5 minute read
Unlooping Infinity
By Caroline McCormick, CAMEx, CCAM
HAVE YOU EVER read the article Gone in 60 Minutes by Rolf Crocker, originally published in the March/April 2006 edition of Common Ground?
The article compares the premise of the movie Groundhog Day with Bill Murray and Andie MacDowell, where Murray relives the same day repeatedly to managing common interest developments.
In the movie, Murray begins to learn important life lessons, which allow him to break free of the endless loop and lead a richer life. Hmmm…why does that scenario sound so familiar?
ENDLESS LOOP
Too often, boards find themselves without key information pertaining to their volunteer jobs. They learn “on the job” in meetings without any references on how to be a successful volunteer community leader.
Boards often do not feel empowered relying on seasoned board members, word of mouth, or “that’s how we’ve always done it” without feeling like they are effective.
In fact, when you are trapped in Groundhog Day, you spend most of your time “wondering” how to make decisions but never really feeling confident in your decisions.
How do you break out of the endless loop, begin to have productive meetings and finally start making important decisions? The key is as simple and profound as this:
THE POWER OF PLANNING
Here are five tools that will help you manage your way through a successful onboarding experience and into a productive and educated board.
1. Do Your Homework
This is where it all starts. Whether the client is new to you or new to the firm, it is a similar process.
Prior to the transition, check the Secretary of State corporation status and make sure you have a complete set of documents for the community, budget, reserve study, minutes, declaration, bylaws, rules, and meeting minutes for a start. Tax returns, 1099 reports, CPA reports, and general ledger also help as well.
Check that the insurance disclosure and bank signature cards are current and accurate. Get a feel for the community by reading the documents and learning about the history of the community.
2 . Onboarding Orientation
Whether the client is new to you or new to the firm, your board members and other community leaders need a chance to gather and discuss where you are going as an association, what projects you want to accomplish, and the path that will get you there.
All orientations should include finding out a unique fact about each member of the group, an overview of how community associations work, the hierarchy of documents, the business judgement rule, and fiduciary duty.
If your association does not already have a mission statement - a concise statement that reflects why the association exists, its values, and what you hope to accomplish, - craft one!
The end-product of the onboard and thereafter annual orientation should be an empowered board with a plan for the year that sets out its goals.
3 . Communications
Once you have laid the groundwork, done your homework, and completed the orientation, it is time to communicate the goals and vision to the members, the vendors, committees, and any other important community members.
If the board does not have a communications policy, help them draft one. Who responds to member questions? What do you do when a board member is contacted individually about an association issue? Does the board speak with one voice deliberating in duly called meetings?
Let the members know the goals for the year and include an introductory letter about yourself with a photo if possible. Communicate with the vendors regularly sharing board goals as it pertains to their services to the HOA.
Communications should be ongoing and repeat important topics at least three times.
Use email, newsletters, and signage onsite to effectively communicate with the members. Avoid, if possible, the mailbox gossip by communicating regularly with the members about substantive board actions.
4 . Ongoing Care
Once you have completed the onboarding process, it is important to stick to the plan and “touch” the community at least weekly. Be aware of the board’s saturation point and avoid overloading them.
Craft your agendas so that the business can be accomplished and not deferred. Ideally, you would use a consent calendar and then have sufficient time to discuss critical issues while completing your meeting in 60 minutes.
Yes, you can complete a board meeting in 60 minutes. “How,” you ask?
· Distribute draft agendas seven days in advance.
· Deliver the board packet no less than 5 days ahead of the meeting. Make sure each board member read the packet ahead of time and asks clarifying questions of staff before the meeting.
· Send a draft of the meeting minutes within a week and a task list if any of the board members have assignments. Check in on their progress periodically.
5 . One Year Review
Always set aside time to evaluate the execution of the plan. Celebrate your wins and accomplishments, evaluate what worked and what did not, and develop a plan to improve the former and change the latter for the year ahead. Repeat!
Caroline McCormick, CAMEx, CCAM
Caroline McCormick, CAMEx, CCAM, is the Internal Auditor of Client Services for OMNI Community Management LLC, ACMC and has been certified through CACM since 1993.
