If you oversee an HOA, you want the association to run smoothly. The last thing you want is a community that lacks faith in your ability to provide proper management. The monthly HOA meetings are crucial, especially if you want to keep the residents happy. If you're new to HOA management, don't let your lack of experience keep you from carrying out your duties. Here are four steps that will help you provide effective HOA meetings.

Provide Advanced Notice

Even if your HOA meetings are on the same day each month, you still need to provide your community members with advanced notice. Don't just remind them about the date of the meeting; include specific information about the topics that will be discussed. This will not only keep members up-to-date about the meetings, it will also allow them to prepare for the topics that will be covered. This is particularly important if controversial topics will be discussed during those meetings.

Encourage Participation

Your HOA meetings should do more than simply disseminate information to the community members. Your meetings should be forums where members feel comfortable sharing their feelings about important issues. To keep your HOA meetings as effective as possible, it's important for you to encourage participation among all community members. One way to do that is to provide a question box in the office. Prior to the meeting, community members will be able to submit questions that they want to have discussed. During the meeting, you can cover those questions that have been asked. Not only will those questions be answered, but the forum will also allow other members to learn from the information provided.

Stick to the Agenda

When it comes to HOA meetings, you want to stick to the agenda. Deviating from the agenda can interfere with the effectiveness of the meeting. Prior to the meeting, create a specific agenda, including the allotted time for each item of business. If you begin to run out of time for a specific item of business, or the discussion sways off topic, call the meeting back to order and continue. This will ensure that your meeting doesn't fall into chaos.

Seek Outside Assistance

If you've noticed that your HOA meetings are no longer as effective as they should be, or there is discord within the community, it might be time to seek outside assistance. Hiring a separate association management service such as Duval Realty Inc. will ensure that your community is properly served.