Board Direction, Oversight, and Accountability
The Board acts as a fiduciary for the Association as a whole, owing duties of care, loyalty, and good faith to all owners
Management is responsible for day-to-day execution; the Board is responsible for setting direction and exercising oversight
Clear direction, written expectations, and periodic review are how the Board ensures management has what it needs to succeed
Rules Should Be Kept Current and Credible
Rules should reflect the community’s values, be understandable, and have collective buy-in
Rules that exist on paper but are rarely enforced create confusion and invite arbitrary or inconsistent action
If a rule matters, it should be enforced consistently; if it does not, it should be revisited and changed
Decision-Making and the Written Record
Board decisions should follow a clear, predictable process so owners understand when resolutions are being developed, when input is needed, what expertise is being considered, and when decisions are likely to be made
Minutes should help owners who could not attend understand what was discussed and decided
Clear records reduce confusion, prevent disputes later, and make it easier for owners to stay informed without attending every meeting
Making Tradeoffs Explicit
Nearly every Board decision involves tradeoffs among cost, risk, timing, and impact
When tradeoffs are explicit, owners are better able to understand decisions and hold the Board accountable for outcomes over time
Leaving tradeoffs implicit allows decisions to default quietly, without owners understanding what was weighed or why