Even the newest of association board members will quickly
realize that communication plays a critical role in ensuring the
success of a community association. That's where email
communication comes in. By leveraging email, you can easily
communicate with your fellow board members and achieve
your objectives without the need for a physical meeting.
Follow these steps to improve your email communication.
1. Think before hitting Reply All instead of Reply. When
only the sender needs to know your thoughts, don’t click
Reply All which includes all the respondents.
2. Don’t add new information to a current email thread,
send a new email. It gets confusing for readers when emails
don’t match the subject. When you want to add a comment
about a new issue, don’t reply to an email with the new
information. Instead, start a new email with a new subject.
3. Don’t get personal in the email. It is important to
remember that your Board emails should be professional.
Keep your personal comments out of your emails by sticking
to the facts of the situation.
4. Give clear directions. Emails can be confusing when they
don’t contain clear and easy to understand directions. Make
sure to state precisely what you are wanting such as a vote
for an issue, a maintenance issue to be resolved, or if you are
just wanting to pass on information with no action to be taken.
5. Save your Board emails. Create a folder in your email
software to save your Board emails. This is helpful when you
need to refer to a document that was attached or review a
prior email to confirm action steps.
6. If you need responses to multiple questions, number
each question. Numbering the questions makes them stick
out as a call to action.
Email communication is a powerful tool that can help you
achieve your goals as an association board member. By
following the tips above, you can ensure that your emails are
effective, concise, and professional.
Want more community engagement? 6 meetings your
association should be hosting.
1. Annual meeting: Not only is it required by law, but it
provides a great opportunity to review the prior year’s
accomplishments and to share the goals for next year.
2. Regular scheduled board meetings: It is important to
have the meeting dates scheduled in advance for the year so
residents can attend. The purpose is to conduct business of
the association not necessarily to elicit comments,
complaints, or concerns from residents, but the transparency
it provides is helpful in creating community.
3. Executive board meeting: To be held following the
regular board meeting for reviewing sensitive and personal
issues such as collections, compliance hearings, and legal
matters. This is the time for residents to speak with the board
about issues directly concerning them such as disputing a
compliance issue.
4. Committee meeting: Board meetings should focus on
making decisions and committee meetings should focus on
brainstorming. Each committee should focus on one
concentrated area of the association and their meetings
should focus on how to achieve certain goals. The committee
should then create an organized plan to present to the board
for approval at a regularly scheduled board meeting.
5. Town hall: Should be held to discuss one or two specific
items that require community input. Dues increases and
changes or additions to rules or the declaration are common
topics. It is common, but not appropriate, for town hall
meetings to be open-ended events where boards open the
floor to listen to residents’ concerns; however, that leads to
unproductive complaining, making the board uncomfortable
and defensive. The appropriate meeting to listen to residents
is coffee and conversation with the board.
6. Coffee and conversation with the board: When a board
wants to engage residents in an open format the best way to
do so is with a casual one-on-one conversation with a board
member to discuss any concerns and ideas about the
association. This informal and non-threatening environment
prevents a mob mentality, prevents heated debates, and
provides an opportunity for quiet and shy individuals to have
a voice.
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