Motivating Members
Every well-run organization depends upon interested and involved members for its success. Each new volunteer brings fresh ideas and differing perspectives for the association. Therefore, recruiting volunteers should be a top priority.

Recruitment is an on-going activity. One effective recruitment technique is for members to encourage their friends to become involved in the community. Another technique is for block captains to be responsible for recruiting their neighbors. Many associations sponsor functions such as a dinner or a block party which double as membership drives. Having interesting speakers at meetings is an additional way to attract potential volunteers.

People are impressed with a community that works together and gets results. Some neighbors need to see visible results of what an association can do before they volunteer their time. To motivate members, a new board should start working as early as possible on small, visible, quickly resolvable issues, which have been identified as concerns in the community.

After a successful completion of a project, it is important to make sure residents know that the association was responsible for the accomplishment! A newsletter is a good way to keep the membership informed on an on-going basis. Once others realize what the association can accomplish, they are likely to be inspired to participate.

Motivate people by making them feel important. Make sure all residents feel welcome at meetings. Encourage new residents to participate and be responsive to their needs and suggestions. The results will soon become apparent in your well-managed and harmonious homeowners association.

Linda A. Bartel, AMS®, LSM®, PCAM®
Principal Management Group of Houston
Houston, TX