How Big Ambitions Can Be Big Problems for the HOA Board
Sure, you have heard the saying “big results require big ambitions” (James Champy). And we aren’t saying that isn’t always true, but when it comes to your HOA Board, it can do more harm than good.
How big ambitions of the new HOA board can be ineffective:
- Too much too soon? New board members are elected for a reason, undoubtedly. Many times new members are excited about the new position and want to start implementing those changes they have been so passionate about pre-election. This is great in theory, but what happens all too often is the current policies get overlooked, and little investigation goes into if the new policies can even be enforced. Also, new board members may not realize that after all of that, they need to notify residents AND get by in. That’s a lot of work creating new policy with no return!
- Lack of doing your homework is a big waste of time. Many times new board members don’t sit and listen to why current policies are set in the first place. There are practical reasons why policies are in place, and acting deliberately, armed with knowledge, is going to produce more return on suggesting a policy change to your HOA.
- If it isn’t in your CC&R’s, you aren’t permitted to do it! Authority for HOA Board members stems from the governing documents. Enthusiastic Board members want to take care of issues they are passionate about. And sometimes this means going beyond their authority. Guess what? If your hot button issue isn’t an issue regulated by your governing doc, you essentially can cause a lot of upheaval and wasted chatter about something you can’t fix.
- Not understanding the history may be harmful to your health…..many new members assume the previous board did nothing right. Making big changes affects your entire community. Don’t re-write policy without understanding the motivations and meeting minutes of your previous board. Hastily made policies will burn you out!
