Part III: Keeping Good Board Members

Once a board of directors is in place, there are two ongoing requirements that are essential to developing and maintaining effectiveness: training and evaluation.

New board members should always be given a timely and thorough orientation that provides them with the information they need to participate from their first day. This orientation should include a copy of the previously recommended board of directors manual, copies of board meeting minutes for the past 12 months, copies of financial statements for the past 12 months, and any other available information on pending items and issues.

It’s also advisable to schedule some time at the beginning of the next board meeting for new members to introduce themselves, tell a little about their personal and career backgrounds, and ask questions of any other board member.

Ongoing training for board members is absolutely necessary. Board members must keep up-to-date on laws and issues that affect their community. This can be accomplished by joining various organizations with a focus on community living and partaking of the resources and benefits they have to offer. For example, the Community Association Institute (CAI) is a nationwide organization with local chapters that offer seminars and workshops on a variety of laws and other issues.

Invite expert speakers to the board meetings. There are many speakers, such as lawyers, accountants and bankers, who would welcome the opportunity to address a specific subject the board would like to learn more about.

Once every six months, evaluate how the board has operated overall and how each member of the board has performed as an individual. A board evaluation offers each member the opportunity to discuss board efficiencies and deficiencies through a structured format. An evaluation can lead to setting achievable goals for improvement and actually re-energize a board of directors.

Each board member should complete a prepared evaluation form. The responses to each item on each board member’s evaluation form should be totaled and entered on a single evaluation form that creates a “board profile” depicting the strengths and weaknesses of the board. This evaluation form becomes the basis for ideas on how to correct the weaknesses and continue the strengths of the board.

Strong leadership is an essential component of every successful community association. Hopefully these recommendations will aid in attaining that success for yours.

--By Marty Pozgay, President, FCSG