5 Ways to Increase Your Board’s Communication Efforts

The key to being an effective leader for an association is the ability to communicate openly, transparently, and frequently with your owners. Information is empowerment – arming your residents with the necessary knowledge is not only the best way to keep them in the loop, it avoids leaving room for miscommunication, complications, and tension. To help you achieve this, we’ve gathered our top 5 tips for increasing your board’s communication efforts toward your community:

1. Go With Professional Management

Serving on the board is no small feat. Part of your role is to ensure your community is getting the utmost quality of service – which is why we always recommend opting for a professional management company to be your partner in serving your community. We join your team to help augment your ability to manage your association, taking over responsibilities such as resolving member disputes, sending meeting notices, answering homeowner questions, and other communication efforts.

2. Keep It Consistent

While the frequency requirements of board meetings may vary by community, we recommend maintaining monthly meetings to regularly go over your association’s latest pain points and any resident concerns. By keeping a consistent month to month date, you can better secure regular attendance out of habit and convenience – the earlier you set the sessions, the easier it is to land a long withstanding spot on your members’ calendars. Out of these meetings, your residents will get more information and solutions.

3. Communication Goes Both Ways

It’s not a one-sided effort. Make sure your residents know their voice is not only wanted, but needed. Emphasize their role at your meetings and remind them they will have an opportunity to take the floor and bring forth any concerns – and be responsive. It isn’t enough to just hold an open forum, it’s essential you create a safe environment for discussion and always keep an open mind. If your residents feel heard, they will not only feel empowered as a community member, they will respect your ability to lead even more.

4. Don’t Delay What You Need To Say

There is nothing worse than feeling like you’re screaming into a void, talking to a wall, or falling on deaf ears. Make sure you have an effective response system in place so your homeowners never feel abandoned, and are always communicated to effectively and quickly. Even if you don’t have the answer or solution right away, it’s best practice to at least let them know there are eyes on their message. As a community leader, it’s your job to be accessible – another reason why tip #1 is so important, as this is something a professional management company can help you take on.

5. When All Else Fails, Always Be Online

Having an online presence where information is regularly updated and well-structured is an incredible resource for keeping your residents in the loop. Whether it’s a website, newsletter or message board, this is a great way to keep your community up to date on projects, policies, and any pertinent info. This also helps establish a sense of community, trust, and confidence in your board, as they can actively see your involvement and commitment to keeping them in the know.

While effective and regular communication goes a long way, it can be inundating amongst your other tasks as a board member. With Castle Group, you would have an increased level of support to help you take this and so much more on. To learn more about how Castle can serve your community, request a proposal at https://www.castlegroup.com/request-a-proposal/.