We know that communication and transparency are incredibly important when you’re on an HOA board. Good communication is a foundation for all successful relationships. And, in order to have a successful HOA board you need to be able to communicate effectively.
We have a few tips that should be considered when committing to better communication on an HOA board. However, we understand some of these tips may have to be put on hold until after the trying times in regards to COVID-19.
At this time, depending on where you live, you’ll need to practice more self-distancing and may need to postpone certain meetings or events as necessary. These types of regulations may make it a little more difficult to communicate with others, and in this case, you may need to rely more on remote conferencing and digital communication. That being said, these are some tips to help improve overall communication in your HOA.
It’s a common problem among friendly HOA board members to have discussions in private that affect the board or the community as a whole. While it’s OK to have some discussions, it’s not OK to make rules based on these small get-togethers. Voting needs to take place in a meeting setting, where most of the board members can attend. It’s also important to be open with the community about any decisions you make – physically posting these in the community and/or on the website. You need to keep the communication lines open as well, allowing community members a way to share their feelings.
Open meetings allow your community to have a chance to air out their concerns. You should also have someone on your board available to answer questions or concerns that the community may have. The more transparent you are as a committee, the more the community will place trust in you. And, when they trust you, they’ll trust you to make the right decision for the community as a whole. This makes it more likely that they’ll follow the rules that you set in place. However, a lack of transparency can create distrust and dissatisfaction within the community.
It’s important to remember that decisions that affect the community need to be handled by an official vote. They can’t be decided casually in conversation. And, keep in mind that your community should be allowed to have a voice on important matters and be given the outlet to share their voice.
If you commit to better communication it can build a good rapport between your board members and the community as a whole. If you’d like help managing your HOA, contact PMI. We are committed to providing effective communication and transparency. We encourage you to visit our website https://www.pmiprincewilliam.com/ to learn more.
