THE LOUDEST VOICE ISN’T ALWAYS THE MAJORITY

One of the questions I’ve been asked over the years is whether working in strata changes the way you see people.

The answer is yes – but probably not in the way you might expect.

After spending thousands of hours working with committees and lot owners, I’ve learnt that the conversations filling your inbox are rarely an accurate reflection of the community you’re serving.

The Numbers That Keep Me Grounded

These figures aren’t based on research, just years of observation.

I’d estimate that around 85 to 90 per cent of owners simply get on with enjoying their homes and investments. Their levies are paid, common property is maintained, and unless something needs attention, you may never hear from them.

Another 10 to 12 per cent are highly engaged. They ask questions, seek clarification and sometimes challenge decisions – not because they’re trying to create conflict, but because body corporate legislation, by-laws and committee processes can be unfamiliar. Once they understand the reasons behind a decision, most are satisfied.

Then there’s the remaining 2 or 3 per cent.

These owners can consume a disproportionate amount of a committees time. Every decision is questioned, every email generates another email, and every explanation is met with another argument.

The important thing to remember is that they are still the minority.

Don’t Let Your Inbox Define Reality

There’s a reason social media can leave us thinking the world is constantly arguing.

Algorithms don’t promote ordinary, everyday interactions. They amplify conflict because conflict attracts attention.

Committee life can feel remarkably similar.

The committee doesn’t receive emails from owners saying the insurance renewal was handled well, the gardens look terrific or the budget was responsibly prepared.

Instead, the messages arriving in your inbox are usually about problems, frustrations or disagreements.

If you’re not careful, you can begin believing those messages represent the views of the entire scheme.

They rarely do.

The majority of owners are simply getting on with life, trusting their elected committee to make sensible decisions on behalf of the community.

What Committees Can Learn

One of the biggest traps for committees is allowing the loudest voices to dominate their attention.

Listening to owners is important.

Being influenced by volume alone is not.

Committees have a legislative responsibility to make decisions that are in the best interests of the body corporate—not simply the interests of whoever sends the most emails or speaks the longest at meetings.

Sometimes the quiet majority never contacts the committee because they are comfortable with how the scheme is being managed.

Silence should not automatically be interpreted as dissatisfaction.

Navigating The Vocal Minority

Every committee will eventually encounter an owner who demands more time and attention than everyone else combined.

While every situation is different, a few principles consistently help:

Respond to the issue, not the emotion. Focus on the facts, the legislation and the committee’s decision-making process rather than matching frustration with frustration.

Explain the “why”. Owners are often more accepting of an outcome when they understand how the committee reached its decision, even if they disagree with it.

Be consistent. Making exceptions simply because someone is persistent often creates larger problems later and can undermine confidence in the committee’s governance.

Share the workload. Difficult correspondence should never become the responsibility of a single committee member. Work with your strata manager and ensure responses reflect committee decisions rather than personal opinions.

Know when the discussion has concluded. Once the committee has made a lawful, informed decision and provided a clear explanation, repeatedly debating the same issue rarely changes the outcome. At some point, it is appropriate to politely advise that the committee’s position remains unchanged unless new information becomes available.

Your Strata Manager Is a Resource

One advantage of working with an experienced strata manager is perspective.

While a committee may encounter a particularly challenging situation for the first time, chances are your strata manager has seen something similar many times before.

They can often identify when a concern reflects a genuine governance issue, when additional communication may resolve the matter, or when the committee simply needs confidence to stay the course.

That perspective helps committees avoid making decisions based solely on who is making the most noise.

Keeping The Bigger Picture in Mind

One phrase I’ve often reflected on throughout my career is this:

Don’t mistake the loudest voice for the majority opinion.

Every body corporate has differing personalities and differing views. That’s part of community living.

The committee’s role isn’t to make every owner happy.

It’s to make informed, balanced decisions that comply with the legislation and are in the best interests of the scheme as a whole.

The owners who contact you most frequently may feel like they represent the entire community.

In most cases, they don’t.

More often, they’re simply the loudest voices in an otherwise very quiet community.

Remembering that can make committee decision-making just a little easier.

Article Contributed by Vivienne Hooper, Senior Strata Community Manager at Archers the Strata Professionals.