If you were just elected to your HOA board, congratulations! Serving on the HOA board is exciting and rewarding. It can also be challenging if you don’t have the proper tools to understand how to succeed.
As the premier HOA management company in Tampa, we want to share the five tips we think every new HOA board member should know. Picking up our tips ensures you are prepared for those first few challenges every new board member faces. It also gives you areas to dig deeper into as you establish the basics.
Understand Your Role and How the Board Functions
This may be one of the most essential tips and is listed first for a reason. You need to understand the role you have been elected to and the ways of working that the board has already established to be able to contribute effectively.
As a Tampa HOA management company, Wise Property Management recommends reading the governing documents the association already has in place. Documents will clearly define the rules and regulations of the association and allow you to contextualize the HOA’s operation.
We also recommend talking with your fellow board members. Gaining an understanding of each person’s role will help you define your own, as well as learn about the current function of the board.
Be an Active Board Member
Actively participating in board meetings and between board meetings will show your engagement and dedication to being a member. Volunteering for small and large tasks is the best way to gain experience and make an impact.
Showing up to each meeting, ensuring the agenda for board meetings is followed, and taking notes to share with the community helps hold the HOA accountable and make time spent more productive.
Being an effective member may sound like you have big shoes to fill, but doing your part and contributing to solving problems will lead to a successful service on your HOA board.
Take the Time to Learn From Past Board Members and Decisions
Your motivation for joining the HOA board may be to improve upon current processes. It means you care and are an active member of your community. However, it is important to respect and understand how things have been previously done.
Put in the time to understand current processes and hear from current board members about why things are done in a certain way. It may explain something you didn’t fully understand due to being in an outside position. c
Taking this time up front to learn how a process is done the way it is may stop you from angering current tenants with unnecessary changes and making similar or new mistakes. It will also help you to fully understand the implications of certain recommendations ahead of making them.
Set Realistic Expectations for the Impact Being a Board Member will Have
As a Tampa HOA board member, you have the potential to make a lot of positive changes. As a Tampa HOA management company, we recommend being realistic about the timeline for changes.
Like any organization, you must gain trust within the team. Establishing those relationships takes time. As previously mentioned, you must also learn the association’s working ways to make a lasting impact.
Being realistic about the action you can take when you first join, setting aside the need to act, and accepting that you are in it for the long run (not just immediate gratification) will make your service much more appreciated and impactful.
Work with a Trusted Property Management Company
Your Tampa HOA may already be working with an HOA management company that provides invaluable resources to new members. We recommend checking with them to see if there are any pieces of training or relevant information to your specific HOA that would be helpful in your onboarding.
If your HOA is not working with a trusted property management company, we recommend contacting us. We move quickly and will be able to provide resources to not just you as a new HOA board member, but also your HOA as a whole.
Request a proposal today, or call us at (813) 968-5665 to learn more about our Tampa HOA management services.