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HOW TO RUN AN EFFECTIVE BOARD
Joseph D. Douglass
1. Stay Out of Trouble
A. Don't lose sight of the Board's purpose, duties and responsibilities. The Board exists for the purposes set forth in the Bylaws - nothing more.
B. Before taking any action, always check the documents to make sure of the Board's authority.
C. Use professional advisors (attorney, accountant, engineer, manager, etc.) in a preventive role. Get their guidance early, so that problems can be avoided.
D. Don't be afraid to ask questions and to disagree. Each Board member has an individual responsibility to the Association. Groupthink can be fatal.
II. Let Management Manage
A. Expect and require management to do the day to day managing. The Board should establish policies and procedures and make major business decisions only. Resist the temptation to micromanage.
B. Have a serious heart-to-heart with management if "A" (above) seems impossible. Make the system work the way it should. Management is paid to manage.
III. Have Committees (or Management or Professionals) Do the Leg-Work
A. Don't spend Board time on a matter for which specific options have not been carefully explored and recommendations have not be made.
B. If a matter is not ripe for action under "A" (above), send it to a committee (or management or a professional) and move on.
IV. Control Your Meetings and Keep Them Short
A. Establish a detailed agenda and time schedule for each meeting and stick to it. Don't get distracted by last-minute items. Route them to a committee (or management or a professional) and get back to the agenda.
B. Remember that a Board meeting is a meeting of the Board. Residents should be welcome to listen and watch, but they should not talk (except during "Residents' Time").
C. Don't let your meetings run more than two hours, once a month. Avoid Board Burnout.
V. Exercise Leadership in the Community
A. Open meetings are an opportunity for the Board to be seen doing its job.
B. Make decisions carefully, BUT MAKE DECISIONS. Demonstrate that the Board knows what it is doing and is not afraid to be decisive.