Creating a smooth board transition in a Homeowners Association HOA

One issue facing homeowner associations is creating a smooth transition when there is board turnover.   The purpose is to prepare owners, boards and board candidates for what lies ahead. How to go about that is the subject of this post. I see three approaches:

1. Communicate
2. Mentor
3. Remain on Committee

However, it is very important to realize that what is provided must be accepted in order that there be a successful transition. That is not always the case. Personalities of board members may clash and the consequence may be bullying, politics, subversive groups, personal agendas, resistance and apathy.

Owner apathy and disinterest can result in a lack of candidates and new board members to be mentored. These things will undermine the operation and prevent a smooth transition. Board members are supposed to operate as fiduciaries. Owners are supposed to be treated as the shareholders they are. These things don't always occur and not all board members believe in communications, etc. Some may harbor a deep seated loathing for owners, with the position that their duty is to the association and the primary purpose of owners is to keep the rules which includes paying their fees, period. Boards may see themselves as the "superior beings" in the association. Good luck transitioning when these things are present. 

If the remaining or new board members are emotionally unavailable and walled off, or expect to be power brokers, or are not open to change and learning, then any and all transition techniques will fail. Board members are volunteers. Owners sometimes forget that. Boards will only do what they are willing to do and there is no power on earth that can force one to do more than one is willing to do.  If boards fail to get the job done there is a natural tendency to revert to methods to "look good" to owners or promote popularity. Some of the methods employed may include:

1. Control of Communications. Boards may avoid providing certain information via the newletter or during open meeting sessions.
2. Save bad news for the Executive Session. This is a breach of duties but nevertheless it can occur.
3. Create board member groups (cliques) to control discussions during board meetings.

Communications

Communications has the purpose of preparing and passing information. Our association doesn't have a handbook. I chose a different route. One way to inform is to do so gradually and to publish. I've accomplished this several ways:

1. Communicate relevant information to owners in attendance during the HOA meetings. I've taken the approach that owners and other board members may require further explanations and I usually provide longer explanations when I am speaking. However, with near zero owner attendance in recent months and some board apathy I've altered my approach. 
2. Because open/executive session meetings in our association are limited to two hours monthly it becomes impossible to completely discuss some issues, projects, etc. in the limited time available. Obviously other methods must be employed.
3. Articles for eight years in the association newsletter which include methods. Reading the newsletters provides valuable insights into what needs to be done and one can glean how to do it. Reading the newsletters one can determine "How" and "Why". 
4. Publish the information on the web, so it is available to all owners and boards. Here's the link to our association website newsletters: http://www.blmh.org/newsletters
5. Send emails to boards during the period leading up to the transition which provides guidance and information about issues, projects, tasks and so on that will be incomplete after the election and will pass to the new board. Ask management to include these in the next board packet so the newly elected board members are also informed. 
6. Create a blog. The newsletter is very limited in space. In fact, owners have complained that it is "too businesslike" and one board member has insisted for years that "No one reads the newsletter."  This association doesn't have a  blog. I created this blog in 2008 as a means of further communications methods, issues, data, etc. This blog is sometimes read by board members and can be an effective method of telegraphing that they are, in fact, being observed. A blog can also provide alternative views. 

Here's a link to an article on cummunications over at Wharton:     http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article/the-secret-to-great-communication-skills/


Mentoring
Mentoring is an approach which trains others to assume responsibilities. It may occur over years and is a useful approach for completing commitments which are not open ended in nature. It includes:

1. Specific guidance
2. Leadership through example 
3. Motivation
4. Emotional support

In practice I assist others in the performance of their duties, have provided technology, asked others to assist me, delegated to others but not abandoned them and so on.  I've approached my commitment on the board as both a member of a team and as a team leader. I've defended board members when they became the target of bullying by other board members.

Remain on Committee
Once that a board member's tenure is over, it is helpful if the board member remain available to the new board. One way is to become a committee member. Of course, the committee member does not vote and may not attend all board meetings.

The committee member is not a fiduciary and is not bound by such duties or responsibilities.

The committee member has specific assignments but is not intended to replace the responsibility of the board. In other words, there remains a requirement that boards be "working boards".  Some boards have not seen it that way, believing that their primary purpose is to read the monthly management packet, attend the meetings and vote.  The preference for such members is to exercise power and delegate. That approach is woefully inadequate in my opinion.

You can't teach an old dog new tricks
This is also sometimes described as "You can lead a horse to water but you can't force him to drink."

My point in posting the statement is to point out that boards do what boards will do, and this also applies to owners. In other words, one can do their best on a HOA board, but what happens is a consequence of group dynamics.

For boards, I think of the expression "A chain is only as strong as it's weakest link."  In boards we have a group of people who each have one vote.  With that one vote comes equal responsibility. However, in the real world that may not occur. Which is why there is such a wide disparity of duties among board. There may be abundant titles. However, the actual work load may not be shared equally.