My presentation at the 2011 Whittles Conference about what a strata manager needs to succeed in the modern world

1. The Complete Manager’s Toolkit what the modern manager needs (and doesn’t need) to succeed in strata by Francesco Andreone Whittles Conference, Victor Harbour 25 March 2011

2. Introduction A few propositions And, a simple point … Strata management challenges in modern times How other industries approach work challenges Why you need a toolkit approach Your toolkit Getting more (and better) tools for you kit strataexperts.com.au

3. My Propositions Managing strata schemes well is very difficult; compared to letting things happen in strata schemes and then doing your best to try to sort it out. It’s naïve to expect that anyone can manage a strata scheme; some people are better at it than others. You can’t manage a strata scheme with just a pen, paper and some stamps … you need a lot lot more. There’s no right way to manage a strata scheme. And, why should there be? A smart diligent and committed person can run a strata scheme on their own. But they can’t do it well. strataexperts.com.au

4. My Point to You The way everyone’s running strata schemes in Australia is pretty average It’s not (by and large) much different than how owners would do it themselves as well meaning volunteers And, just doing that a bit better than owners is not good (or great) strata management To be relevant (and valuable) strata managers need to make a noticeable difference and they need to do things owners just couldn’t do themselves and do those things in impressive ways strataexperts.com.au

5. Strata Management Challenges More and more strata operating laws to comply with More other kinds of laws, regulations and controls affecting buildings, owners and managers Bigger buildings Fancier and higher maintenance building structures More complex strata schemes – multi tier, multi building, management statements, lengthy by-laws More informed & interested owners (actually a good thing) Easier and faster communication options Higher public and private risks Shortage of skilled people strataexperts.com.au

6. The Essential Kit What you must have (and why) ? What you must know (and why) ? What you must think (and why) ? Where to get it ? Others who can help How long does it take ? strataexperts.com.au

7. The Must Haves You need communication tools - like phones, emails, faxes, mail, delivery services, video links, SMS, skype, iChat, twitter, Facebook, Mozilla, etc. Plus the ability to write clearly and consisely and to speak to different people in all situations. You need information - about the strata scheme, laws, rules, buildings, etc. What you need information about is endless. You need data storage and retrieval – safely keeping strata scheme data and being able to find it again quickly, easily and in ways that make sense. strataexperts.com.au

8. The Must Haves 4. You need plans & strategies – about what you’re trying to do. Identifying objectives, devising some plans to achieve them and having strategies to implement (and deal with inevitable impasses). Often these can be re-used. 5. You need time – so allocate enough time to doing things, schedule it and then do those things when scheduled. And, re-schedule what doesn’t get done and new stuff continuously. strataexperts.com.au

9. The Must Knows You must know the strata operating rules - if you don’t know what to do (and how to do it) learn that first so what you do is correct, doesn’t need re-doing and won’t come apart later. 7. You must understand how building structures work – understanding how buildings are constructed, how they (and the parts inside them work), how they’re maintained & repaired, what resources they use and the waste they create. You must know people with more expertise than you – you can’t realistically know every detail. But you can find people with expertise in everything you’ll need to manage strata schemes. Find and develop relationships with them. strataexperts.com.au

10. The Must Knows You must understand how to deal with people – since people own, live in, make decisions, fix things, break things and argue in strata schemes, managers need to effectively get people to find things out, explain things, get things done, manage conflicts, give bad news, collaborate, etc. 10. You must get feedback on things - you can’t be sure things works out the way they should, so you need to check on outcomes and assess them against plans and strategies. strataexperts.com.au

11. The Must Thinks 11. You must anticipate things need handling – don’t be surprised by the never ending series of things to do in strata schemes. They will always be there to do (thank goodness). That’s why you’re the manager. You must share ownership of problems – manager’s don’t own buildings; owner’s do. So share what’s happening, what you’re doing, what’s working, what’s not working, what to do, etc with owners. strataexperts.com.au

12. The Must Thinks 13. You must endure - endurance is about staying with something in the long term and since strata buildings are never going away managers need to be prepared for the long haul. 14. You must know the limits of your role and ability - manager’s don’t need to (and can’t) do everything, 15. You must want to do better and improve - otherwise what’s the point? strataexperts.com.au

13. Great Extras to Have Specialist tools for specialist work Advanced tools to do better Peculiar situations Developing a support team strataexperts.com.au

14. What to Leave Behind Why you don’t need every tool Why you can’t use all the tools all the time What you should never touch How to handle the gaps strataexperts.com.au

15. Success Philosophies Getting the right attitude Engaging others Communicating results Sharing bad news Continuous improvement Enduring strataexperts.com.au

16. Questions & Comments Your questions Your comments strataexperts.com.au