Rent Real EstatePlain Speaking In HOAs
Good communication relies on common understanding of terms. English is particularly irksome because the same word or phrase can have radically different meanings. Take the military"s translation of "Secure the Building":
Army: Occupy, neutralize the defenders and establish a guarded perimeter.
Navy: Batten down the hatches so what"s outside won"t come inside.
Marines: Level the building, pave the lot and erect a razorwire fence to secure the Humvees.
Air Force: Lease with an Option to Buy.
National Guard: I"m off that weekend.
All humor aside, the type of communication practiced can form the basis of clear understanding and agreement or chaos and conflict. One of an HOA Board"s greatest challenges is to communicate to the members effectively. Let"s look at various methods of HOA communication:
Email. In terms of speed, efficiency and cost, email can be a great boon to the Board if used properly. Email allows group discussions and transfer of information. But email discussion requires a high degree of skill. There are significant differences between a face to face and email to email exchange. In person, facial expressions and tone of voice can make all the difference to meaning. Small misunderstandings can be instantly corrected as the conversation progresses. With email, the words are static and subject to the interpretation or bias of the receiver. A casual comment from a sender can be easily be interpreted as inflammatory by the recipient.
Choice of words in emails, therefore, is extremely important. Proofreading and careful consideration of content is mandatory to avoid unintended results. Knowing the recipient(s) personally helps a lot because the sender understands the pride and prejudice issues. And then there is the forwarding feature that allows emails to land in front of unintended eyes. (Don"t let me get started on this landmine). Since the dynamics of group communications is so complicated, it"s usually best to stick to factual information, rather than hot potatoes that can precipitate a war of words.
Newsletters. All HOAs should produce at least quarterly newsletters to keep members abreast of financial issues, important rules and design standards, current contact information and breaking news. While graphics and pictures are nice, they can be overdone and should be limited. Content is king. For most, a single page will do but larger communities with greater content participation can produce 10-20 page extravaganzas with paid advertising to offset production costs. With proper planning and distribution, it can actually be a money maker.
Telephone. An old standard, the phone now has enhanced features that facilitate improved communications. Voice mail and message notification allow freedom to roam. Some HOAs have attempted phone trees for communicating to members. This system is like a chain letter that relies on downstream participants to push the message along. Broken links are common. Technology now provides a wonderful alternative with www.NotifyQuick.com. Their Auto-Dialer service allows an HOA to communicate to thousands of members quickly. Since virtually all members have a phone, this service is both useful and affordable.
Website. Providing critical need-to-know information to buyers is an extremely important HOA function. Fortunately, the Internet has vaulted communication to a whole new level. Besides moving information and communications phenomenally fast, it provides a platform for information archival. This is particularly important for HOAs which have significant static and time-sensitive information that should be made available as part of each seller"s resale disclosure obligation.
Having well informed owners and potential owners is to the benefit of the HOA. Apprising buyers about upcoming special assessments, parking, pet and architectural restrictions and other hot topics will screen out those that can"t live with them. Withholding the information guarantees uninformed, uninvolved or angry newcomers.
With the many affordable and user friendly HOA website services available today, there is little excuse for even the smallest HOA not to take advantage of this tremendous communication tool.
Face to Face. Meetings are the prescribed mechanism for members to communicate HOA business. The Board should have at least four scheduled meetings a year all open to members to audit or petition the Board. Scheduling them far in advance allows directors and other members to plan their calendars accordingly and for the Board to systematically deal with business rather than react on the fly.
At those meetings, members have the right to express opinions and inquire about HOA matters. For this, an open forum preceding each meeting provides the means for expression. While the open forum is rarely used by HOA members, it"s important symbolically that the Board provide it. It demonstrates that the members matter and that the Board has nothing to hide. Even though some members can rant at open forums, that"s preferable to them trash talking over the garden fence. Let them vent, most will feel heard and not engage in backbiting.
The more the words, the less the meaning. Whatever communication venues are used, speak plainly and with adequate information. It shows respect for the members whom the Board serves. It will also make the Board"s job much easier when the members must make hard decisions since they are already clued into the issues. Speaking plainly: Just do it!