Silence Isn’t Golden When It Comes to Condo/HOA Board Members
HOAleader.com - Tip of the Week - March 1, 2024
In this week's tip, we offer smart tactics for drawing perpetually silent board members into meeting discussions.
You know the type—they're part of every decision-making group. There are at least two types of people: those who consistently speak up, and those who stay mum. But the best condo and HOA boards operate with input from all their board members. The question is how to get everyone to pipe up for better decision making.
This is human nature, reports Scott D. Weiss, CCAL, a partner and the Tennessee office chair at Kaman & Cusimano in Nashville, Tenn., who represents more than 800 condos/HOA communities throughout the state. "If you're the new person and you're not really sure how things operate or what people's
personalities are, that can happen."
In fact, silence is a good way to start a position like a board seat. "I think it's a good idea to, if you're new, get the lay of the land first," says Weiss. "See how the board operates and listen to
those who've been serving for a while.
"We have a local judge who got elected, and as soon as she got on the bench, she started changing things without asking members of the bar—who are there in those courtrooms every day," he explains.
"That didn't go well.
"And this is something I did in the military," adds Weiss. "Even as a young officer, I didn't change things right away. I said, ‘I'm new, teach me the ropes.' I think in any group like a condo or HOA board, it's smart
to shut up and observe when you start out. In fact, that's a good lesson for life."
The challenge, however, is that a well-functioning condo/HOA board needs to hear from all viewpoints, even if those opinions aren't popular. That's where a
good leader can make a difference.