AGM Afterglow

In the years I have served as a condominium director, I have found no time more enjoyable than immediately following an Annual General Meeting. I do not say this because the end of one AGM represents the greatest amount of time until the next, or because I am relieved when another AGM has ended without people coming to blows, but rather because I find AGMs invigorating.

Being a volunteer condominium director can often feel like a thankless and unappreciated job. The struggle to balance the various and often contradictory preferences amongst members of a condominium community can lead to many Catch-22 situations - where directors can feel like they cannot win regardless of the path they choose, as someone is bound to be upset. In addition to managing community politics, it is the responsibility of the Board to put what is best for the community first. Sometimes what is best for the overall condominium community is not aligned with short-term views or commitments and not everyone will be around to appreciate the root canal averted by having a cavity filled today.

The thing about the AGM is that it is the one time a year where the community focuses on its Board. I recognize that not everyone is as lucky as I am, serving a community that offers applause in response to good news and, generally, acts reasonably when informed of the reality of the bad, but I doubt that the majority of Ontario’s condominium directors can cite another time in the year where they receive so much attention from their community.

What I also like about AGMs and, especially, the New Business portion of festivities is the opportunity for people to share ideas and get creative. I enjoy it when a problem is identified and different unit owners share their views on how it could be addressed.

While rarely does everyone see eye to eye in terms of the right approach to take, the generation of new ideas can give the Board and management food for thought and something to further consider.

At the end of a successful AGM, all of a condominium’s problems are not solved. There is not automatic peace amongst everyone in community nor much opportunity to catch a breath and pause before putting in more work. But, what there should be is a feeling of release amongst the owners who were able to get something off of their chest and a better understanding by the Board of the areas that they need to focus on going forward. There is opportunity in the aftermath of the meeting for the Board to evidence that it has listened and cares about what others have to say.

All too often in condominiums, unit owners feel that they are not listened to and directors feel that their efforts are not appreciated. There is no greater opportunity than at the AGM for both to feel acknowledged.

All of the information contained in this article is of a general nature for informational purposes only, and is not intended to represent the definitive opinion of the firm of Elia Associates on any particular matter. Although every effort is made to ensure that the information contained in this newsletter is accurate and up-to-date, the reader should not act upon it without obtaining appropriate professional advice and assistance.

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