Communication Articles

Newsletter Baker’s Dozen
Unless your community transacts all its business town meeting style, a newsletter is essential to keep the owners informed. Almost all communities should produce one at least four times a year to remind old timers and notify newcomers of critical information. There are newsletter "tricks of the trade" to increase effectiveness and readability. Here’s a "baker’s dozen":

1. Keep Articles Short. Get to the point. Headings and bullet points grab readers' eyes as they scan. Put important information in boxes.

2. Include Good Stories. Newsletters can be much more than information. Profile your board committee members. Include a Newcomers section. Promote events. Include a Q&A section (even if you make up the question).

3. Put "Hook" into Your Headlines. A good headline reels a reader in. For example, "Board Raises Assessments" will pique more interest than "Board Passes New Budget". Use puns, rhymes plus movie, TV and book titles into your headlines. For example, if a wind storm tears off a roof, try "Gone with the Wind."

4. The Facts. Stories should include who, what, where, when, and how information. If the cover story announces a new rule, explain why the rule was enacted, who it applies to, when it’s effective, and how it will be enforced. Don’t leave them with more questions than answers.

5. Lead with Power. Lead off with high impact information. For example, instead of "The Board discussed ways for getting residents to comply with the pet policing policy, try "The Board discussed a new stock and pillary enforcement policy for residents who don’t police their pets." (Just kidding but you get the idea, right?)

6. Proofread. Use a second set of eyes and always double check the spelling of names.

7. Use Photographs. Photos help neighbors meet neighbors. Black-and-white photos will generally reproduce better than color photographs although using a digital copier eliminates most of the difference. Actions shots work best. Include descriptive captions.

8. Share the Good News. This is a golden opportunity to publicize accomplishments and things to come.

9. Standardize Your Look. Software like Microsoft Publisher offer attractive templates. Pick one and stick to it. Use no more than three different typefaces to avoid a busy and cluttered look.

10. Use White Space. White space frames the content and gives the page breathing room.

11. Use a Readable Typeface. Serif typefaces like Garamond, Times Roman and New Century are easier to read that san serif typefaces like Helvetica, Futura and New Gothic. San serif works for headlines. NEVER SET BODY TEXT IN ALL CAPS--it's difficult to read and intimidating. Use italics and bold sparingly...mainly for impact.

12. Humorize. Include jokes and cartoons to liven it up.

13. Post It Online. While the paper chase will be with us for some time, the Web is a terrific way to reduce costs and improve efficiency. Anything you can lay out on paper can be done on your own community website and more.

So there’s your baker’s dozen. Newsletters can inform, tweak and pique interest. Informed owners tend to be more supportive of Board business and more likely to become involved as volunteers. Use newsletters to unify and harmonize your community. BACK

Sharing the Good News
Do you have a reliable system to get information to your association members quickly and accurately? Do you request suggestions and feedback? These are all signs of a proactive management style. Proactive managers welcome communication because it lets them know whether they are on track or derailed. As the saying goes, "The light at the end of the tunnel may be the headlight of an oncoming train." Better to know sooner than later.

On the flip side, reactive communications keep the Board on the defensive and are indicative of a crisis management style. With crisis management, nothing gets done unless the smell of tar and feathers is in the air. Under these circumstances, it’s unlikely that the end result will be good. If this is the kind of style your Board has been practicing, consider what kind of environment this creates.

Failure to communicate makes fertile ground for rumor. And rumors can trample on the Board’s initiative and planning. While it’s best to head rumors off at the pass, rumors can sometimes be a way for the Board to identify some unaddressed issues. To deal with them, you might title a newsletter article "Rumor Has It..." and dispel the rumor with the facts.

Here are some great ways to "tell it like it is":

The Internet. Bar none, the Internet is the fastest and cheapest way to interact with the membership. Most folks now have email addresses so why continue to waste time and money on duplication, labels, stamps, envelopes and the US Snail Service if you don’t need to? For about $1/day, your association can have its own website with key information posted and a turbo charged communication system.

Newsletters. These can be as small as one page and as large as the LA Times depending on how much time, budget, volunteer effort and information there is. Pick a format and catchy name and stick with it. Make the information interesting. Decide at budget time how many newsletters there will be and when they will be produced.

Flyer Boxes. Flyers distributed at the mailbox, clubhouse, recycling center and other common points are a quick and cheap way to get the word out but don’t forget to mail to non-resident owners.

Message Board. Very effective if properly located and managed. Don’t let messages stay for more than a week as they blend into the landscape. Keep the board neat and sectioned according to topic.

