent turnover of leaders. Strategic plans allow new board members to play from the same sheet of music. They are updated periodically to reflect changing viewpoints in a structured way, ensuring boards protect the best, long-term interests of the community. 

A successful strategic plan needs to be consensus driven, which requires open dialogue and discussion. Board leadership is key to this process. Due to the wide diversity of community associations, strategic planning will need to be highly flexible rather than a rigid, top-down effort.  

“If a board wants to look at a strategic plan, they must first engage in setting a vision statement for the community and use that vision statement throughout all of its decisions,” says Rob Felix, CMCA, PCAM, RS, president of Verity Property Management in Boise, Idaho. “Then, they must set a mission statement on how to accomplish their vision for the community.”   

Watilo summed up the best advice for boards ready to undertake strategic planning. “If done properly as the community evolves, everyone needs to be open minded throughout the process,” he says. Communities need “to find a reasonable plan that can be executed annually, updated regularly, and set aside the notion that the role of a board member is to reduce the budget at all costs.” 

Rick Beers is previous board president at Ford’s Colony at Williamsburg and immediate past president of the CAI Central Virginia Chapter.  

>>Read more about strategic planning in “Setting Course” from Common Ground July/August 2024.

Pin It on Pinterest

Share This

Share This

Share this post with your friends!