7 tips for Managers to Create the Perfect Communication Strategy

It’s no surprise that communication plays a significant role in how employees and businesses work and function. Poor communication directly correlates to poor performance and can be detrimental to success. In fact, in “The Cost of Poor Communications,” David Grossman reported that in a survey of 400 companies with 100,000 employees, each cited an average loss of $62.4 million per year because of inadequate communication to and between employees.

Strong communication is necessary for any industry—including the property management and homeowners’ association (HOA) industry. As a property manager, a large part of your job is strategizing, operating, and, most importantly, communicating. Here’s how to improve HOA communication and create the perfect communication strategy.

Common HOA Communication Challenges

Just like any organization, property management companies and managers often face challenges, especially with communication. Here are a few examples of things that may cause communication challenges:

• Being absent
• Hierarchy problems
• Emotional management
• Dishonesty
• Micromanagers
  

Look inward to identify and resolve these issues before they become bigger problems and cause HOA manager burnout.

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7 tips for Managers to Create the Perfect Communication Strategy

Follow these seven tips to build an effective communication strategy:

1. Be honest

You’re a community manager; people rely on you to tell them what they need to hear and what they may not want to hear. It’s not always easy sharing or hearing the truth, but a good manager will always know how to successfully communicate it.

Think about a time you received feedback from someone who was dishonest or gave excuses for everything. How did you feel after your conversation? Perhaps undervalued or untrustworthy? Unfortunately, we’ve all been there at some point. As a property manager, you must preserve satisfaction while still doing your job. When delivering your message, be honest and transparent—it’ll go a long way. Let people ask questions, and if there are details that can’t be shared, tell them why.

2.Prioritize quality communication

Overcommunicating may come off as annoying or overbearing. However, people usually want more communication than you think—especially quality communication. Your communication style, listening skills, tone, and consistency all make a difference. Here are some basic communication tips to keep in mind:  

• Practice active listening. Be present and truly listen to what someone else is saying.
• Paraphrase. Repeat information to show understanding.
• Avoid multitasking. Focus on one issue or topic at a time.
• Create a relaxed environment. Make others feel comfortable around you.
• Pay attention to body language. Nod or lean forward to demonstrate engagement.
• Use multiple forms. Use verbal, written, and virtual avenues; everyone communicates differently.

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3. Promote virtual communication ‍

In today's digital landscape, leveraging technology and virtual communication solutions . Residents use technology to communicate in almost every area of their lives, and their HOA shouldn’t be an exception. Technology can help facilitate meaningful interactions, foster collaboration, promote a sense of belonging, and more. For example, with TownSq, a leading HOA software platform, users can:

• Maximize productivity with online announcements.
• Communicate securely and privately with messages.
• Engage with forums and polls.
• Streamline processes.
• Manage accounting and architectural requests.
• Create websites and calendars.

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4. Be available ‍

If you aren’t present, you can’t communicate. Whether you’re communicating in-person, over the phone, or through email, people will lose trust if they don’t know where or how to find you. To mitigate this and ensure visibility, you should:

• Attend meetings and try not to leave early.
• Engage in conversations and be open to questions and feedback.
• Share reasons for unavailability and reschedule promptly.
• Follow-up.

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5. Leave the emotions aside

‍While we can’t control the emotions we feel when we communicate, we can control making assumptions or assigning motives. In this industry, placing blame or getting caught up in emotional hardships is common. That’s why it’s crucial to take a step back from the emotions and look at both sides of the story from a neutral, non-judgmental standpoint. Often, you may realize there’s no one to blame but communication—the underlying factor of what started the initial problem.  

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6. Remained aligned

Communicating is easier when everyone is working towards similar goals. When you provide a vision for people to see and strategize, you’re providing a better way to communicate. Make sure everyone is on the same page and has a mutual understanding of their tasks, job, and communication expectations. Regularly check-in and make adjustments and improvements as needed.

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7. Remember recognition

One of the best ways to enhance communication is to offer recognition. By showing you appreciate clients and employees, they’ll feel motivated to work hard and keep communicating. Consider creating a recognition program where you send an announcement, email, or even a gift and relay how that person brought value to the company and others.

You can also use HOA software to track behind-the-scenes data and offer recognition. TownSq’s insights and reporting allow you to access key information, like response times and high-performing managers and communities, so you can give credit where credit is due.

Boost Communication with TownSq

As a community manager, communication should be of the utmost importance. When managers are honest, prioritize quality communication, promote virtual communication, are available, leave emotions aside, remain aligned, and remember recognition, creating a perfect communication strategy is possible.

TownSq, the all-in-one community management software solution, was built to streamline community communication. Our leading platform has countless features and functionalities that make staying in-touch and up-to-date simple. Click here to request a demo today!