Goals of your HOA Community: Diagnosing the makeup of your neighbors
There are many responsibilities in a common interest community, whether you are a homeowner, resident, board member or a manager of a Las Vegas homeowners association. You can strengthen your community when you understand and appreciate the generational diversities, life experiences and values that make up your neighbors. Your manager can help facilitate interactions and communication with generational differences between residents to forge your own unique cohesive neighborhood.
How you respond to issues are influenced by what generation you came from…
Having a professional management company for your HOA takes the pressure off of you and the board, which helps to ensure that homeowners are equally heard and get a fair deal with compliance of the state laws, your governing documents, enforcing rules, licensing requirements, conducting elections, as well as, addressing the personal needs of your community’s population related to generational differences.
Matures or the “Silent Generation” were born between 1920 & 1945
- They survived both the World and Korean Wars; whether a veteran or family member of a veteran.
- Defining their world by the circumstances that they lived in; yet are now giving definition to Baby Boomers.
- War Time Act – Daylight Saving Time was started to save energy during WWI, resumed in WWII
- They understand and get satisfaction from sacrifice having survived the Great Depression. Often, matures will reuse aluminum foil and paper bags, and military figures are their heroes.
- They believe “a rule is a rule.” They have honor, truth, and believe people should to the right thing because it is the right thing to do.
- They can accept change, so long as they can envision the change.
“Baby Boomers” were born between 1945 & 1964
- They survived both the Vietnam War and Bay of Pigs; whether a veteran or family member of a veteran.
- They defined their world by self-identity – their profession or job with “meaningful work” is their mantra.
- They are the ultimate workaholics who believe in teamwork, democracy, and loyalty.
- Uniform Time Act – regulated Daylight Saving Time start and end days.
- This is now the second largest population of Americans, numbering approximately 77 million.
- Baby Boomers value the concept of “built to last.”
- They don’t possess the need to follow all the rules.
- The US President will be a baby boomer in the White House until after 2030.
“Generation X’ers” were born between 1965 & 1977
- They survived the end of the Vietnam War; whether a veteran or family member of a veteran.
- They defined their world by self-reliance as their parents both worked.
- They place value on a balanced life, more than the importance of professional accomplishments. They place greater value on family and personal life than their Baby Boomers parents.
- The survived the 1973 energy crisis. They believe that jobs and housing are disposable.
- This is the third largest population of Americans, numbering approximately 44 million, expected to surpass Baby Boomers in 2028.
- They defined their world by questioning their parents’ values.
“Generation Y’s” were born between 1977 & 2000
- They survived military conflicts of Grenada, Panama, Persian Gulf War, NATO Peacekeepers in Bosnia and 911 terrorism; whether a veteran or family member of a veteran. South Africa’s official policy of apartheid was resolved before their birth.
- They define themselves with electronic reliance as their parents both worked and the Internet, laptops, and cell phones have always existed.
- This is the third largest population of Americans – numbering approximately 46% of the U.S. population was 33 yo and younger. Cars have always had CD players with air bags, weather reports have always been available 24 hours a day, and DNA screening have always been available.
- Most of their conversation and personal interactions are impersonal, on texts, Facebook, and internet chatting. They work better at home or alone, and often are uncomfortable with personal conversations.
- Their values focus on individual choices, goals, and the future.
- They are a more sedentary group. They place value on conveniences of electronic interventions, such as, a TV Remote. It would not even occur to them to stand up and change a channel.
- People born in the U.S. after 1983 have always had a President from the Southern states.
“Millennials” were born between 2000 & on
- They survived the military invasions as Afghanistan and Iraq and ISIS terrorism; whether a veteran or family member of a veteran.
- iPads and smart phones have always existed but now improved, as small as wrist watches with Apps that help manage their daily living, grocery lists, entertainment, shopping, and socialize are at their fingertips.
- 77.4 Million individuals – surpassing Baby Boomers as the largest living generation per the US Census.
- 23% have a Bachelor’s degree or higher, making them the most educated generation.
- Millennials are the most ethnically and racially diverse generation, 36% of women have had children with 2 in 3 Millennials are US-born and 38% of Millennials are bilingual.
- They possess attention deployment – abilities to shift their attention rapidly from one task to another, choose not to pay attention to things that don’t interest them, and believe multitasking is a way of life.
- They are comfortable when engaged in multiple activities simultaneously, and learn well text oriented differing from previous cohorts: They develop hypertext minds, they leap around.” – Marc Prensky “
These diversities can make challenges for your neighborhood, board and manager. Embracing your differences and traits to enhance potential contributions, forming alliances that encourage neighbors to work cooperatively on committees, forming clubs, and attracting homeowners to participate in community events. Also finding compliance to Rules and Regulations, settling disputes and enforcing Governing Documents can be improved with consideration of the homeowner’s generational influences and their outlook on life. Sometimes being selective several important issues with incorporating multiple pathways to achieve the solution can bring compliance and cooperation. Many times to achieve a strong community feeling, compromise needs to occur based on the generation differences and the values that people place on them. Everyone is then treated fairly while finding mutually accepted agreements in getting to a specific solution.
Some examples
- Offering 24-hour access to a community website might cost extra money, but is a valuable perk for Generation X and Y’s that do most of their interactions by way of electronics. Boomers can also prosper from the convenience of the service finish HOA business after their work hours; while Matures would benefit by instantly viewing the Rules and Regs on-line. While on the surface, electronic access may seem like a “younger generation” luxury, demonstrating the benefits to all homeowners based on their generational traits can justify a board’s yearly budget decision that makes sense to everyone.
- Listening to a Mature’s concept of a change, assigning a Boomer to run the project and to have the Generation X and Y’s to do the graphic layouts of a project can get all generations working on a committee goal such as new landscaping or camera surveillance. This enhances your outcome by placing the right person’s generation assets to work cooperatively in meeting a neighborhood’s goal.
WE CAN OFFER YOU HELP AND MORE INFORMATION
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact a member of the Shelter Management Group (SMG) team, we would be happy to help! Contact us at 702 – 818 – 4780 or info@ smghoa.com
Article Edited By: Jamie Collins, Supervising CAM, CMCA, AMS co-owner, Shelter Management Group (SMG)
Article Written by Stephanie Calaway MSN
Source: Baird, D.E. & Fisher, M. 2005-2006, Community Associations Institute, David Frum 2000, Howe & Strauss 2000, Jason Griggs 2001, Marc Prensky 2011, US Census 2016, Jennifer Vernon 2006.