In Part 1 of this series, I explored the reasons why condominium associations, homeowner associations, and cooperatives by and large fail to engage in meaningful long range planning. If a failure to plan is a plan to fail, how can community associations plan to succeed?
BREAKING IT DOWN
Long range planning can be defined as the establishment of a strategy to successfully navigate the foreseeable future. The basic planning process will involve 5 key steps.
Step 2: Identify the core purpose of the association
Step 3: Set goals to work towards that purpose
Step 4: Decide what practical steps (“objectives”) will be necessary to reach the goals
Step 5: Establish the plan to regularly review progress and update the plan as needed
KEYS TO SUCCESS
Thoughtfully selecting the team to take on this project is the first key to success. Each association has to take into consideration the availability of, and commitment to, human and financial resources. Getting a broad range of input is vital. An ad hoc committee including community members can be extremely valuable, especially since the final plan will need community support to have lasting impact. Leaders who allow the planning group to drive the process and who allow the collected data to tell the story are likely to garner support and succeed. Those who impose preconceived notions about the end result upon the group will destroy both creativity and the integrity of the final product.
Bill Selfridge, the chairman of an HOA ad hoc planning committee, shared why his Association took great care to bring diversity to his group,
“Our community has many members who have expertise and interest in different areas. When we established our working group, we were able to assign specific focus areas to people who expressed an interest in and a willingness to be the coordinator those areas. We identified 9 areas; everything from governance to communications, to clubhouse administration. We endeavored to take into account the diversity of approaches and ideas and opinions. That sometimes translated into very spirited, but extremely valuable dialogue, resulting in a much sounder plan.”
The person designated to lead planning sessions must be objective, patient, focused, and trusted. Bill’s HOA decided to engage me as an outside facilitator. He explains,
“We realized that with all the various viewpoints of the work group participants that it was important to provide for objectivity and subject matter expertise through a proven and qualified facilitator to help us maintain focus and work through the rough spots. We also had to agree that the meetings were his show. We found a facilitator who had the industry experience, the countenance, and the people skills that the group could respect. It made a big difference.
This is Part 2 of a 6 part series. In Part 3, I will dive into each of the 5 basic planning steps help you visualize how your condo, HOA, or coop can actually make this happen. Stay tuned!