Measures To Implement When Board Members Fail To Make Decisions

The inability to make decisions in a timely manner is one of the biggest deterrents to the completion of projects and general development in an HOA.  When the same topic keeps being brought up but no consensus is reached even after hours of discussion, that means progress is interrupted and time gets wasted.  Highlighted below are a few measures you can use to avoid indecisiveness and make your decision-making process more efficient.

 

When HOA board members are having trouble reaching a final decision, it might be due to them having little knowledge about the topic and they’re unaware of the consequences.  For that reason, it would be ideal for them to study the topic thoroughly prior to the meeting.

If you have a page on the HOA website designated for posting topic resources and study materials, that would likely help board members stay informed.  Alternatively, consider sending an email to members a week before the meeting so they have time to look over the material and reach a conclusion.

 

On occasion, members discuss a single topic for hours on end without focusing on the final decision because no definite timeline has been set for the topic.  Some HOA’s not only have a deadline but also a huge stopwatch in the board room to keep members constantly aware of the schedule, and this is very effective.

 

Making decisions and implementing them shouldn't’t be the end goal.  It would be best if you delegated time towards finding out how the decision affected the HOA and whether or not the issue was actually resolved.  The delegate could monitor the views of homeowners on the HOA website to see if the results are popular.
The tactics discussed above should help your HOA board streamline the decision-making process.  When members have a good understanding of the matters at hand before the meeting, decisions are often made more efficiently so the community ultimately benefits from the outcome.