A successful board meeting, whether in person or via the internet, requires careful planning and vigilance. It is essential to create a space that fosters healthy debate and ingenuity.
The board chair (typically the president or community association manager) is the person who will be in charge of your board meetings. In each item that is scheduled, give each member of the board an opportunity to state their opinions, ask questions and/or express concerns, before taking votes to decide the outcome of that item. This prevents any confusion down the road regarding what was discussed, voted on and ratified in the boardroom.
Be certain to include a detailed explanation of the goals each agenda item is intended to accomplish in advance. This will help avoid confusing discussions or wasting time. It’s also beneficial to include a checkbox for each item to indicate whether it’s intended to inform, seek information or make a decision.
Many boards feel that they need to make decisions quickly to appease upset homeowners or avoid the issue from becoming a problem that might go away on its own, but this only sets back your board and the community. Rushing decisions are often poorly implemented and lack the input of experts.
Evaluate Your Meetings at Least once a year