Everyone wants to feel safe and welcome in their community. It's one of the core reasons neighborhoods came to be and why people love living in them so much. And also why HOAs have become so popular in many places.
Those happy feelings can quickly go away when there are problems in the neighborhood. There needs to be a place to resolve those things. And also where new plans can be made for the future.
That's where HOA meetings can be helpful but only if they're productive. And that can be easier said than done sometimes. Check out these tips for running efficient HOA meetings.
Have a Plan Set Prior
No matter what kind of meeting you're running, the first step should always be creating a plan. Without an agenda, it's very difficult to get anything accomplished.
When creating your meeting outline you have to think about how long it takes to discuss things. There are always a lot of aspects to running a neighborhood. Chances are you won't be able to cover everything in one meeting. And that's okay!
Keeping expectations realistic will help the meeting on the right track.
Spread the Word
Meetings have to be people attending to be worth anything. So it's important to spread the word throughout your HOA to get as many people there as possible.
Having a set date and time that the meetings are on every month can also be helpful. This way everyone in the community knows when the meetings are without question.
Set Clear Boundaries and Expectations
As the meeting starts, it's important to set clear boundaries for everyone there. Just like the HOA requires compliance to live there, meetings should be the same.
At the beginning of every session, go over what acceptable behavior looks like. When everyone knows what is expected, they can hold themselves accountable. There will be far less internal problems when you are firm in these rules.
Ask for Feedback
While you're running a meeting, it's easy to focus on property management mode and forget the other side of the conversation. It's important to remember to involve the residents of the HOA as well. Their opinions and feedback are important to the HOA board's success.
You should regularly ask for feedback on the HOA as a whole and also how the meetings are going. This kind of information can be invaluable when making improvements to a community.
Tips for Valuable HOA Meetings
Creating valuable HOA meetings can be completely transforming for neighborhoods. These tips can help you avoid these sessions being a waste of time for everyone.
The best thing you can do is bring in an association management team to help you pull it off. They know exactly what it takes to have a successful HOA. So they'll help guide your board and residents towards becoming the best neighborhood it can be.
Our team at PMI Columbus has been helping HOAs have more than great meetings for more than 20 years. Contact us today to get started improving your community!
