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Teamwork Articles |
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Missed
Opportunities Benjamin Franklin said, "One today is worth two tomorrows." His words point out a real danger for all of us: while dreaming about a better tomorrow, we can neglect today.
There was a very cautious man And when one day he passed away, Erosion & The Frog The Bible records the erosion of a great man named Solomon. Blessed with royal blood and an abundance of brains, the mark of excellence was upon him. Wisdom, loyalty, diplomacy, faithfulness and efficiency characterized him. His achievements were nothing short of phenomenal. He had it all. Things slowly began to change. Solomon became irrational and even skeptical of things he once held precious. He died a debauched and satiated cynic believing that life was all "vanity and striving after the wind" (Ecclesiastes 2:26b). Deterioration is never sudden. No building "suddenly" crumbles. No nation "suddenly" becomes a mediocre power. Slowly, almost imperceptibly, certain things are accepted that once were rejected. Thing once considered hurtful are now secretly tolerated. That "way which seems right" becomes, in fact "the way of death." Solomon wrote that. He ought to know. Erosion: Imperceptible. Relentless. Preventable. Guard your heart and mind. Remember the frog. From "Growing Strong in the Seasons of Life" by Chuck Swindoll BACK Market Your
Community - Radio/TV public service announcements
Carving Out Margin Yet work is only a portion of our overload problem. We have too many choices and decisions, too many activities, commitments, change, speed and hurry. We have too many expectations. We are a piled on, exhausted society. We need to restore "margin", the space between our load and our limits. Margin is breathing room. Without it, we are self-protective and painfully uninterested in opportunities to serve others. Without margin, we are chronically rushed, late and exhausted. Marginless people are not concerned about building a better world, only surviving another day. Margin provides the space we need to nourish our relationships. Here are some ways of carving out that margin:
Build margin in your life builds a better team player. An old proverb says, "When God created time, He made plenty of it." He is a God of green pastures and still waters where He restores souls. "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest". Matthew 11:28 By Richard A. Swenson BACK
Persuasivity So how can the average person develop this ability? It’s simple. Will Rogers said "You must know what you’re doing, love what you’re doing and believe in what you’re doing." These three directives are the answer. Study them. Internalize them. Apply them daily. By G. Harold McLeod BACK
Code of Conduct Act in the Community’s Interests. Directors will strive for the common good of the association, forgoing personal interests. Lawful Actions. All board actions will comply with the governing documents and the law. High Standards of Conduct. Conduct should be above reproach and avoid the appearance of impropriety. Mutual Respect. Directors will address other directors and homeowners with respect, even when in disagreement. Meeting Attendance. Directors will attend all board meetings. Be Prepared. Directors will come prepared to meetings by reviewing the agenda and related materials before the meeting and listen attentively and courteously. Confidentiality. Directors will maintain confidentiality of highly sensitive information and respect the privacy of all owners. Positive Attitude. Directors will encourage employees, managers and contractors to promote better performance and teamwork. Support and Loyalty. Directors will respect the authority of the Board by not undermining majority decisions. Respect the Rules. Directors will obey Association rules to set a positive example for others. Pay Assessments. Directors will remain current in all fees owed to the Association. Promote Harmony. Directors will promote community harmony in act, word and deed. A Code of Conduct controls caustic communications, curtails conflicts and calms cantankerous communities. Adopt one today! BACK
Regrowing Volunteers Unfortunately, due to the Roman’s overzealous application, VOD has been outlawed and we moderns must now woo volunteers with psychology and appeal to their Inner Mother Hen. Whether this is shameless manipulation or for their own good, regrowing volunteers remains a core HOA activity. So how does this wooing work? Corner New Members New members are usually excited about their new home and looking for ways to get involved. Before they lose this feeling, recruit them for the Board or a committee. Success Breeds Success An effective board will attract successful people. Communicating goals and accomplishments with enthusiasm reinforces that perception and acts like a subtle magnet. The message should be "This train is headed somewhere and YOU should hop aboard!" Recognition Publicizing accomplishments and letting people know they are needed works. Newsletters should portray the HOA as a can-do group. If there is a shortage of candidates, make announcements, run advertisements and post bulletins. Use humor and keep the message simple. Recognize those people who serve by name. Hand out awards at both the Annual and Board Meetings. Establish a Special Service Award for those who, on their own, see a community need and fill it. Put money in the budget to cover small gifts, plaques, certificates and the like. Trim Board