Community management is often thought of in terms of online groups and marketing. However, when it comes to our built environment, conscious community management can increase engagement, bridge the gap between managers and building users, and ultimately, improve the quality of life for all.
The right tools for building and strata managers are essential for building strong, resilient communities. In simple terms, community management is taking care of shared resources. It also includes the daily communication, scheduling of works and events, and resolving of issues for community members. While parallels can be drawn between online community management and shared building community management, the tasks – and tools – needed to support strata managers are very different from those of online community managers.
Why community management matters
Without proper management, communities can become fragmented, resources unusable and people’s needs unmet. This can lead to a decrease in quality of life and an increase in issues between people and groups within a shared building.
While many may think of a building or strata manager’s role as mainly taking care of the structure, it is far more than this. In fact, a large part of a building manager’s day is spent taking care of the relationships and needs of community members.
When done well, comprehensive community management creates a sense of belonging, shared responsibility and even pride. It also builds loyalty for the developer’s brand and improves interactions between neighbours and other building users. Vibrant and active communities take care of each other and take pride in their surroundings.
The community management role goes beyond the physical built space – although maintaining a safe and healthy building is certainly part of a building or strata manager’s role. It also includes maintenance of records, ensuring people have access to the right information, resolving disputes, monitoring budgets and scheduling works and access to communal areas.
Communication is a BIG part of community management. The better the communication flows, the stronger sense of community within a building is. A strong sense of community enhances the environmental, psychological and relational quality of life. In turn, this makes the role of a building manager more effective and efficient.
Any good community management system will provide strong communication support for the building manager.
Choosing the best community management software for building managers
Building management is a multifaceted role and arguably, the community management aspects are the most difficult, time-consuming and rewarding.
Along with support for the ‘hard’ aspects of the building and strata manager’s role – scheduling maintenance and ensuring building compliance requirements are met – the softer, communication and community building aspects need to be supported with robust tools.\
A database of residents makes understanding the individuals that make up a community easier. This helps building managers deliver the level of personalisation and customer service that today’s modern residents expect. Knowing how people want to be kept informed, the kinds of promotions that would bring the most value and access to information that enables personal connections to be made is key to encouraging engagement – the first step of community building.
Communication is often not straightforward when a building manager is working with tens, or even hundreds, of residents across multiple channels. Yet communication is the foundation for building a sense of community and managing that community effectively and efficiently.
Community management software that helps building and strata managers keep up with multiple conversations and discussions is essential for proactive and productive community management. Effective communication software weaves disparate channels of communication into a single conversational thread. This supports better communication and with it, stronger relationships and a sense of belonging in the community.
BuildingLink’s community management software delivers the necessary communication tools for creating a strong sense of community. The software is further supported by a proactive team of people who offer support, seek out promotions and exclusive deals for BuildingLink residents, and help subscribers bridge the gap between building management and community engagement.