Is your HOA Using the Whack-A-Mole Method for Administrative Processes?

Reflect on your homeowners association (HOA) Board meetings. Are you jumping from one task to another? Are you just putting out fires? Maybe your Board is using the Whack-A-Mole method of managing administrative issues. Are you familiar with it? An issue pops up, and you WHACK it. Another issue…..and WHACK. But, there’s always a crisis waiting in the wings.

Bad habits and poor administrative methods are passed down from one Board member to another. The eventual result is an HOA Board that looks like it suffers from ADHD. Each person is whacking at some type of a crisis, but there’s little if anything that is accomplished.

You can add some structure to your efforts by using the best practices of community association management, develop a management plan. Your management plan will provide specific priorities and associated timelines. So, let’s say you designate two hours to preparing for the upcoming Board meeting. When you know that you only have two hours, you’ll find a way to complete the task because you’ve added focuse and structure.

Start grouping some of your activities together. You have heard the expression, “So-and-so is on a roll.” It means that he or she is focused and is doing one similar action after another. This person is getting things done. With a whack-a-mole method, you cannot get or stay on a roll.

Help your Board members become proactive planners. With the exception of emergencies, the plan is followed. Everyone on your Board knows the plan, follows the plan and is committed to its success. You’ll be surprised what a little structure can help you accomplish. Managing your time….not multitasking….gets things done!

It does not take much loss of structure for moles to run amok through your association. So watch out for the return of Whack-A-Mole. The secret of helping your Board stay on task is to start with the Mini-Time. It doesn’t matter which activity you choose. Pick one. Then start working on the task. End on Time. And there you have success.

Will you still resort to Whack-A-Mole? Absolutely. There are always times when you’ll be overwhelmed with things to do, and that’s the ideal breeding ground for moles. You have to recognize and then force yourself back to your mini-time.

Stamp out those moles, and implement some mini-times that work for you. Encourage other Board members to do the same. You’ll accomplish more. You’ll sleep better. And you’ll enjoy life more. A triple win for each of you when you stamp out the moles.