Meetings. Too many meetings is a supreme turn-off. The HOA system was designed to work with, generally, four Board Meetings a year and those meetings should be limited to two hours each. Properly organized, business can be accomplished and be more attractive to busy people. Personal Motivations People have personality traits that can be satisfied by volunteerism. Here are a few: Solitary. Being solitary is state of mind which is often self imposed by feelings of inadequacy. An invitation to volunteer can be a great encouragement. Guilt. An oft overlooked recruitment tool is a person’s tortured soul, uh, I mean, feelings of remorse. There are many that know they should be less self-centered and actually feel guilty about it. Why not provide an outlet to that feeling? Fear of Loss. While a home is a person’s castle, it can also represent a person’s biggest personal asset. Many people join the Board to protect their own interests. This is a good reason as long as it doesn’t interfere with the good of the community. Creating New Relationships. Some relish the idea of new friends and acquaintances. Meeting a Challenge. While some are dog tired at the end of the day, some meet little challenge on the job and see great possibilities in serving the HOA. Socializing. Being a volunteer needn’t be all business. Maintaining a sense of humor and socialization can make it something to look forward to. As the Romans spread their message through out the ancient world with comments like "Who would like to volunteer for galley slave duty?" and "Row well, #41, and live!", the term "volunteer" got a very bad reputation. Fortunately, the job description now has a noble meaning and volunteers can find fulfillment in many exciting ways. Plant that garden and regrow yours. BACK
Life Skills Checklist So what defines a good leader in the first place? Leadership is not just about accumulation of knowledge and information. It’s about achieving as many of these life skills as possible:
No one is born with these traits. All are learned through life experiences. Often the best teacher is failure. Failure helps develop humility which opens the doors to learning many of the other life skills. Having some of them is great. Having them all is a lifetime achievement. Look for those that have lived life and learned its lessons without being crushed in spirit. BACK
Envisioning Volunteers Raising volunteers takes the "vision" thing. Board candidates should be sought out months before election time. The goal is to find people with the experience and ability to serve. Many good candidates fail to step forward because the job is not explained to them properly. There is a natural fear of the unknown, fear of being trapped in an open ended commitment. A huge part of wooing volunteers is defining it in terms that make it clear it’s something to look forward to, not endless drudgery or worse. Painting a "vision" is everything. So what kinds of things will help set that vision? Scheduled Meetings in Advance. There is no reason that board meetings can’t be scheduled a year in advance. Scheduling meetings far in advance sets deadlines for accomplishment. It identifies points in time when decisions will be made at predictable intervals rather than on the fly. Planning far in advance eliminates the excuse that someone is already booked. It also gives the members the impression that the board is steering the HOA ship instead of being keel-hauled behind it. Getting Business Done. Serious volunteers want to know that real business will take place, not just cheap talk. All meetings should have an "action" agenda. An Action Agenda calls for, as the title implies, decisions. Instead of "Discuss Landscape Contract", try "Approve Landscape Contract" which implies action. Use the same concept for all agenda items. Distribute Agenda in Advance. Many meetings waste time defining what the agenda items are. Rather than show up and take on anything that comes up, narrow the field before the meeting so business can actually get accomplished. This means eliminating or deferring less important items. The well defined agenda should include supporting information and recommendation for decisions. In other words, "The committee recommends that the plan be adopted as presented." This approach points to decisions, not discussion. All of this should be distributed at least 3-7 days in advance. Keep supporting information as brief and to the point as possible. No one wants to wade through piles of files. Time Limit Your Meetings. Most would-be volunteers have full lives and endless meetings are a real turn-off. They usually happen because there is no agenda to begin with and discussion is allowed to meander aimlessly. Agree that meetings will not last longer than two hours and that all agenda items need to be covered during that time. Keep your promise. It’s up to the Chair to move things along. If your meetings tend to drone on, use a kitchen timer that "dings!" when the time limit has run out on each agenda item. Follow Meeting Protocol. Roberts Rules came about for a very good reason: Unstructured meetings will often deteriorate into chaos if there are no rules to guide the discussion and decision making. An abbreviated version of Roberts Rules will generally suffice at HOA board meetings. Follow this Cardinal Rule: If at least two people aren’t interested in discussing a topic, move on. If two do, one makes a motion and the other seconds the motion. Discussion should follow an alternating pro and con scenario. When the pros and cons start to