Owner Forum. Always give the owners a voice at Board Meetings by way of a pre-meeting forum designed to let them speak their mind, ask questions or offer suggestions. To facilitate this, always hold your meetings in a location that is large enough to accommodate guests.

Phone Trees. In the kind of community where folks know each other, phone trees can work well for encouraging meeting attendance, polling or passing on alerts. The idea of a phone tree is that, say, the President calls two people and those call two more, and those four call two more, etc. Each person only needs to make two calls to get all informed.

Welcome Packets. These can include things like the governing documents, budgets, rules and regulations and other need-to-know information. The message should be, as the name implies, "Welcome to the neighborhood!" Include also architectural guidelines, maps, association services, clubhouse and pool schedules, a telephone directory, management and emergency information.

Association Phone Number. This essential tool is often overlooked. Since board members and managers change, why not have a permanent association phone number with voice mail that can alert the right party? Large associations can have a voice mail system that can provide information by category or connect callers with emergency response, repairs, etc.

Clear and frequent communications is fundamental to a successful community. It builds trust and allays fears that grow when folks don’t know what’s going on. Rather than get ground up in a Rumor Mill, share the Good News and watch harmony grow. BACK

Better Letters
Writing effective letters requires skill. In homeowner associations, they deal with a variety of topics. Sometimes they are informational, sometimes happy and sometimes not so happy. Whether you are sending good or bad news, it requires planning. The type of letter you write dictates the format.

Good news should go in the first paragraph. But bad news should be placed further back. The opening paragraph(s) should soften the blow and ease tension. Opening with bad news in the first paragraph will distract the reader from your subsequent explanation and may cause it to be overlooked entirely.

Here are several kinds of letters:

Thank You Letters Thank you letters are particularly important in HOAs since volunteers receive no pay. The least you can do is recognize their efforts. Doing so totally removes the "thankless" part of the job and encourages more volunteers to serve. Write them promptly. A thank you note loses its impact and sincerity long after the fact. Begin with a simple statement describing what you liked and why you liked it.

Rule Violation Letters Enforcing rules on neighbors is one of the touchiest things HOAs deal with. Never automatically accept responsibility on every rule matter. Most rule breaking should be first dealt with directly between affected neighbors. Make sure they try to resolve the issue first before getting involved. Some rule violations break the law (like loud parties). Let the cops handle those.

If the issue truly is the HOA’s responsibility, soften the blow by opening the letter with a statement like "Rules are needed to keep the peace and maintain high value of a cherished and valuable asset, your home. The few rules we have are not meant to be intrusive. They are meant to be inclusive. If all comply, better neighbor relations will result. That’s a good thing, right?" This approach is intended to promote community. Then you get to the heart of the issue. Quote the appropriate section of the governing documents or rules, request compliance by a certain date and offer the option of appeal.

Collection Letters Money is the life blood of a homeowner association. Since there is no government bailout for HOAs, if one member doesn’t pay, the rest have to pony up. This is particularly painful when it comes to special assessments since the amounts tend to be large.

Opening with a philosophical statement similar to the Rule Violation letter is appropriate. But remember that the failure to pay may be more than an unwillingness to pay; it may be an inability to pay (job loss, death, disability, etc.). It’s important to get to the root of the problem quickly, so ask. There may be a payment plan option if warranted, but be careful not to allow the HOA’s bill to sink to the bottom of their pile too quickly. Food and shelter are top priorities. Never allow credit cards, car payments and other less critical expenses to preempt the HOA’s needs. Remember, if they don’t pay, you and the other members will have to pick up the slack.

Back to the meat of a collection letter: Always provide a current balance along with penalty, interest and other charges accruing. Attach a copy of your Collection Policy which discusses what will happen if the bill is not paid. (You have a Collection Policy right? If not, enact one as soon as possible. There are few things more critical in an HOA than cashflow. Include the deadline for payment before the collection moves to the next phase (more penalties, attorney fees, etc.) A collection letter must demand action.

Follow-Up Letters. These are in response to a communication you received. Use this basic structure:

Express thanks for their concern, idea, suggestion etc.
Recap the situation prompting the communication
Assure the recipient of your dedication to the issue
Invite future communication and input

Complaint Letters These should never be written in anger. Cool down by waiting a day or two if that’s what it takes to regain your composure. This is particularly true of email. It’s way too easy to fire off something you regret within seconds after it’s sent. Complaint letters should point to a solution of a problem rather than venting against some injustice. A constructive tone will vastly increase the chances of getting what you want. Follow these steps:

1. Describe the problem.
2. State what is wrong.
3. Say what you’ve done about it so far.
4. Indicate what you want done.
6. Request a response or resolution by a specific date.

