Brenda Hendricks Guides the Next Generation

Brenda Hendricks, CCAM, Director of Management Division, The Helsing Group, Inc., ACMC

By Kathleen Waite, CCAM

When thinking of what makes a great association manager, you may think of things like responsiveness, attention to detail, and knowledge of associations, and all that goes into them. But, that is not the only measure. A great manager not only “knows their stuff,” they want to pass that along to those around them, whether that’s colleagues, board members, homeowners, or even other industry professionals. Brenda Hendricks, CCAM is all of those things.

This month’s Vision Magazine is featuring a few influential people in our industry and how their leadership affects others. Brenda Hendricks couldn’t be more of an influential person as both my mentor in the HOA industry as well as my mom.

I started working for her in 2010, and she helped train me through the ranks until 2018. When she sold American Management Services, Inc. to me, I took over as CEO. At that point in time, we both started new journeys.

Brenda’s journey from company owner and helping train managers took off on an exponential level when she transitioned into her role at the Helsing Group as their Director of Management. This transition allowed her to help influence and train even more newcomers as well as seasoned managers.

Her influence on her team is far reaching. She comes to the table with the unique experience of starting her work in HOAs as a board member, not just as a manager. This unique perspective helps her train other managers to have empathy with some of the frustration that is taken out on management. It also helps build confidence in her managers that they know the right approaches to take in difficult situations. She is able to straddle the line between managing her board’s expectations with her managers abilities to help everyone feel like they’re getting what they need.

In an industry with historically high manager turnover, one of the biggest challenges as a management executive or anyone leading a team of managers is employee retention. It’s not surprising that in a field where owners are increasingly hostile, argumentative, and demanding that managers can face burnout and dissatisfaction in their positions. Brenda’s influence on her team allows for her team to feel heard and understood.

It may be the underlaying Canadian kindness that she was born with or her background in psychiatric nursing that helps her guide her team to a place where they feel empowered to handle such tough situations.

One of her key mantras is to explain to managers that when an owner is calling upset about something that is seemingly trivial, that it may not be so trivial in their minds. She’s able to reframe an owner screaming about how a bush is trimmed into the reality that the upset owner is really feeling that their life’s biggest investment (their home) is on the line or in jeopardy in their mind, and that is the frame of reference to view such interactions from. She’s a master of not taking other’s frustration personally and just getting the job done.

Her influence on those she trains and manages is seen in their abilities to succeed within the industry. She has a track record, and she has seen those she has mentored move on to executive positions in their careers and truly guiding those around her to success.

That to me is the true mark of influence. Can you take what you do best and have mastery of and help others thrive and do the same? The answer for Brenda is “yes, she can.”

Kathleen Waite, CCAM, is the owner/president of American Management Services, Inc., a boutique management company based out of the South Bay area.