repeat, vote on the motion and be done with it. Open Meetings. To eliminate suspicion and rumors, board meetings should be open to all owners for the purpose of auditing (that means "to listen", not participate.) Allow for an owner forum preceding the meeting to answer questions or allow members to make statements. Once the meeting starts, they should be welcome to stay but not interrupt business. To make that clear, have them sit away from the board meeting table. The value of maintaining open meetings is to eliminate the "us and them" mentality that can crop up when meetings are closed. Few neighbors want to be at odds with their neighbors. It’s important not to create an illusion of pecking order. If non-board members are welcome to the meetings, they’ll get a taste of what happens and could become potential volunteers. Keep a Sense of Humor. To attract and hold volunteers, it’s very important to keep business from becoming ponderous or confrontational. There are few topics in HOAs that are life or death. If someone gets overwrought or agitated, it’s time to ratchet up the Mirthmeter. If a particular member makes a habit of being obnoxious, insist in private that they either leave it at home, not attend the meeting or step down off the board, as it applies. Serious volunteers want to know that their time will be well spent. Woo them with a well defined mission and envision whirled peas, uh, more volunteers. BACK
Essential Professionals The Attorney. Only work with an attorney with expertise in HOA law. Typically, there are very few such attorneys and some specialize in working with developers. Look for those that work with HOA boards. Ask local HOA management companies for references. Do not use an HOA member attorney since there is an unavoidable conflict of interest. Designate one board member to interact with the attorney, usually the board president. This not only controls costs, but eliminates confusion and miscommunication. The HOA’s attorney is legal counsel to the homeowner association. He does not represents the board, a board member or general member. What Attorneys Do:
The Certified Public Accountant (CPA).
The Insurance Agent.
Having a team of these three professionals will serve the HOA’s core and essential needs. Identify those experts in your area and put them to good use. BACK
Understanding Change A well-known psychological experiment started with five monkeys in a cage. Inside the cage, a banana was hung on a string and a set of stairs was placed under the banana. Before long, one monkey went to the stairs and started to climb towards the banana. But as soon as he placed one foot on the stairs, all of the monkeys were sprayed with cold water. After a while, another monkey made an attempt with the same result - all the monkeys are sprayed with cold water. After this action was repeated a third time with the same result, when the fourth monkey tried to climb the stairs all of the other monkeys tried to prevent it. Then one monkey was removed from the cage and replaced with a new one and the cold water was stopped. The new monkey sees the banana and starts to climb the stairs but to his surprise all of the other monkeys attacked him. After another attempt followed immediately by another attack, the newest monkey has learned his lesson and does not try again to climb the stairs. A second of the original five monkeys is replaced with a new one. This newcomer goes to the stairs and is attacked and the previous newcomer takes part in the punishment with enthusiasm. Then the third original monkey is replaced with a new one, then the fourth and then the fifth. Every time the newest monkey takes to the stairs he is attacked. At the end, the monkeys that are beating the newest addition have no idea why they were not permitted to climb the stairs or why they are participating in the beating of the newest monkey as none of the remaining monkeys have ever been sprayed with cold water. Nevertheless, no monkey ever again approaches the stairs to try for the banana. This experiment depicts a tendency in human beings to do things the same way that they have always been done, even though it may not make sense any longer. "That's the way we have always done it" is not a very good answer. Instead, consider the statement, "That is the best way that we have come up with so far." That leaves things open to the possibility of improvement. BACK
Art of Recruitment There is an art to recruiting volunteers. Posting a notice is not the right approach. You must woo them on many levels and over time. Here are a couple of proven methods: Communicate Regularly. A frequent complaint of members is not being kept informed. To draw out volunteers, it's critical that they know there is an ongoing need. Also, some members develop a suspicious nature about board motives when kept in the dark and use it as an excuse not to be involved. Let them know what you're up to early and often! Repeated pleas for help will have their effect. A newsletter and flyer distribution box (the kind used by real estate agents) is an inexpensive and convenient way to get the word out. Give Credit Where Credit is Due. People love recognition. Make sure that directors, committee members and other volunteers are given formal recognition for their efforts by way of meetings, minutes and newsletters. Use every opportunity where there is an audience. Be specific in your praise. For example, point out members that show superior landscaping abilities. (They are obvious candidates for the Landscape Committee). Award Certificates