April 2023

LOOKING AHEAD ANGELA KAVANAUGH | CAI-NJ CHAPTER EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

L ast month’s issue of Community Trends ® highlighted the importance and cultivation of LEADERSHIP. This month’s articles will explore how to ensure that strong lead ership is in place once the current leaders are no longer available to fill their roles, as well as keeping your vital staff positions covered by having a succession plan and being prepared when that time occurs. Why a succession plan is a necessity. Whether you are a business owner or community association board leader, it is recommended to create a plan to ensure control of the transition and continuity of all positions with individuals that will be prepared to assume leadership roles. Preparation is more important than selecting the person(s) as that individual may no longer be with your company or sit on the community association board when the time comes. Ensuring that there is always someone to jump in and fill any given role, including but not limited to the role of the leader, will guarantee that the company or community association board will survive the loss of an individual. It’s a contingency plan and should be updat ed regularly as staff and roles change. A good succession plan should also include retention and recruiting of team members. Encourage input from your team on where they see themselves within your company and which positions interest them. When a team member enjoys what they are doing, they will most often own what they do and perform better at it. This is a huge part of good company culture. Develop the talents of the current staff. Simple steps – As an ongoing process, cross training for all team positions will ensure that there will be coverage of vital roles if a team member is no longer available to perform their duties and responsibilities. In addition, create a plan that will safeguard for emergency replacements. 1. Identify all team positions with complete roll descriptions. 2. Create Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) on all tasks, an emergency training manual. 3. Evaluate the current team as potential for promotion.

4. Evaluate whether additional staff is needed. 5. Identify needed training. 6. Develop a succession plan. 7. Periodically re-evaluate your options.

Please read, Succession in the Community Association Property Management Industry by Vincent Rapolla, AMS, PCAM, on page 36 Succession Planning for Community Association Board by Damon M. Kress, Esq. on page 16 and Things I’d Tell My Younger Self – Six Industry Veterans

“Ensuring that there is always someone to jump in and fill any given role...will guarantee that the company or community association board will survive the loss of an individual.”

Give Advice to their Past Self compiled by Andrew Podolski, Esq. on page 26 for informative tips to help cre ate your succession plan. As well as a detailed article from our Director, Conference & Events, Jaclyn Oskierko on the

NEW CAI-NJ Mentorship Program on page 10. What can you look forward to at the New Jersey chapter this Spring?

• Homeowner Leader Best Practices RoundtableDiscussion on Tuesday, April 4th, hosted at Regency at Monroe dis cussing trending topics of interest to community association boards. For information and registration, on this FREE event for members, click here. • 2023 Conquer + Connect on Wednesday, April 19th at the Imperia in Somerset. The Women’s Leadership Committee will present a full day of education and networking, qualifying for 5 CECs, designed for all

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