How To Recognize Volunteer HOA Board Burn-Out

It would be hard to overstate the importance of volunteerism: it’s quite simply how a lot of work gets done, from large, national programs to smaller and more localized organizations. According to the National Corporation for National and Community Service in a 2015 report, “over the past 13 years, Americans volunteered 105.9 billion hours, estimated to be worth $2.1 trillion.”

That’s a significant amount of value, but it’s probably no surprise to HOA board members. You know what’s required to run an efficient, ethical, and effective homeowners association with a board made up entirely of people who donate their time to the cause.

Because of that, it’s disheartening – maybe a little scary – when you suspect a fellow board member may be burning out.

Do you know how to recognize some of the red flags of HOA board member volunteer burnout?

Absence: Is the board member – typically one with a history of solid attendance – beginning to consistently miss meetings and other board events? (This does, to clarify, not apply if the board member is going through work, family, or other temporary life circumstances that they have mentioned to the board.)
Lack of engagement: Does the board member suddenly seem uninterested or mentally and emotionally distant during meetings, particularly if he/she has been involved and engaged previously?
Avoiding communication with board members: Is the individual unresponsive to phone calls, emails, or other requests to communicate?
Incomplete tasks: Does the board member have a reputation of seeing tasks through, and executing them well, but recently become unreliable or unable to finish responsibilities?
Apathy: This might be described as a general attitude of “meh”- does the board member seem to approach his or her board responsibilities with the equivalent of a shoulder shrug?

If you notice these or other signs of concern, it’s possible you’re dealing with a case of volunteer burnout with the board member in question. The good news is that there are things you can do to combat burnout, and retain the volunteers that are valued and vital to your board. Follow our Arizona HOA PDS blog in the coming weeks for ideas on how to deal with burnout!