12 Tips for Driving Decisions (Part 1)

I recently had an epiphany about what four decades of leadership and project management experience has finally prepared me to do: I am now the president of our homeowners association.

A bit on our HOA its board of directors: The board is comprised of seven homeowners who are elected to a three-year term. Four are officers (president, vice-president, secretary and treasurer), and three are directors. I have served on the board in years past as the treasurer, but this is my first tour of duty as president.

We represent 24 homeowners, mostly in the 50+ age range. Many of the homeowners have winter homes elsewhere to escape the rainy months in the Pacific Northwest. It's a beautiful community, and by and large everyone gets along just fine. But there certainly are some disagreements—not only among homeowners, but between homeowners and the board; among the board; and between the board and external entities such as the city government.

The disagreements can range from a homeowner objecting to a neighbor smoking tobacco (or other substance) on their balcony and a homeowner not complying with our rules and regulations, to major issues with the city or significant third-party providers like our fire alarm monitoring company.

Most all of the disagreements land on the steps of the board, which is accountable for driving resolution. I liken some of the issues to working in a hospital emergency room; you never quite know when the next injury is going to be wheeled in.

Read more at ProjectManagement.com.