Community Management
Although community management is a
relatively new occupation, in barely five
decades it has become a vital and sophisticated
profession that has evolved into
an international career path that embraces tradition,
business acumen, credentialing and a grasp
of increasingly complex state, federal and international
laws.
Most managers and management company
owners who came to the profession when it was
being formed in the early 1970s—and for many
years after—did so from a wide range of other
occupations. Professionals in real estate, law, construction,
accounting, finance, insurance, hospitality,
facilities management and even military service
have become the leaders whose combined talents
and abilities helped
build a rich foundation
for this new
vocation.
According to
the Foundation for
Community Association
Research, there
are nearly 325,000
community associations
and more than
55,000 community
managers; more than
100,000 people work
in as many as 8,000
management companies.
These figures
do not include the
growing number of
management companies,
managers and
support staff in other
parts of the world. The momentum of developing
communities will continue. And as common-interest
community living becomes more widespread—
and the number of retiring industry leaders also
grows—the need for qualified, well-trained managers
also will increase.
The Community Management Panel’s discussions
revealed four key elements that will be
required to maintain the profession in the near
future and preserve its continued advancement
Community Management
over the long term. These elements are, of course,
interrelated at their core.
»RECOGNIZE COMMUNITY MANAGERS
AS SKILLED PROFESSIONALS
A recurring theme in our conversations has been
the critical need to educate the general public,
as well as our customers, about the essential role
that managers play in developing and maintaining
well-run community associations. This can’t be
overstated. Once managers are recognized outside
of our industry as skilled professionals—much like
lawyers, accountants, teachers and other professionals—a
number of features will change. Management
positions will become more respected, and
thus, salaries more competitive. Customers—i.e.,
association boards—as well as individual residents
and service providers, will have a better understanding
of a manager’s role, which will generate
better cooperation. And as customers become more
knowledgeable and sophisticated and cultivate their
own expectations, managers will be more conscientious
about their own training, competencies and
behavior. Simply put, consumers’ knowledge of
what the profession entails will set the bar higher,
and managers will rise to the challenge.
»GROW AND EVOLVE MANAGER
EDUCATION
Education and training for managers now is very
specific and presented in graduated levels to accommodate
everyone from the novice to the most erudite,
expert professional. Currently, however, formal
training and testing for competency is offered only
through CAI’s Professional Management Development
Program (PMDP), the Community Association
Managers International Certification Board and
some state-sponsored courses. Going forward, however,
at a minimum, industry professionals will need
to have earned a bachelor’s degree. Managers will
need more refined specializations—like finance and
technology—in the future. Additionally, the industry
will expect and encourage colleges and universities
to play a more active and conspicuous role in preparing
future managers. Persuading these institutions to
develop and offer specific courses and—potentially—
professional certificates and/or undergraduate or
graduate degrees in community management is vital.
»ADVANCE PROFESSION TO HIGHER LEVELS
As the public becomes aware of the profession and more educational
opportunities are available, the community management
profession will become more of an “intentional” one, i.e., people
will seek it as a specific career path rather than coming to it by
chance. This progression also will support better compensation
and advanced education, as well as specialization.
»UNDERSTAND AND ADDRESS THE NEED FOR
WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT
Well-trained managers are needed now to fill openings in the
growing number of new communities in the U.S. and abroad,
as well as numerous vacancies that soon will be created by the
many managers who created the profession but who are now
anticipating retirement. It’s particularly imperative to recruit and
educate novice managers today so they can prepare to fill leadership
roles in the not-too-distant future.
FINAL THOUGHTS
What should we expect in the future? Homeowners, baby
boomers in particular, will be less likely to participate in their
communities, and will expect more involvement from their communities’
managers. This higher expectation will generate more
responsibility for managers. While most managers currently are
generalists, subspecialties will develop within the profession to
address specific aspects of management.
An advanced designation—something beyond the Professional
Community Association Manager (PCAM) credential—may
be needed to recognize managers who meet the
ever-increasing criteria for “more refined skills and education.”
Technology and culture also will change the profession, as our
panelists know well.
The growing senior demographic also will impact the community
management profession, requiring a wider range of services
within communities.
What will remain
unchanged? Some aspects of
community management will
remain the same. Ethics, technology,
office spaces and small
companies vs. large corporations
will always be issues affecting our
jobs, just as wisdom, patience, tolerance
and dedication will be essential
requirements.
There always will be opportunities for small,
boutique-sized firms to thrive alongside large, multi-office corporate
management companies.
Community managers have interactive, albeit ambiguous,
jobs. They must rely on their experience, knowledge and judgment
to make relatively complex decisions that affect clients,
homeowners, tenants, other employees, suppliers, business partners
and multiple service providers. These qualities will remain
the fundamental aspects of a manager’s job, just as on-the-job
learning and mentoring will continue to be essential elements of
training professional managers.