Jockey or Racehorse?
or, what’s the strata manager’s real role in the strata title derby…
Since it’s racing carnival season, I wondered whether managers might be better considered to be the jockey or the racehorse in the strata title derby. There are pluses and minus either way. So, what do you think?
[3:25 minutes estimated reading time, 636 words]
Introduction
It’s racing carnival season in Australia and the nation just stopped to watch horses and jockeys race around the track. So, I started wondering about a perennial debate in the high-stakes strata title race of strata management.
Who exactly is the horse and who is the jockey in that race: the strata manager or the strata building?
So, buckle your seatbelts, or rather, tighten your saddles; we're about to take a gallop through this philosophical strata derby.
The strata manager’s seat
Firstly, let's consider the strata manager.
With a bridle full of keys and a saddlebag of by-laws, they are often seen as the master strategists of the strata ecosystem. They call the shots, set the pace, steer the course, and sometimes even wield the crop. Their role requires finesse, balance, and an ability to read the race - much like a skilled jockey. They have to be responsive to the needs of the strata owners, the temperaments of the tenants, the other runners in the strata race, and the unexpected hurdles of maintenance and repair issues.
Plus, like a skilled jockey, the strata manager must exhibit an impressive level of agility - capable of leaping from budgeting fences to the water jumps of conflict resolution. They guide the strata building, urging it to leap over legal obstacles and canter gracefully through the fiscal year without throwing anyone off. If that doesn’t scream trophy wielding jockey, what does?
However, before we award the strata manager the winner’s silks, trophy and prizemoney, let's ponder the strata building's role in this strata race.
The strata building’s gait
The strata building is a majestic creature that’s more than just bricks and mortar; it's a living, breathing entity that houses dreams and dramas alike.
It requires care, maintenance, and a steady hand (or is it a hoof?) to guide it. Its value can surge forward with the right guidance, or it can buck and kick, throwing its rider occupants into the tumult of disrepair.
Like any thoroughbred, a strata building can be temperamental. Its quirks and eccentricities can often dictate the pace, no matter how skilled the strata manager jockey might be. It's the big asset that attracts the bets (thing investments) and the cheers (think property values): without it, there would be no strata title race.
And, like all winning horses, its success creates interest in and opportunities by stud owners [think developers] and trainers [think builders] to breed a new line of winning progeny hoping to replicate its magic DNA in future strata buildings
Conclusions
So, who's the real star of the show?
The answer may not be as clear-cut as the finish line at the Melbourne Cup and I’m sure sometimes strata managers feel like they’re both running and riding.
Here are my thoughts.
The strata building is the horse, a magnificent beast that requires expert handling, while the strata manager is the jockey, the strategic mind that guides the beast to victory. Together, they form the ultimate partnership of muscle and mind, property and people to win big.
The strata building provides the racecourse, the backdrop against which all action unfolds. And the strata manager? They're the ones with the reins, navigating the intricacies of strata title with the deftness of a jockey's touch.
But, in the final furlong, without the powerful stride of the strata building beneath them, their skills would be moot.
So, let's raise our champagne glasses to the strata building, the true thoroughbred, and to the strata manager, the unsung jockey, both champions in the high-stakes strata title race.
November 08, 2023
Francesco ...