Condo Media - January 2016 - 39

No matter what
level of condo
leadership role
they chose to
attain, it is
important for
unit owners to
have a sense of
ownership and
responsibility in
the control
of their future.
successful board and hence a successful
association, a winning formula must be
developed. The ingredients include good
communication, active participation,
balance, service orientation, and
decision making.
GOOD COMMUNICATION
Board members must be able to
communicate among themselves and
the community. This means coming to
the board meeting prepared with an
agenda to be followed and being civil
and respectful of other members' views.
This may mean learning Robert's Rules
of Order or just sticking to the items
on the agenda with a time schedule.
Good communication is not only about
getting the facts out to the association
but also the perception of the facts. The
most important message is accuracy,
openness, and trust in the association's
deliberations and decisions.
ACTIVE PARTICIPATION
Active participation skills include assigning representatives to deal with
directions to the property manager,
service providers, or repair contractors.
This both eliminates confusion and also
delegates committee leadership to widen

the roles of leadership and involvement.
The board should do all it can to encourage unit owner participation in both
board meetings and general meetings.
BALANCE
When I think of balance in an association,
I recommend the board demographics
include an assortment of men and
women both young and old, as well as
diversity in professional skills. These
attributes bring a balanced perspective
to the table and take advantage of the
free professional talent. For example, for
treasurer, the board should seek a CPA
or bookkeeper who will understand the
importance of documentation, budgets,
and financial controls.

board member or a key committee head
should come into the position with
an ax to grind or a single-minded selfinterest issue. Service contracts should
be awarded on a completive basis, and
complaints by unit owners should be
handled from a neutral point of view.
DECISION MAKING
And finally, no organization can be effective if it does not know how to make
decisions and execute them. A process
for decision making should be established and then followed. Unit owners
should know what to expect in both
consistency and following of the rules,
bylaws, and policies.

SERVICE ORIENTATION
The importance of service orientation
cannot be overemphasized. The board
must be unbiased and selfless in setting
priorities and decision making. No

n JACK CARR, P.E., RS, LEED-AP,
IS SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT WITH
CRITERIUM-ENGINEERS IN
PORTLAND, MAINE.

We make a commitment
to your success.
Our size affords us "best of both worlds" functionality.
We are both large enough to bring sufficient
resources to bear on almost any legal project and
nimble enough to provide the responsiveness and
attention you deserve.
At Perkins & Anctil, P.C. our philosophy is to provide
the legal services necessary to "navigate the waters"
of your legal transaction or dilemma in the most
efficient manner possible. We provide frequent
communication and honest assessments of every
situation. We are committed to providing outstanding
value through the combination of exceptional legal
services and affordable rates.

www.perkinslawpc.com
6 Lyberty Way, Suite 201
Westford, MA 01886
Tel (978) 496-2000
info@perkinslawpc.com

"We believe in forging
meaningful, long-lasting
relationships with our
clients."
- Robert Anctil, Managing Partner
Charles Perkins, Senior Partner

Practicing Condominium
Association, Real Estate,
Litigation and Bankruptcy
Law, since 1988.

January 2016

39
http://www.perkinslawpc.com http://www.perkinslawpc.com
Condo Media - January 2016

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Condo Media - January 2016
