Publications

Board Members or Bored Members: How to Recruit and Retain Good People for Condominium and Homeowner Association Boards

Published November 23, 2002 as
Recruiting good people for board duty

In light of the fiduciary duty imposed by case law and by statute, it is critical for associations to seek out and retain qualified individuals to oversee their property’s fortunes, to keep it maintained in a first-class fashion and to prudently manage association funds.

However, it is highly unusual for a Board to go from one annual election to the next without being compelled to fill a vacancy. What is also becoming a problem is the mere slating of a sufficient number of qualified individuals to fill any vacancies. This condition is increasing in epidemic proportions and can result in the deterioration and depreciation of your property. By observing the warning signs, this problem, if not entirely avoidable, can at least be minimized.

Recruitment

The first objective in creating an effective Board of Directors is to seek out and recruit people with the right temperament, experience and philosophy. Look for these traits:

People who have the ability to use prudent, sound business judgment;
People who care about property values, resale and appreciation;
People who are not afraid to make a decision; and
People who are not narrowly focused on a “single” issue.

Once you find these individuals, appeal to their rational business sense. However, if all else fails, try flattery — or fear might be a great motivator. (If you don’t serve, do you know what will happen?) Above all else, avoid narrow-minded people or those with only self-serving or selfish motives.

Defining Roles

Board members must be decision makers. Some of the best people to recruit are those willing to seek out or create preventive-type policies and those who are open-minded and will listen to the advice of paid professionals. Such individuals will not only create a more efficient operation, but also make the job more fulfilling and limit liability in certain areas.

Evolution of a Board Member

Directors generally begin their first term in a state either of apprehension or wild-eyed enthusiasm.

It is important that a leader emerge who can keep Board members calm throughout their term. At each meeting, the presiding officer should follow an agenda and limit questions from the audience so that the Board can efficiently conduct its business. A new director will then sense that matters are under control and go along with the game plan.

Some directors, however, must be given small jobs and responsibilities to keep him or her busy with praise and pats on the head for a job well done. It is important to channel these high energy people in a positive direction in order to keep these types of people motivated.

As a Board evolves into a team, the leadership must find creative ways to keep people interested and avoid falling into a rut. Periodically changing the location of the meeting, offering refreshments, and having an annual dinner meeting or social event can keep the “team” concept alive.

Education

Board members will be more comfortable in their roles if they feel confident that they know what they are talking about when questions are asked. Numerous publications are available to educate and update directors on procedures and innovations in association administration. Associations should also invest in sending directors to professionally run seminars, conventions and classes in order to bring the dry, book-learned knowledge to life in a group setting.

Avoiding Burnout

The quickest way to alienate existing directors and discourage good people from running for the Board is to ignore the warning signs and just let an association drift. Consider these suggestions to keep people interested and involved:

Hold efficient, short meetings — Write a tight agenda and stick to it. Limit owner questions to a set time and do not allow maintenance requests to become part of an agenda. Keep control of the meeting and limit discussion to the matters before the Board. Inject a little humor and keep things moving. The goal should be a one-hour meeting.
Identify complacency and boredom — Frequently missed meetings, arbitrary behavior or bringing work to a meeting are telltale signs of a director at risk. Sometimes just talking to that person and offering a kind word can generate renewed interest.
Avoid turnoffs — Receiving calls at home, confrontations at the pool, long meetings, poor advice or inadequate performance by contractors or professionals and verbal challenges from owners who believe they were not informed of important decisions may cause Board members to re-think their priorities. Only a small minority are tenacious enough to overcome ongoing adversity and stick it out.
Seek out an editor and publisher for a newsletter so the owners can be informed.
Always keep in mind the demographics of the community; seniors, young marrieds, singles, etc., are interested in different activities.
Recruit a cross-section of the members to serve on the Board.
Promote active committees in order to delegate the workload.
Take the necessary steps to allay fears of personal liability, i.e., conduct reserve studies, adequately fund reserves, maintain appropriate insurance coverage, keep good minutes of meetings, practice preventive law and financial planning, keep the property looking good and make sure rules are reasonable and enforceable.

These are some of the ways to keep your association operating efficiently and happily. Remember, this is how you will keep Board Members instead of Bored Members.