How Condo Boards Can Reduce Manager Stress and Burnout

For condo managers working on the front lines of condominium corporations, day-to-day life can be demanding. It often includes dealing with frustrated owners, navigating competing board priorities, and keeping operations moving despite limited time and resources. It takes a special person to do this work well.

At the same time, the condo industry is facing a troubling trend. The number of licensed and certified managers is declining, while the number of condominium corporations continues to grow. Boards are already feeling the impact—and unless something changes, finding and retaining good managers will become even more difficult.

This is not just an industry problem. It is also a governance problem.

Boards play a direct role in either reducing or increasing the stress managers experience. Creating a lower-stress working environment is not optional—it is one of the most effective ways boards can support their managers and improve long-term outcomes for everyone involved.

Below are ten practical ways boards can help managers thrive and stay in the role.

1. Organization

Low-stress boards are well organized. They have clear job descriptions for directors, meet regularly, and arrive prepared. Directors understand their fiduciary responsibility and respect governance processes.

When boards are organized, managers spend less time compensating for confusion and more time doing the work they were hired to do. Disorganization at the board level almost always translates into unnecessary stress for managers.

2. A Code of Conduct Policy

A code of conduct sets expectations for how directors and owners interact with the manager—and with each other.

This does not mean owners cannot raise concerns. It means those concerns are communicated professionally and respectfully. Boards must be prepared to step in when behaviour crosses the line. Managers should never have to brace themselves for hostile emails or hallway confrontations.

Clear behavioural standards protect everyone.

3. Accountability

Yes, directors are volunteers—but volunteer does not mean optional.

When directors miss deadlines, fail to follow through, or delay decisions, managers are left in limbo. That uncertainty is stressful and inefficient. Reliable boards reduce stress simply by doing what they say they will do, when they say they will.

4. Clear Expectations

Many stress points fall outside the management contract itself. These informal expectations matter just as much.

Directors must clearly understand that their role is to govern—not to manage. Managers provide advice, recommendations, and operational expertise, but decisions belong to the board. Expecting managers to “just decide” places them in an impossible position and exposes the corporation to risk.

Managers manage. Boards govern. Blurring that line creates stress for everyone.

5. Managing Disagreements Professionally

Disagreements between boards and managers are inevitable. How they are handled makes all the difference.

Strong boards keep relationships professional, resolve conflicts quickly, and never allow personal frustrations to spill into meetings. Letting tensions linger only compounds stress and erodes trust.

6. One Voice After Decisions Are Made

Debate during meetings is healthy. Undermining decisions afterward is not.

Once a board decision is made, all directors must publicly support it. Managers need clear, consistent direction. Conflicting instructions from multiple directors force managers to guess—and guessing is stressful.

7. Staying Informed as Directors

Being a director means committing to ongoing learning.

Managers should not be responsible for educating boards on every governance or legislative issue. Directors who stay current—through articles, webinars, and training—make better decisions and reduce the time managers spend filling knowledge gaps.

8. Effective Meeting Protocols

Most board–manager interaction happens during meetings. That time must be used well.

Directors should arrive prepared, ready to discuss agenda items and make decisions. Unprepared boards waste time and often delay action, leaving managers unable to move forward. Delays caused by indecision have real operational consequences.

9. Timely minutes

Meeting minutes are not a formality—they are a working tool.

Draft minutes should be produced promptly after meetings. Managers rely on them to confirm decisions and execute tasks. Delays or unclear records increase the risk of misunderstandings and rework.

10. Openness to technology

Technology has changed how work gets done, but some boards still resist it.

Tools that centralize documents, track decisions, and clarify responsibilities reduce administrative friction and stress. When boards rely on scattered emails and informal conversations, managers are left chasing clarity.

Technology is not about convenience—it is about reducing unnecessary manual work and mental load.

A Quick Reality Check for Boards

Before assuming your manager is overwhelmed or “dropping the ball,” ask a few honest questions:

• Are instructions coming from one agreed-upon channel?
• Are priorities realistic given available time?
• Are delays caused by board indecision rather than manager inaction?

Often, stress originates upstream.

An Added Bonus

Boards that implement these practices often experience an unexpected benefit: reduced stress for directors themselves. Clear processes, better meetings, and stronger relationships improve governance overall. Everyone wins.

In Closing

Good condo managers are leaving the industry—not because the work lacks value, but because the environment has become unsustainable.

Boards that want to retain capable managers must look beyond contracts and start with their own governance habits. Even small changes can make a meaningful difference. Ignoring these issues risks accelerating burnout and contributing to an already strained profession.