Homeowners and board members alike lead very busy lives these days, and it’s important to hold efficient and productive board meetings to make the best use of everyone’s time.

With a proactive approach and careful planning, it is possible to hold meaningful and well-organized board meetings in one hour (or less)!

Consider the following tips:

Prepare Ahead of Time

Time is a precious commodity, and it’s rare that the board has enough time to accomplish everything that needs to be done in one meeting. Boards can maximize accuracy, efficiency, and productivity by using the prior meeting’s agenda as a template for the next meeting; review past agenda items and meeting minutes as a launching point for the next upcoming meeting.

To achieve board meeting objectives, be sure all pertinent topics that need to be covered are laid out. Also, prepare any relevant materials in advance.

Create a Structured Agenda and Stick to It

Create and utilize a well-organized agenda which includes old and new business, committee reports, action items, a treasurer’s report, and specified time for open homeowner forum. Each agenda item should have an assigned time frame that is adhered to.

Prioritize

During the meeting, committee chairs should only discuss high level topics and/or items that need a vote from the board. It is not necessary for each chairperson from every committee to speak at every meeting.

Ensure Participation

Invite homeowners to attend and speak during an allotted time during the meeting (either at the beginning or end of the meeting), but limit time to 2-3 minutes per person. It’s also a good idea to ask homeowners to submit questions, comments, or concerns in advance of the meeting in order to ensure that they can be addressed properly during the meeting.

Start and End on Time

An HOA should be run like a business, despite the nonprofit status and volunteer “employees”. Board meetings should have a clear and direct purpose; again, stick to the agenda at all times in order to avoid derailment. If items are incomplete when time is up, table them for future meetings.

Follow Up

At the end of the board meeting, action items should be reviewed and agreed upon in order to clarify each board member’s expected role and responsibilities. This is pretty straightforward – send an email to board members as a reminder of the action items to keep things moving forward.

Leading a meeting takes skill and leadership, clear expectations, and organization.

 

If you follow the tips above, your board should be operating like a well-oiled machine. Contact your community manager to see how SpectrumAM is helping your HOA run productive board meetings.