Response to Complaint Letters A response to a complaint letter varies depending on if you agree or disagree with the complaint.

To agree:

Admit that the complaint is justified and apologize.
State precisely what you are going to do to correct the problem.
End on a positive note.

To disagree:

Thank the writer for writing.
State the complaint to verify you understand what it is.
Explain the Board's view of it.
State your decision clearly, without apology.
Offer alternatives to help the homeowner

Every HOA letter is an opportunity to promote professionalism, reconciliation and harmony. Use better letter techniques to pave the road. BACK

Sell Your HOA
Whether you're planning a big event, open house, multi-family garage sale, neighborhood block party, or want to recruit community volunteers, success depends on advertising. Here’s how to spread the word.

Radio and television public service announcements
Cable TV message boards
City publications
Local parks and recreation department
Paid advertisements
Press releases to local media
School newspapers
School community service programs
Local professional association and club bulletins
Bulletin boards in libraries, churches, colleges, community centers and other public places
Flyers by mail or hand delivery
Online through your HOA website
Special announcement at city council meetings
Special announcement at local chamber of commerce meetings
Buttons and bumper stickers
Community events and fairs
Volunteer hotlines
Volunteer Recognition Week By Lauren A. Bush BACK

8 Ways to Share The Good News
Do you have a reliable system to get information to your HOA members quickly and accurately? Do you request suggestions and feedback? These are all signs of a proactive management style. Proactive managers welcome communication because it lets them know whether they are on track or derailed. As the saying goes, "The light at the end of the tunnel may be the headlight of an oncoming train." Better to know sooner than later.

On the flip side, reactive communications keep the board on the defensive and are indicative of a crisis management style. With crisis management, nothing gets done unless the smell of tar and feathers is in the air. Under these circumstances, it’s unlikely that the end result will be good. If this is the kind of style the board has been practicing, consider what kind of environment this creates.

Failure to communicate makes fertile ground for rumor and rumors trample on the board’s initiative and planning. While it’s best to head rumors off at the pass, they can sometimes be a way for the board to address issues. Consider a newsletter article "Rumor Has It..." and dispel the rumor with the facts.

Here are eight great ways to "tell it like it is":

1. The Internet. Bar none, the internet is the fastest and cheapest way to interact with the membership. Most folks now have email addresses so why continue to waste time and money on copies, labels, stamps, envelopes and the US Snail Service if you don’t need to? For about $1/day, your HOA can have its own website with key information posted and a turbo charged communication system.

2. Newsletters. These can be as small as one page and as large as the LA Times depending on how much time, budget, volunteer effort and information there is. Pick a format and catchy name and stick with it. Make the information interesting. Decide at budget time how many newsletters there will be and when they will be produced. And rather than print them, use PDF and email them. For more Newsletter Basics, go to www.Regenesis.net

3. Flyer Boxes. Flyers distributed at the mailbox, clubhouse and other common points are a quick and cheap way to get the word out. Don’t forget to mail to non-resident members.

4. Message Board. Very effective if properly located and managed. Don’t let messages stay for more than a week as they blend into the landscape. Keep the board neat and sectioned according to topic.

5. Member Forum. Always give the members a voice at board meetings by way of a pre-meeting Member Forum designed to let them speak their mind, ask questions or offer suggestions. To facilitate this, always hold your meetings in a location that is large enough to accommodate guests.

6. Automated Phone Trees. There are great options available on the internet that allow you to communicate a voice message to a list of phone numbers. See www.voiceshot.com, www.call-em-all.com, www.onecallnow.com and others.

7. Welcome Packets. These can include things like the governing documents, budgets, rules and regulations and other need-to-know information. The message should be, as the name implies, "Welcome to the neighborhood!" Include architectural guidelines, maps, clubhouse and pool schedules, management and emergency contact information. To save paper, put all this information on a CD or, even better, direct them to the HOA website for the latest and greatest.

8. HOA Phone Number. This essential tool is often overlooked. Since board members and managers change, why not have a permanent phone number with voice mail that will alert the right party?

Clear and frequent communications build trust and allay fears that grow when folks don’t know what’s going on. Rather than get ground up in a rumor mill, share the Good News and watch harmony grow. BACK

Push Principle
I force you to act, whether you want to do it or not. You feel no option but to obey. Many forms of persuasion seek to change what people believe such that they act through their own free will. In a push approach, although physical force may not be used, the people feel they are obliged to comply even though may be against their better judgment.

