6 Traits of Successful Board Members

Condo owners volunteering their time to serve as association board members are often surprised at the demands of the job. And while it’s thrilling to make a positive change in your condo community, serving as a board member can feel like a thankless and frustrating job.

Think you have what it takes? In today’s post, our condo management team describes 6 traits that make a successful board member. Read on and see how you measure up!

• Time, energy, and enthusiasm. Becoming familiar with your condo’s day-to-day operations takes time. Though they all fall under the stipulations laid out in the Condominium Act, condo communities are all unique in their own way, which means that even experienced condo board members will need some time to get comfortable in their new surroundings. Collaborating with condo management companies can make this transition easier, but successful board members will still need to put the time in. Once you’ve become fluent with your condo community’s daily operations, you’ll need to be available to other owners to keep things running smoothly. Expect the odd call interrupting your family dinners or REM sleep!
  

• A student’s mentality. By-laws, covenants, restrictions, and declarations barely scratch the surface of what you’ll need to know as a condo board member. Your success will depend on your commitment to detail-oriented learning. If you’re not motivated to educate yourself on the legal and procedural framework in which a successful board member operates, then this job might not be right for you.
  

• The ability to remain unbiased. Starting your term as a condo board member with an axe to grind will only cause contention within the community. Though championing a cause that benefits your condo community is admirable, using your authority to exercise a personal vendetta is a big problem. Since board members’ decisions affect people’s personal property and livelihood, they can trigger some heated emotional exchanges, but it’s crucial that you remain professional and unbiased at all times.
  

• Consistency and self-discipline. It’s important that you remain consistent when you’re enforcing bylaws and covenants. If members see consistency, they’re much more likely to follow the rules themselves. If they don’t, they may think the rules don’t matter, or start to suspect preferential treatment. It takes some self-discipline to follow the same rules you enforce, but it’s crucial.
  

• Mediation skills. Board members are most effective when they’re able to mediate conflicts that arise between owners. Our condo management company emphasizes conflict resolution training, and has a proven record when it comes to keeping condo communities happy and harmonious. 

• Commitment to communication. The most common complaint that board members receive is that they are too inaccessible. Owners often feel as though they aren’t getting enough information. Board members who emphasize communication are able to create more cohesive condo communities, and accomplish much more than their peers. Our condo management company provides official and private website communication platforms through which owners and board members can connect and access important information.

Want to learn more about the condo management services discussed in this article? Visit http://www.marekapm.com/condo-property-management/ or call 1-888-325-0105 for a free consultation with our team.