Issue link: https://www.cominghomemag.com/i/1535518
36 COMING HOME MAGAZINE ASK A COMMUNITY MANAGER Q How Can Our Board Improve Teamwork? AN EXPERT CRACKS THE CODE ON STRONGER COLLABORATION. I've helped numerous boards level up their partnership and professional skills. To build on teamwork, I always recommend you: Communicate with one another. Communication is key in any business. Set consistent and open lines of communication, like regular board meetings, emails, and online platforms, to share information and ideas freely. Additionally, you can use these avenues to show thanks. Letting fellow board members know they're appreciated can go a long way in boosting camaraderie and morale. Establish clear roles. As a board member, it's vital to understand your role and how your contributions fit into the board's overall objective. Clearly define each board member's role and responsibilities to avoid confusion and confirm everyone knows what's expected of them. When each person is on top of their duties, operations are smooth, and the board stays on track. Attend board seminars together. Seminars usually entail networking opportunities, learning sessions, and social hours. Attending these events together fosters a collaborative environment, encourages friendships, promotes team pride, and motivates the group to lead more effectively. Just be sure the seminars are within budget and appropriate for your community. Have conflict resolution practices. While leaders have the common goal of enhancing association life, miscommunications or strong personalities can result in disagreements and discontent. Being able to quickly and easily resolve conflicts means your team can remain productive and connected. Implement structured conflict resolution strategies, have honest discussions, and involve your community association manager to get things squared away. Everyone has the ability to be a good team player. When you're respectful, open-minded, and ready to offer a helping hand, the power of your board is sure to grow." " Deidre McCarthy, CMCA®, AMS®, is the director of operations for Homeside Properties, Inc. With more than 10 years of experience, she's helped clients develop game-changing strategies to work better together, lead successfully, and bring their community's vision to life. Serving on a community association board of directors is a big job. Juggling financial, administrative, maintenance, and other tasks can be stressful and overwhelming, especially if the team doesn't work well together. A community's board must support, trust, and lean on one another to lead successfully. A well-run team strengthens a community's spirit, meets goals, and accomplishes more. We asked: what can boards do to improve teamwork? Here's what our expert, Deidre McCarthy, CMCA®, AMS®, director of operations for Homeside Properties, Inc., had to say.