Maintaining harmony when a committee will inevitably bring out differences in opinion.

Start on the right foot

Your first meeting after the AGM is the opportunity to set expectations. Maybe you have some new people joining the committee, maybe it’s the same group. Either way, it’s the right time to agree on your rules of engagement in all forms of online and offline communication.

Email with etiquette

Keep emails in check by all agreeing to some simple rules:

• All committee members must be CC’d in communications to each other and/or the strata manager.

• Acknowledge that difference of opinion is inevitable but discussions must remain professional and on topic.

• Acknowledge the limit of email, making the committee feel comfortable with suggesting a meeting to discuss contentious matters.

Be aware, it’s on the record

All communication related to strata (such as email) may be treated as a record that can be searched for and presented on request by a strata manager. Likewise for meeting minutes.

On that basis, personality clashes need to kept out of discussions. Objections need to be communicated in a professional and objective manner.

Call it out!

Once you’ve laid the ground work on appropriate communications, it’s important to do your bit in keeping communication professional and on topic.

In doing so, you’re in a position to call out any misalignment in what you’ve all agreed to.