For non-physical pushing, you need power or authority that impacts the needs that the other person. The level of threat needs to be high enough that they feel obliged to comply with your request. In a company this can be the power to dismiss, demote or sideline them.

In business, pushing appears when managers tell their subordinates what to do (as opposed to creating pull by selling them on the idea).

For physical coercion, all you need is to be stronger than them. In countries, the police and military forces have a high coercive capability and are the ultimate tools of government for assuring order in their country. Within companies, security organizations play a similar role. With children, adults physical size gives that power. Between individual adults, coercion can be carried out with physical size, strength, knowledge of martial arts or the use of weapons.

Companies need coercion to eject intruders and the occasional employee who lose control of themselves. In practice, it can be bad publicity and companies will do their best to avoid any form of direct force.

Governments use coercive methods to control and contain criminals (who themselves tend to push more than pull). They also use it in war with their neighbors and enemies, whether they are the aggressor or the defender.

Although not the best moral approach, sometimes push methods are necessary and sometimes it is used as the easy short-term option. Everything has its price, however, and pushing can cost more in such as the longer-term betrayal effects.

Generally speaking, pushing should be minimized wherever possible. Use it only where the greater effort of pulling is inappropriate.

If your child is about to run out into traffic then grabbing them is a prudent form of physical coercion. Parents also face endless dilemmas where pushing may seem necessary. Teenagers tend to listen to their peers more than their parents and parents sometimes fall into push methods to hopefully keep their hormone-ridden children on the straight and narrow.

Pushing works best in situations where you want people to move from their current positions if you use it just to get them moving. For example, you may show them how they will lose their jobs if do not engage in the change activities.

For more, see www.ChangingMinds.org BACK

Repetition Principle
If something happens often enough, I will eventually be persuaded. Play it again, Sam. Music repeated gets under our skin. Advertisements repeated replay themselves when we see the product. Repetition of things has a distinct effect on us.

Repetition creates familiarity, but does familiarity breed contempt? Although it can happen, the reality is that familiarity leads to liking in far more case than it does to contempt. When we are in a supermarket, we are far more likely to buy familiar brands, even if we have never tried the product before. Advertisers know this very well.

An effect that can happen is that repetition repeals any scarcity effect, making something initially less attractive. When I work with a famous person, my initial state of being overawed might soon be replaced by dislike of their annoying habits. With time, however (if they are not too obnoxious) I will probably get used to them and even get to appreciate and like the better parts of their nature.

Repetition can also lead to understanding, as it gives time for the penny to drop. What at first may be strange, after repeated exposure becomes clear and understandable. This is important for companies bringing innovative new products to the market where users may initially unfamiliar with the product or its usage. Remember learning your multiplication tables in junior high school? We have to repeat things more than once for them to finally sink into our memories. Our short-term memories can forget something like a person's name in less than a second. Repetition is one way to get things into longer-term memory.

Some people just have to do things several times before they make up their mind. Think about the last time you bought a pair of shoes. Did you pick them then put them down several times before trying them on? Did you come back to try them again? If so, you are in good company. Many people have to repeat things several times before they get convinced. Three times is common. Sharp sales people know this when they show you something then something else, then back to the first thing a few times.

We can also get persuaded in a negative repetitive way. All children know that if they repeat a request often enough, their parents will cave in. Some remember this when they grow up and get married--the nagging spouse is a legendary icon.

As Pavlov discovered with his dogs, with repetition you can connect a cue or trigger with a selected action. This can be a color, a shape, a tune or a host of other things. The ideal that advertisers search for is that when you see the product in the shop, the pleasant or funny feelings that the advertisement evoked are reawakened, making you somehow want to buy the product (and preferably lots of it!).

A core principle of music is repetition. It appears in runs, trills and stanzas, as well as in pounding rock rhythms and dance music. People dancing in clubs commonly go into trance-like states. Music, rhythm and repetition have a hypnotic effect that can lull people into following a pattern in unthinking ways.

Use friendly repetition to create familiarity and hence liking. Use it to help the other person remember the things you want them to remember. And while you are at it, associate the repetition with a trigger that can re-stimulate good feelings.

Some people have a greater or lesser number of times something needs to happen for them to be convinced. Find out this number by discussing with them times in the past when they became convinced.

