Announcing A Method To The Madness

‘My strata manager is not proactive.’ It’s the second most common criticism of strata managers I hear. And I think it’s a fair cop. Much fairer than the most common criticism, poor communication. More about that another time. Let’s stay with proactivity. 

Strata management services are typically delivered reactively. Action is mainly preceded by – 

• defective property, repairs, and maintenance 
• deadlines for AGMs, insurance renewals, and safety certificates 
• drama about pets, parking, and problematic people

The problem, it seems to me, is that there has never really been a method for delivering strata management services. By method, I mean a systematic or organised way of managing an owners corporation. 

Business management courses are peppered with well-known methods that help with the management of our businesses –

• Six Sigma and the DMAIC framework for reducing variability in business processes
• Total Quality Management (TQM) emphasising continual improvement in all operational functions
• Management by Objectives (MBO) – popularised by Peter Drucker

My personal favourite business management method is Balanced Scorecard by Kaplan and Norton. It looks at business performance from four perspectives: financial, customer, internal processes and learning / growth. I like it because so often companies are destroyed by a disproportionate fixation on finances, to the detriment of other essential elements. I give you QANTAS.  

What these business management methods have in common is that they create systematic, repeatable ways to achieve success. They focus on improving efficiency, key performance indicators, standardising processes, continuous improvement and strategic alignment. They ensure day to day operations align with larger organisational goals.

How much better would the strata world be if we had a method like this for delivering strata management services? 

As it happens, I’ve created one.

My method for strata management is inspired by Kaplan and Norton’s Balanced Scorecard. It approaches strata management from four perspectives: governance, compliance, maintenance, and finance. I even borrowed the name from Balanced Scorecard. I’m calling it the Balanced Strata Method^TM.

My aim for the Balanced Strata Method^TM is to bring some order to strata management, become the foundation for profitable businesses and sustainable lifestyles for my clients, and deliver better outcomes for strata owners. 

I’m pleased to announce that I will launch the Balanced Strata Method^TM in a 90-minute presentation at Amanda Farmer’s VIP Day on Thursday, 27 March 2025, in Mudgee, NSW. This is the day before her CPD event, which I attended last year, and I described as ‘Hands down the best strata management CPD event I’ve ever attended’. I’m told there are only 5 spots left for the VIP Day. You can get your tickets here.

I’m looking forward to sharing something that’s taken me 40 years of madness to create.