When the problem isn’t the Property Manager – it’s the one at the top

This is a controversial one, especially as a Director of a block management company who has been on both sides of the fence; this is a very raw, but real issue that lurks within our industry. 

Block management has a reputation problem. High turnover, burned-out staff, inconsistent service. The industry explanation is usually the same: difficult residents, demanding directors, too much regulation.

But there’s a truth that rarely gets said out loud…

Sometimes the biggest problem in block management is the director at the top.

Not market pressures. Not leaseholders. Not compliance. Leadership. 

In practice, this often looks like:

• Publicly undermining property managers
• Constant criticism with little guidance
• Unrealistic workloads followed by blame when things slip
• Emails sent late at night demanding instant responses
• Using fear, not leadership, to get results

When challenged, it’s dismissed as:

“This industry is tough.”
“People need thicker skin.”
“That’s just how I run things.”

That’s not leadership. That’s bullying with a job title.

What makes this dynamic especially toxic is when the director hasn’t actually done the job they’re policing. Some directors haven’t managed a portfolio themselves, dealt with S20’s, been screamed at by residents over defects or juggled 40+ blocks with conflicting priorities, or just downright don’t know what they’re doing, yet they issue instructions with absolute certainty, questioning every decision while offering no practical support.

Confidence without experience creates a brutal environment, especially when it flows downward.

In block management, stress travels fast. Residents apply pressure to property managers. Property managers should be supported by leadership.  Instead, in badly run companies, directors pass resident aggression straight onto staff, escalate instead of absorbing pressure, use complaints as weapons rather than learning tools, and treat staff mistakes as personal failures. The result? Property managers working in constant fear of being blamed, not helped.

Behind the KPIs and portfolios is the issue that no one talks about, the human cost of actions. Property Managers dread opening their inbox, feel permanently “behind”, take abuse from residents and directors, lose confidence in their own competence and eventually leave, often good, capable managers. This is why block management churn is so high. Not because they can’t cope, because they’re not allowed to succeed. 

This question gets asked constantly by directors who refuse to look in the mirror. Good property managers leave when they’re never trusted, they’re constantly criticised but rarely supported, expectations are impossible and shifting, and leadership creates fear instead of clarity.

You don’t lose staff because the industry is hard, you lose them because working for you is harder than it needs to be.

Strong leadership in block management involves shielding staff from unnecessary pressure, backing decisions publicly and coaching proactively, accepting that mistakes happen in complex environments, setting clear and transparent priorities instead of constant urgency and treating staff like professionals, not liabilities. Block Management Directors need to understand that how staff are treated directly impacts how buildings are managed. 

Block management is difficult enough without directors making it hostile.

If a company is constantly hiring, constantly firefighting, and constantly blaming staff, the issue is rarely competence. It’s culture, and culture starts at the top.

I don’t see my job title as how to tell property managers how to do their job, they’re professionals. They deal with residents, contractors, compliance, and constant pressure.

One of the biggest failures I see in this industry is company directors who confuse authority with expertise, or lack thereof.

When I’m unsure, I ask. When advice is given, I listen. When specialists are needed, I bring them in. Confidence is useful. Arrogance is not. I don’t believe in publicly criticising staff, sending late-night “urgent” emails, or using complaints as threats. Mistakes happen in complex environments. What matters is how leadership responds. People do their best work when they feel trusted, not when they feel hunted.

Property managers already deal with enough hostility. A director’s role is not to amplify that pressure, but to buffer it. I back my team publicly, I handle escalation properly, I give feedback privately and constructively and I take responsibility when leadership decisions contribute to problems. Good staff don’t need intimidation. They need clarity, backing, and fairness.

This industry doesn’t need fewer directors, it needs better ones. Directors who understand that leadership isn’t about being the loudest voice in the room, it’s about creating an environment where good people can actually do good work.

I’m a director, and I genuinely hope my team believe I’m one of the good ones.