Strategies to Boost Condominium Owner Engagement in Bylaws Changes

Dear Mary:

We need to update our 25-year-old bylaws, and we’re expecting an uphill battle. We don’t know if owners will agree to our proposed changes. But it’s more than that: Experience tells us that owners may not even read the materials we send them. We need two-thirds of owners to agree to these changes, but we can barely eke out a 50% quorum for routine annual board elections. Any suggestions?

— Quorum-less in Queens

Dear Quorum-less:

Let’s break it down. You want owners to read what you’re proposing. You want them to understand it. You want them to agree with it. And you want them to act — whatever that process entails. You’ve identified getting their attention as a particular concern. But each “want” presents its own challenge.

Below are some suggestions. They don’t address the content and wording of the bylaw changes; you’ll work those out with your attorney and your fellow board members. Instead, these focus on creating a proposal that owners will be willing to read and consider.

Identify scope. Decisions, decisions. Make comprehensive updates to the bylaws or focus on a few essential changes? The argument for multiple updates is strong: It’s hard to get a quorum, so let’s do everything at once. Sounds efficient, but will it work in your building? You’ll need to explain to shareholders and unit-owners what you want to change — and why. The more there is to explain, the longer and more complicated your message. And the longer and more complicated your message, the less likely it is that owners will read any of it. So you run the risk of creating the very outcomes you fear. There’s no one right solution to this. The key is to make a realistic assessment of what’s currently doable in your building.

Create a readable message. You’ve identified changes; now you must explain them. This is no trivial matter. Be prepared to devote sufficient time and effort. (You may even want to get professional help.) You should write plainly, in the active voice, at a grade level in the single digits. No legalese! Use charts and bullets, not blocks of text. Include lots of white space.

This isn’t condescending. Rather, it allows everyone to grasp the information quickly and easily — which means they will be way more likely to read it all. And because things that are easy to read seem easy to do (and vice versa), owners will also be way more likely to act on what you’re proposing.

Keep a tight focus. For each proposed change, present the current situation, what you propose and why. Make sure the “why” is meaningful to the owners themselves. Are you proposing to make the building nonsmoking? Point out that this will address owners’ many recent complaints about marijuana smells.   

Use multiple channels. Deliver your written proposal in multiple ways. Send via U.S. mail and email. Put it at the front desk, post it on BuildingLink, place a sign in the elevator. And not just once. You’ll need to send reminders (and possibly the proposal) multiple times. 

Also, don’t confine yourselves to written materials. Could board members approach owners one-on-one? Could you have an open house where owners drop by to chat with board members about the proposal? Could you identify “bylaw change ambassadors” — non-board owners who are willing to advocate for the changes? Make it a full court press!   

Make it easy to act. Make sure you have a simple process for owner responses. Include clear instructions with your written proposal and in all your reminders.

Plan ahead, give yourself enough time and try the above suggestions. Good luck!

Mary Federico serves on the board of her 240-unit Upper West Side condominium. Through her consultancy, Organizational Behavior Strategies, she helps leaders use behavioral science to improve their organizations.