New board members bring fresh ideas and perspectives to a HOA Board. Along with the new ideas comes new responsibilities that board members must learn from the start. By providing quick yet focused training, your new HOA board member will be brought up-to-speed in no time. Here is a list of 5 key areas of focus for initial training:
1. The Management Team
Board members are volunteers while the management team is paid staff with daily responsibilities. Even if a new board member is aware of the management team, now is the time to get to know them better. Learning more about who they are and what they do will help the board member to govern more efficiently.
2. Community Guidelines
Like the management team, your new board member is probably familiar with the community guidelines—or maybe not. Their role within the association now involves a more thorough knowledge of the guidelines as issues may arise during board meetings.
3. HOA Law
It's important not to overwhelm a new board member but at the same time, a brief overview of HOA law is important. Introduce them to the basic facts and how it applies to your HOA and state.
4. Finance
A new board treasurer needs a complete report of the HOAs finances, including explanations regarding expenses, revenues, and debts.
5. Meetings
Again, a board member is a volunteer and sometimes missing a meeting can't be avoided. Remind them of the importance of attendance. Provide a quick overview of Robert's Rules of Order, and, also provide a quick overview of what they cannot do at a meeting. Remind them that the meetings are recorded in minutes and that they want to choose words carefully, especially during controversial meetings.
Outside Training Sources
Board training sources from Community Association Institute are a great option if bringing several new board members on at once. For leadership training in general, local colleges, businesses, and chambers of commerce often offer this type of training. A board retreat, even if just for the day, is an opportunity for new members to learn and to bond with other members.
Hit the Ground Running
Embrace the enthusiasm a new board member brings to a board. Let them know they are welcome and that you are excited for them to be joining the team. While the training process is often a tedious process, new board members will continue to learn as they serve. By implementing the basic training steps and focusing on the key topics listed above, your new board member will hit the ground running when it comes to their first meeting.
Importance of Great Board Members
Having strong association members willing to donate their time to serving on the board is vital to its success. Each board member brings something different to a board and by recognizing and employing their talents only helps the good of the cause.
If you have a great board that is struggling to stay on track, is at odds with one another, yet offers incredible talent, contact us. We're RealManage and we know condo and HOA management.
Our knowledgeable and professional staff has dealt with many similar situations. Good intentions often go astray and sometimes a board member may not realize the scope of their actions. Let us lead you to the path of great management. We know, based upon years of experience, how to spot problems areas and how to find the best solutions. Training HOA board members is often overwhelming due to different personalities and the newness of the position. By working with RealManage, you'll learn how to cut through the training clutter and get your board off and running for your association.
Subscribe to Our Blog!
Staff Writer
Jennifer Harvey
Amanda Causey