For more persuasion principles, see www.ChangingMinds.org BACK

Active Listening Skills
Active listening is a way of responding that focuses attention on the speaker and helps improves mutual understanding. When people talk with one another, they don’t always listen attentively. When people are engaged in a conflict, they are often busy formulating a response to what is being said. They assume that they know what is going to be said, so rather than paying attention, they focus on how they will respond to win their point.

An important awareness for people involved in conflict is an appreciation that problem-solving can’t begin until all parties feel that they have been heard and understood. What has happened? How have they been affected? What do they need? In order to answer these questions it is necessary to put aside ones own concerns, concentrate attention on the person speaking, and really be interested in listening to what he or she has to say. If both parties can do this, the chances of being able to develop a solution to a mutual problem becomes much greater.

The next time someone comes to you with a concern, begin your part of the conversation by asking that person some introductory questions to help them tell their story. For example:

Tell me what happened from your perspective?
How have you been affected?
How do you see this situation?
While the other person is talking use these good listening behaviors:
Face the speaker directly
Do not interrupt
Pay attention to the speaker’s non verbal communication
Pay attention to your own non verbal communication
When the other person has finished, summarize in your own words what you have heard the other party say. For example:

I hear you saying (fill in the blank) Is that right?
So far I have heard you say this…Is that right? Have I missed anything?

If you haven’t gotten it quite right the speaker will give you immediate feedback. Get more information about the other person’s perspective by drawing them out with clarifying questions. Avoid rhetorical questions that indicate you have already reached a conclusion. Also be cautious of the word "why". It most often sounds accusatory or judgmental. Try the following examples instead:

Could you tell me more about (fill in the blank)?
What bothers you most about this situation?
What led you to that conclusion?

Validate the other person’s point of view. You can show that you understand a person’s point of view without agreeing with them. Try to name the party’s feelings without judgment and rephrase in neutral terms. For example:

I hear that you are frustrated (aggravated, disturbed, annoyed, bothered, irritated, etc.) with (name). Is that right?
I am interested in hearing more about this situation from your perspective.

Active listening has several benefits. It forces people to listen attentively to others. It avoids misunderstandings, as people have to confirm that they really understand what another person has said. It tends to open people up, to get them to say more.

Active listening is a skill, and like all skills, takes practice to develop. The next time you are involved in a conflict, try active listening and see if it doesn’t help.

From the City of Beaverton Oregon Dispute Resolution Center BACK

Scarcity Principle
If something is difficult to get, then getting it demonstrates to ourselves and others that we are in control of our environment. Threatening to take something away is showing the other person that you are in control. The desire of scarcity is thus the competitive urge to maintain control.

If you can control supply, then you have a significant lever on demand. The DeBeers company buys huge quantities of diamonds on the world market, simply to keep them scarce so that their high price is maintained.

If something is not scarce, then it is not desired or valued that much. Praises from a teacher who seldom praises are valued more than praises from a teacher who is liberal with his or her praise.

Scarcity is non-linear process. As something becomes more scarce or less scarce, the desire for it does not change in a proportionate way.

If everything is scarce, then scarcity itself lacks its value and people become too used to it. Studies of retail sales have shown that if more than about 30% of goods have sale sticker on them, the effectiveness of this method decreases.

"This week only", "Last one!". Scarcity is a principle known by all retailers who milk it right down to the last drop. If something is rare, it seems we find it somehow more desirable. A shortage of anything sends people scurrying to the shops to stock up (often fueling the shortage and keeping the spiral going).

Scarcity is the lack of something. When we realize that we do not have something, we desire it. Banning it only makes things worse. Just telling someone that they should not do something makes it more desirable. When "Lady Chatterley's Lover" was first published it got banned. Millions of black market copies were sold and it made the author, D. H. Lawrence, famous. People flock to see a heavily censored film. Music which is banned on radio stations shoots up the charts.

Competition uses the scarcity principle, as only one person or team can win. This also highlights the social nature of scarcity: we judge ourselves against others. When they have things we do not, we become jealous.

Parents often try to control children in their rationing of attention and affection. Children soon pick up on this and play the game in reverse.

The natural rebelliousness of teenagers comes out in scarcity games as parents restricting what their children actually cause them to rebel. "Don't you dare take drugs" may actually be the wrong thing to say, particularly if the child has a contrarian nature.

This game continues in other forms as we grow to adulthood, and telling people not do to things perpetuates the "banned substances" game. You can ration pretty much anything, including goods, time, attention, friendliness, agreement and so on. Create envy, showing how people have what you are selling. Indicate how the supply is running short as everyone else getting one.

For more persuasion principles, see www.ChangingMinds.org BACK