The 4 Most Common Problems for New HOA Board Members and How to Solve Them
New board members to your Aurora, CO HOA are undoubtedly valuable assets that bring fresh, creative ideas to your team. While introducing these new members can be exciting, they can also bring a few challenges as they settle into the new role.
When onboarding new members, here’s how to face four common community management challenges head-on with the help of your HOA management company.
1. Understanding Roles
All board members work together to create fair and objective decisions. Sometimes, new board members may enter their new roles thinking of the power and authority.
While the collective board is responsible for making important community decisions, no single board member can act alone. This prevents one member from being a judge or jury of other residents.
The community’s governing documents provide the foundation and come above all personal opinions and judgments. Remind your new board member that while they should enjoy their time as a board member, everything is a group decision made for the good of the entire community.
2. Not Being Familiar with the Governing Documents
Although bylaws and CC&Rs dictate virtually every aspect of HOA living, most community residents will not be intimately familiar with these details. Your newest board member may not be aware of the essential guidelines dictating board decisions.
Ensure that all new board members have thoroughly read and are extremely familiar with your community’s bylaws, governing documents, and CC&Rs. This will help ensure that all community management decisions are well-informed and non-biased, preventing unhappy residents or potential legal action.
3. Lacking Engagement
Earning engagement and participation from your residents can be difficult, especially if you’re a new board member. Some residents may not be aware of community happenings, while others may not care or have the time to attend.
To increase engagement rates and get your neighbors involved, offer fun and interactive community events such as block parties, movie nights, and pool parties. Most of all, be sure to communicate! Blast emails, text messages, and newsletters are a great way to get the message out – it may lead to finding your next board member!
4. Juggling All of Their Duties
Board members have many new and exciting responsibilities that come with their position. However, these duties are in addition to the daily responsibilities that many community members already have, such as work, schooling, or childcare.
Some new board members may be initially overwhelmed by the added tasks and may struggle to juggle everything effectively. Work with your board members and a qualified HOA management firm like The Management Trust to help your new members adjust to the added responsibilities and create a schedule that works for them as much as possible.
You can also give your HOA community management company more day-to-day operations tasks so board members have fewer responsibilities to juggle. With HOA management firms like The Management Trust, board members can spend more time with friends and family while the community continues running smoothly for all residents.
The Management Trust is proud to be the country’s premier HOA management company, providing more than 1,500 communities with 24/7 community management. If your board members are overwhelmed or want to spend more time doing the things they love, we can help you handle everything from vendors to bookkeeping. To learn more about how The Management Trust can help your Aurora, CO community thrive, give us a call at (303) 750-0994 or fill out our online contact form today.
