4 Helpful Tips To Ensure a Successful and Productive HOA Board Meeting
Having a successful and productive HOA board meeting is essential to ensure the smooth operation of your Aurora, CO, community. While not all meetings will go perfectly, there are some steps that can be taken to ensure a successful meeting. Here are four helpful tips to ensure your HOA board meetings are optimal and productive.
1. Come Prepared
Before a board meeting, it’s important to make sure that everyone is properly briefed on the topics that will be discussed. This should include any relevant documents or reports that have been prepared prior to the meeting. Making sure that everyone is familiar with the topics and any materials that will be discussed will help to keep the meeting focused on the task at hand. It’s also important to make sure that everyone is aware of the time allotted for the meeting and the agenda that will be followed.
If you have an HOA management firm, they’ll put together the agenda and make sure all the correct topics are covered. They can also deliver all necessary information to board members to ensure that everyone has a chance to review the material prior to the board meeting. In addition to background information and documentation, this can also include your HOA management firm’s recommendation based on their expertise.
2. Stick to Business
During the board meeting, it’s important to stay focused on the business at hand. This means that any personal opinions or issues should be left outside the door. This will help to keep the conversation on track and ensure that the meeting is productive and focused.
Try to avoid resolving unscheduled issues on the spot. This common distraction can easily lead to endless digressions that use up your board meeting’s minutes and leave urgent matters unresolved. If issues arise during the course of your meeting, ask your HOA management firm to schedule another board meeting, during which time the new issues can be resolved in a thoughtful and well-prepared manner.
3. Assign a Point Person
To help keep meetings focused and on track, assign a single person to run the meeting. This person should have a strong voice and clear focus, and they should have no issue issuing time limit reminders and redirecting the conversation back to the scheduled topic.
Typically, your board meeting point person would be your HOA president or a contact at your HOA management firm. However, anyone who can effectively lead and ensure meetings stay within the schedule is a great choice.
4. Create Clear Documentation
After the board meeting, it’s important to create clear documentation of the topics that were discussed. This can include minutes of the meeting as well as any next steps or actions that need to be taken.
Having clear documentation of the meeting will help to ensure that any actions taken are properly followed up on in the future and any decisions are implemented in a timely manner. They can also act as a starting point for the next HOA board meeting. If you’re unsure where to start, your HOA management company can record the minutes and create a list of action items.
HOA board meetings can sometimes be a full-time job in and of themselves; handling the many other aspects of successful community management can be overwhelming and even impossible if your board is small, inexperienced, or otherwise just busy. Professional HOA community management is beloved by community association board members across the country because it lightens the load on Aurora, CO, board members and allows you to focus more of your time and energy on your community’s overall well-being.
If your community association could benefit from a professional HOA management company, call The Management Trust at 303-750-0994 or fill out our online contact form today. We’ve been one of the nation’s leading HOA management firms for 30 years, and we’d love to help your Aurora, CO, community thrive as well.