Condo Media - December 2012 - 34

COVER STORY

vide a data bank that board members and managers can consult when looking to match owners with appropriate committee assignments. Lauren Richards, AMS, the on-site manager at Ridgefield Condominium in Clinton, Mass., schedules a meeting with new residents a month or two after they arrive, tells them about the community, answers their questions

takes is a personal request (“We need your help”) and a bit of flattery (“You’d be great!”) to pull owners out of their homes and onto committees. Start small. Break large committee assignments down into smaller tasks. Owners who are reluctant to volunteer for the clubhouse renovation committee might be happy to collect samples

and thank volunteers frequently and publicly for their contributions. If one committee experience is enjoyable and satisfying, owners may volunteer for another one. If not, they may never volunteer again.

Recruiting for the Board
Active committees in a community association operate like a farm team for a baseball organization. Committees give owners an opportunity to learn about and become involved in community activities, and they give board members and managers valuable information about the interest, commitment and leadership skills of volunteers, as well. How owners function on committees is a reasonably good indicator of how they are likely to function on the board. The interest and experience owners cultivate on committees may blossom, over time, into a desire to serve on the board. That at least is the hope, and it’s not an unrealistic one. But even communities with active and effective committees filled with enthusiastic volunteers are unlikely to find owners lining up to run for open seats on their boards. Prospective board members will have to be identified, recruited and sold on the idea of serving.

It’s easy to ignore ‘we need you’ notices posted on bulletin boards. It’s harder to say no to a neighbor who is standing in your living room.
and finds out as much as she can about their interests and their skills. “Everyone has something they’re good at,” she explains. “And people love to contribute in areas in which they feel expert.” Create opportunities for owners to meet their neighbors and to meet members of the board. Cookouts, swim parties, welcome parties for new owners — all are excellent ways to make new residents feel included and connected in the community. These gatherings also provide additional opportunities for board members and managers to explore owners’ interests and their willingness to become involved. Reach out. Invite owners to attend meetings, solicit their opinions and encourage them to get involved. Make these requests personal. It’s easy to ignore “we need you” notices posted on bulletin boards or on websites. It’s harder to say no to a neighbor who is standing in your living room, telling you how much your services are needed and how valuable your contribution will be. Ask them. While apathy explains why many owners don’t get involved in their communities, it doesn’t apply to all. Some owners don’t volunteer because they assume they aren’t needed or aren’t qualified. Sometimes all it of paint colors or obtain bids on new windows. Instead of asking owners who have never volunteered before to chair a committee, Richards suggests, ask them first to provide some feedback on a proposal or to offer advice. “People love to give advice,” she says, “especially when you tell them they’re helping to save the community money.” Asking owners to offer an opinion, answer a question or make a suggestion also makes them feel more part of the community and feeling included is the first crucial step toward becoming involved. Grab them. The standard political advice, “Don’t waste a crisis,” applies. If a crisis draws owners to a meeting, put some of them on a task force to deal with it. Ask the owner who complains about a problem to chair or serve on a committee to find solutions to it. Don’t overwhelm volunteers or overburden them. It is tempting to call on the people who always volunteer, because you know they will say yes. But that risks burning out the “old faithfuls” and overlooking the “new blood” that associations need. Make committee assignments specific, meaningful and achievable. Give committees the resources and support they need, acknowledge their efforts

Getting to Yes
Most owners will have a hundred reasons for not serving on the board. Before getting them to “yes,” you will have to overcome the “nos.” The three major objections: Too little time, too little experience and too much liability. An explanation of the association’s directors’ and officers’ liability insurance should address the liability concerns. The other two objections will be somewhat harder to overcome. While there is no question that serving on the board can be time-consuming, “it doesn’t take as much time as people think,” says Pete Garrett, CMCA, AMS, PCAM and a principal in Maine Properties, Inc. “You have to educate people,” he says, and technology, he notes, can do a lot to ease the

CONDO MEDIA • DECEMBER 2012

Condo Media - December 2012

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Condo Media - December 2012