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Use these six steps to help prevent burn-out of your HOA board members.
Your board is the heart and soul of your homeowners association (HOA). This group of volunteers ensures your property is running smoothly—financially, procedurally and operationally. It’s a lot of work and everyone on your board has their own personal life to deal with as well. To keep your board—and your HOA—going, use these six steps to prevent board burn-out.
Don’t go overboard.
Review your HOA’s Bylaws and CC&Rs to determine the duties of your board. And stick to just those duties. Using board members to do regular maintenance items—no matter how small—could cause some members to feel overburdened. Stick to the true purpose of the board as outlined in your governing documents.
Stay organized.
Use a calendaring system to keep track of monthly, quarterly and yearly events. Create a communication system so everyone on the board can access important documents and share information. Keeping communication channels open and knowing in advance what items need to be addressed enables board members to proactively plan and helps reduce frustration.
Create committees.
Committees can be developed for nearly anything—cleaning common outdoor spaces, putting up holiday decorations, planning get-togethers and so on. Recruit homeowners to serve as volunteers on the committees. This way, your board members aren’t overextending themselves and your homeowners feel involved in their community.
Protect your privacy.
Board members are visible to your community’s homeowners—which means they are more likely to reach out directly to board members with issues. If you don’t have a property manager, set up an HOA voice mail number or email address and direct homeowners to these communication channels.
Hire a property manager.
If your board members are still receiving calls or personal visits from homeowners with issues, consider hiring a property manager. This individual can become the point person for homeowners and can relieve some of your board’s burden by researching and handling HOA inquiries and issues.
Reward your board.
Be sure to thank your volunteers—both those who serve on the board and those who serve on committees—to show your appreciation of their time and efforts. This recognition can be as simple as a note in the newsletter or a certificate of appreciation. Volunteers who are recognized for their contributions are more likely to continue to volunteer.
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