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CAI National 2017 Recap
Earlier this month, I enjoyed the opportunity of speaking at the 2017 Community Associations Institute National Conference, held this year in Las Vegas. As a part of “Ignite: Education in a Flash” , I spoke about the all-too-common feeling of managers being “Caught in the Crossfires”. The topic is an extension of my HOAs Gone Haywire series for the Huffington Post.
I started the “HOAs Gone Haywire” series to educate and enlighten those involved in an HOA at some level, whether that level be as a homeowner or as a manager. Managers and Management Companies alike get a bad rap when dealing with residents that are simply not educated on the fundamentals of an HOA. As I stated in the talk, managers do get caught in the crossfires, JUST for doing their jobs. Managers, by virtue of managing the do’s and don’ts of an HOA, are “dictating” what a person can or can not do in their own home. It is very personal and thus emotions are heightened.
After the event, I spoke with a few people who had read at least one or more of my blogs in the Huffington Post, which was exciting. They liked the perspective given in the blog from a management guy. It was “real world,” as one person stated. With regards to my talk, they seemed to appreciate that it was from another manager’s perspective and really spoke “their” language, which made it very relatable.
The conference itself was very engaging for me. However, some the conference talk topics were a bit “dry”, as they talked about specific areas of management (think: retention pond management or reserve analysis) without talking about what we really do every day. I enjoy hearing talks FROM managers ABOUT managers; that has a universal appeal that I think everyone can relate to. I hope that’s what “Caught in the Crossfires” was for some attendees.
Overall, I enjoyed my time at CAI National, in part because the attendees and presenters made up such an interesting and diverse group. It is unbelievable when you see managers from EVERYWHERE. It’s a reminder that HOAs truly touch many, many lives. It is easy for me to get “lost” in my own personal management world and not realize how I am one of many. The particular instances managers deal with may be unique, but the “stories” are universal. Managers are “people” persons who like to solve problems, and that’s one of the things that I like so much about this industry.
Many thanks to the organizers from CAI National for inviting me to speak and allowing me to engage with some of my readers using a new platform.
If you’re a property manager and missed my talk, you can find the transcript here.
Until next time,
Jack
