AVOIDING THE ANNUAL MEETING FROM HELLAny association could face this challenge: when your membership is upset with a pending action, and out for blood at the annual meeting. Avoid the pain with these simple tips.

COMMUNICATE EARLY AND OFTENAcknowledging the elephant in the room is a good first step to avoiding meeting hell. You already know the members will be coming to the meeting, and why.

Head them off at the pass by giving them a clear agenda, communicating when their issue will be discussed (it is on the agenda, right?) and laying out the facts as clearly and fairly as possible, in writing.

GET TO THE POINTYes, you are following Roberts Rules of Order and so have to go through old business before you can get to new business, but the more time you spend on other topics, the more your members will be stewing.

So keep committee reports short, and table anything that isn’t absolutely needed to be included for general membership until a future board meeting, and get to the topic at hand as quickly as possible.

STRICTLY ENFORCE TIME LIMITSIt’s very important that everyone feels they are being treated fairly. Enforcing time limits for speakers (on both sides) is vital to create an atmosphere of fairness.

This does not mean that members should be cut off, shouted down, or made to feel as if their opinion does not matter. Use active listening techniques to show the speaker that you understand the question or comment that they made.

STAY CALMIt goes without saying that neither you nor anyone on the board can afford to get upset or argue with upset members.

If you allow your emotions to get the better of you, even if you are right, you, your organization, and the board can come out looking poorly to the membership, which is a great way to find yourself looking for a new way to spend your evenings.

MANAGE YOUR EXPECTATIONSThe idea is to get everyone present calm enough to discuss the situation and to reach a conclusion that is satisfactory to all.

But it’s not all rainbows and unicorns. Don’t expect that everyone will instantly take your side. Manage your expectations and work to achieve a reasonable compromise.

MAKE AN ACTION PLAN (AND PROMISE TO FOLLOW IT!)People want action to be taken on the matter they are passionate about, and often the promises they are looking for are as simple as increased communication or improved process.

Make a motion, and clearly outline a way to take action that will satisfy the membership.

REQUEST ACTION FROM THE MEMBERSHIPGive your members a next step as well, whether that is a survey to fill out, or a letter/email to write, or something more concrete and related to the issue.

Having an action item makes them feel as if they are part of the solution, and can help channel their anger to a more productive activity.

TELL THEM WHAT YOU TOLD THEMAn old country saying goes:

Tell ‘em what you’re gonna tell ‘em, Tell ‘em, Then tell ‘em what you just told ‘em.

In this case, close the topic by reminding members what the issue was, what action items (promises) you/the board have agreed on, and what requests for actions you’d like the membership to perform.

(It also helps to repeat the “tell ‘em” step again in writing in the next newsletter.)

FOLLOW THROUGHLast, but far from least is to follow through on the promises you made, suggestions/feedback you received, and questions that were raised.

Show the membership that they will be heard, that their opinion is important, and that they can make a difference - and they will!

LEARN MORE

The TOPS CAM Blog is a resource for professional managers of community associations.

Subscribe to get more great tips for association managers!

camblog.topssoft.com