Keep The Lines Of Communication Open

Being a board member is not easy. You are devoting your time to your community, for free, and often times, this is a thankless job. So how can you fit in Association activity with all of your work, family, and other commitments? This is not always easy. Here are a few tips to ensure that you are communicating well with your fellow board members and owners, property managers, and other vendors.

1). Set up a separate email account for Association business. Setting up an email account on gmail or yahoo is free. This will ensure that all of your Association business is handled in one place.

This also prevents you from trying to attend to Association business while you are at work.

2). Devote a certain period each week to Association business. Map out a specified time each week to sit down and look at your emails, and attend to any necessary business. Depending on the complexity of the current issues at your Association, this may only be 30 minutes per week. A schedule means that you answer emails from other board members, vendors and owners in a timely manner (at least within a week at most).

3). Have regular board meetings.

Even if your Association is small and there are not many new things to discuss, having a set time for a board meeting on a regular basis helps to ensure that you keep the meeting. Whether the meeting is the first Tuesday of each month, or to be the first week of each quarter, keep to a regular schedule in accordance with your Bylaws.

4). Even if you are not required to do so by your documents or by statute, have an open board meeting or two each year. Opening up the meetings to the membership will help owners to feel included and prevent the annual meeting from becoming a complaint meeting. Hold a Q & A session at the end of the meeting, but during the meeting itself, remind owners that they are not to participate if they become rambunctious.

5). Check in with your vendors on a regular basis. Depending on your Association, you may communicate with your legal counsel or property managers on a weekly basis, if not more. But if your Association has few issues, if any, you probably talk to professionals hired by the Board less frequently. Especially with your legal counsel, remember that there is no charge for telephone calls. While we keep you updated as to the progress of current cases when there are new developments, and try to keep you updated on developments in the law, feel free to call us just to check in.

6). Compile a neighborhood newsletter or website. Though few Associations have the time, it is sometimes beneficial for the Association to send fellow owners news about the Association or have a source for information. For example, road closures, projects on common areas, community garage sales, etc., might be best communicated through a newsletter or website.

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