of Achievement at the annual meeting. Remember to recognize faithful volunteers doing more mundane day to day tasks like light bulb replacement or trash pick up. It is a wise board that makes a point of recognizing mere effort for its own merits. Socialize the Membership. People tend to want to help those that they know personally. However, many are shy and don't make friends easily. The HOA can promote several social events annually to facilitate the process. Consider a spring clean-up party, pool party or just plain potluck. It will help create "community" and break down barriers. Assign Real Jobs to Do. It's been said, "A committee takes minutes and wastes hours." There is nothing more frustrating than a job with no job description or substance. There is real work to do at each homeowner association. Directors and committee members should have clear "marching orders" detailing exactly what the objectives are, the time frame and the money available to help get the task done. Be an Encourager. It is incumbent on the board to take the lead in cultivating volunteers. The successful leader motivates by persuasion and not authority. Remember, "A servant does not lower himself but elevates others." The Ask. This is a little used technique. Many folks don't think they're needed or talented enough. A personal request can go a long way in getting these folks to step up. Something as simple as, "You know, you would be really good at (fill in the blank)." You will be surprised how many will respond with "yes". Respect Their Time. Part of what keeps volunteers away is fear of over commitment. The board should be very sensitive to time demands on volunteers. Board meetings should be few and goal focused. Limit meetings to two hours. With proper scheduling and timed agendas, HOA business can get done with a minimum of time and fuss. When wooing volunteers, make sure to explain the time requirements for the job. The properly managed HOA should demand hours, not days or weeks of volunteer time each year. Demystify the Job. While having special training or talent can be a bonus to a board or committee position, it isn't required. Encourage those that simply want to serve because they have the time and interest. Aim High. Look for ways to pique interest of high achievers. If you aim too low, folks don't think you need them. Identify several projects that take real thought, planning and work but demonstrate visible results. Assign those special projects to members that like to "gitter done". 365 Recruiting. The month prior to the Annual Meeting is not the only time to look for board candidates and volunteers. New members often have an interest in getting plugged in and are ripe for the picking at move in. Whenever a special project or event materializes, look outside the board for someone to do it. One Trick Pony. Provide options for "one project" volunteers. Some folks like the idea of a short term commitment to get one thing done. One project volunteers are the training ground for long term volunteers. Getting the ball rolling to increase participation is one of the most rewarding efforts a board can achieve. In a motivated homeowner association, a synergy develops with a result that far exceeds the sum of the parts. Use volunteer art to fill this void. BACK Making
Nice What exactly is a "good" neighbor? To be one, you don't need to be friends or hang out together. Being a good neighbor is an attitude. A good neighbor attitude allows you to live as privately or as sociably as you wish. Here's how to cultivate and nurture it: Meet Them. While marching up to their door with hand extended is great, the chance encounter works well too. Introduce yourself at the mailbox, while walking the dog or when you take out the trash. Learn their names and offer a cordial "Hello" or "Good Morning" when you see them. Keep Them Informed. Contact them before undertaking something that might affect them, such as hosting a big party, building a fence, cutting down a tree or getting a dog. Be Aware of Differences. Age, faith, ethnic background and marital status can drastically affect lifestyles. Be aware of the differences between you but home in on what you have in common. Point of View. From your neighbor's viewpoint, how does your compost pile, swing set or junk car look? Would you like that view? (If you do, refer to your neighbor's viewpoint). Be Appreciative. If a neighbor does something you like, tell them! They'll be pleased that you noticed the new awning, patio furniture, plants, etc. Assume the Best. Most people don't intentionally create problems. Assume the neighbor doesn't know about the annoyance when you speak to them. Your delivery will be dramatically kinder. And assume they will be cooperative. Be Candid. If your neighbors do something that bothers you, let them know as soon as possible. Be Calm. When discussing a point of contention, speak calmly, listen carefully and thank them for telling you how they feel. You don't have to agree or justify your behavior. If you don't react defensively, anger usually subsides, lines of communication remain open and resolution is possible. Take Your Time. If caught in angry confrontation, take a break to reflect and finish the discussion when cooler heads prevail. Don't leave it hanging. Time and lack of resolution will intensify hostilities. Best Advice of All. Treat others as you would like to be treated. This attitude will pave the way for good neighborliness. Love your neighbor as yourself. BACK |
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