TOO MANY By Diana Carlson MS, CMCA


MEETINGS & NOT GETTING ANYTHING DONE?


10 STEPS TO FEWER, MORE PRODUCTIVEMEETINGS


#1


Hold ONLY as many meetings as necessary to get the job done.


The fewer the better. Make meetings worthwhile with meaningful, productive work. (*See


Operations Handbook, point #6.) Meet to create value and understanding for the members of your community. Everyone can read a report so there is no reason to have a meeting to listen to someone read a report or review architectural requests. These are some of the very items that can be sent electronically, especially if there is no action required after review of the information. Anything “FYI” can be handled electronically to cut down on meetings.


#2


Get rid of half of your meetings, or more!


Analyze past meetings and if there are redundant topics, handle those items by email


or consolidate in a future meeting. Don’t hold an in-person or virtual meeting just because you’ve always done it that way. Communities tend to manage by seasons of the year, so meet on that same schedule. In the fall, meet once and plan for the winter. In the winter, meet once and plan for the spring and so on. Once you get organized to think in terms


14 Community Associations Journal | April 2023 #3


of seasonal tasks, quarterly meetings will probably suffice. Community newsletters and socials could use the quarterly schedule, too. A quarterly newsletter packed full of interesting and necessary information will likely get more attention by your readers and quarterly socials may find more people attending.


Once you get organized to think in terms of seasonal tasks, quarterly meetings will probably suffice.


Use technology; automate whenever you can.


If your governing documents permit, use electronic communication whenever it will work


as well or better than a meeting. Make sure to require electronic acknowledgement of your emails. People will adapt to this form of communication. Always add pertinent


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