Ace the 2026 Community Management Challenge – Elevate Your Service Game!

The term that best describes an association hiring a manager as its own employee is "self-managing." This signifies that the association takes an active role in the management of its operations by employing its own manager, as opposed to outsourcing these responsibilities to an external management company.

Self-managing allows the association to have direct control over its management functions and decisions, which can lead to more tailored and responsive management according to the specific needs of the community. This approach can offer advantages such as cost savings and a deeper understanding of the community's unique challenges and opportunities, as the manager would be aligned with the goals and values of the association.

In contrast, hiring a management company refers to engaging an outside firm to manage the association's affairs, which can bring expertise but may not always align perfectly with the association's specific needs. The terms "being manager managed" and "association-employed manager" do not accurately encapsulate the broader concept of the association taking charge of its management functions through direct employment.