As an HOA board member, a key part of your role is ensuring the success of the board and community beyond your tenure. Otherwise, your board and community may face issues with leadership transition and financial stability.
To avoid such issues and set your community up for long-term success, the board of directors must have a succession plan. This will ensure the organization is adequately prepared for transitions and other unforeseeable changes.
Read on to learn insightful tips for effective HOA board succession planning and smooth transitions.
1. Encourage Participation
Given the nature of community association board work, you may have a rough idea of the type of people you want to succeed you. However, identifying individuals well-suited for varying board roles can be challenging.
Therefore, encourage all interested homeowners to participate in community events and activities. Aside from volunteering, you can encourage them to join community committees. As they participate in such initiatives, it'll be easy to identify high-achievers and suitable future leaders.
2. Develop Volunteers into Future Leaders
Once you identify individuals with the potential to become future board members, you must nurture them. Allow them to continue developing by assigning them meaningful tasks. Along with the sense of accomplishment they'll gain with each completed project, they'll also have more inspiration to volunteer more frequently.
In addition, provide clear roles and responsibilities, and expectations for each. Doing so will make it easier for volunteers to succeed while avoiding friction among them.
3. Establish a Clear Path to Board Leadership
As you encourage more homeowners to participate in community projects, the goal is to identify and nurture future board members. However, you should give room for natural progression through the ranks. This will give board and community members enough time to gauge each individual's capacity for leadership.
Here's a good example of a clear path to leadership:
- Volunteer- Each member should begin at this stage and serve on committees and events, allowing them to better know board members and residents.
- Volunteer leader- Through consistent volunteer work, leaders in the group will naturally step up when needed or an opportunity arises. Along with being relatable and approachable, they need to be open to taking leadership training to support their roles.
- Leader- Through delivering good results consistently, individuals can rise to this level and collaborate with the professional management team to deliver bigger projects.
- Community leader- Ultimately, suitable individuals will rise to the community leader level, where they can strategically impact the community's development. Investing in advanced training and knowledge to serve on the executive committee is essential.
By ensuring no one jumps from volunteer to board member, you ensure each resident has a fair chance of serving the community. Moreover, you enable them to acquire the necessary skills, knowledge, and experience for a board position.
4. Consult Your Community Association Manager
Consulting with your community association manager (CAM) is vital when developing your succession plan. They likely have the knowledge and experience to develop an effective succession plan.
Moreover, they will assist in the transition by holding a meeting between the outgoing and incoming board members.
A Little Appreciation Goes a Long Way
Succession planning goes beyond having people fill board positions in the future. The primary objective is to maintain the community's vision and momentum even after the transitions.
Therefore, as you prepare to pass the leadership torch to the ideal candidates, keeping volunteers motivated to serve the community is important. So, be sure to show your appreciation for their efforts, as it can go a long way in keeping them on board.
Camille Moore
Staff Writer
Jennifer Harvey
