By Kacie Dreller, Haven Community Management
Holding a seat on your association’s board of directors is a highly coveted role within community associations. The pay is amazing, board members are highly respected, and earning a seat on the board of directors requires significant campaigning to beat out the competition.
Oh wait…none of that is true.
The reality is that potential board members are few and far between, unless of course there is serious discontent in the community or the threat of a significant assessment increase that is perceived by the membership as being unwarranted. Instead of leaping at the opportunity to participate, most homeowners are content to sit back and let those few poor souls serving on the board of directors handle the affairs of the Association. And we all know that those brave souls are most likely serving on the board of directors because they made the mistake of showing up to a board meeting to complain about something, which resulted in the well-known response of, “It sounds like you’d be a great board member.” Congratulations! You have now been appointed to the board of directors because you decided to complain about your neighbor’s landscaping!
Over the course of my career, I’ve heard the same handful of reasons why homeowners don’t want to serve on the board of directors:
1.) “I don’t have time.”
2.) “I don’t know anything about what it means to serve on the board of directors.”
3.) “I don’t want angry neighbors banging on my door all the time.”
So, how do we change this perception that being a board member is something that so few have the time for or the knowledge to be useful?
My answer to this question is simple: Set a good example. Be a board member that utilizes the resources available to support the role. Show your neighbors that being a board member doesn’t require that you give up your hobbies or first-born child.
How do you do this, you ask? Well, first, don’t spend hours of your time dealing with the affairs of the association. Use your association’s management company for the services for which the association pays. Don’t take on the work yourself and God forbid, don’t announce at board meetings that you have spent a significant amount of time working on a specific project that your management company could have handled for you! I frequently hear board members talk about how they don’t have time to do their full-time job because of board duties, yet they won’t let management handle the tasks in which they are contracted. If you find that your management company isn’t providing you the support you need, then speak up and ask for change. Homeowners aren’t going to raise their hands to participate if all they hear about is how much work it is to be on the board of directors.
Second, make it known that the management company is the resource for answering homeowner questions. If a homeowner stops you on the street, shows up at your door, emails, or calls you, direct them to the management company for assistance. Doing so will eliminate the perception that board members must always be available to the membership, and it will also help homeowners understand that board members don’t have to be industry experts. Even if not fully true, stating that you don’t know the answer will go a long way in convincing homeowners that you don’t have to be an industry or neighborhood expert to be a board member.
Lastly, if you know of someone in the neighborhood who would be a good fit for the board of directors, appeal to their self-esteem by asking them to attend board meetings to address specific needs in which the community is struggling. Making them a useful contributor to the community, before being asked to join the board of directors, will help build their confidence and understanding that if managed correctly, board member involvement doesn’t equate to a full-time job.
Kacie Dreller, CMCA®, AMS®, PCAM® is the Vice President of Haven Community Management. Kacie is recognized in the industry for her expertise in community management, professionalism, strength in leadership, and her desire to serve. Kacie considers herself to be a lifelong learner and is currently attending the University of Colorado to obtain her Masters of Science in Organizational Leadership degree.
