Are you considering running for the board of your community’s HOA? This is an important role and quality people are needed to make sure your community is being well run for the benefit of all the homeowners. It is not an easy job however and there are some questions you may want to ask yourself before you volunteer.
Do I have the time? Serving on the board is not a full-time job, although sometimes it may feel like it. There will be regular meetings and some homework and in between meetings timely correspondence is required to deal with the association’s ongoing business. There may also be times when more is required, for example when a special project or unforeseen issue arises. If your schedule is already crammed full of work and family commitments it might not be the right time to serve on the board. If this is the case, there may still be other committees working under the board you could volunteer for that deal with specific events or issues that would be less of a time commitment.
Do I want to serve my community? Ultimately this is the reason you should be seeking to serve on the board. Most of the work done on a HOA board is unseen and unfortunately unappreciated by the community, so serving with the expectation of status or gratitude will usually lead to disappointment. It really is a service role to your neighbors to help maintain and preserve the community where you live together. Running for the board due to single issue concerns or “getting even” motives will lead to frustration for you, and it is unfair to your community which needs someone committed to serving.
Can I handle criticism? Most of your neighbors understand that serving on the board is a difficult and time-consuming job. Although they may not thank you enough, they are glad that you are willing to serve. However, there are always going to be some that, for whatever reason, will grumble and criticize no matter how well the HOA is being run. If you already know you will take this criticism personally or know that you just don’t do well with criticism in general, you may want to rethink serving on your Idaho HOA board.
Do I have the skills and temperament needed for the role? A significant aspect of the role of serving on the HOA is dealing with finances, contracts, and insurance. While it is certainly not necessary to be a CPA or attorney you should at least have a basic understanding of these issues or be willing to spend the time and effort to educate yourself on them. Another aspect of being on the board is dealing with disputes and violations. An even temperament is needed to deal with sometimes emotional disputes and in some situations the board will have to be the bad guy for the benefit of the entire community, people pleasing is not always an option.
Being willing to serve on your HOA board is to be commended and your community certainly needs people with the right attitude and skills to serve. If you haven’t done so lately, take the time to thank your current board members for serving, they can always use a good pat on the back.
