This week's tip is a double-header: I'm sharing two tips on

avoiding board burnout.

First, limit the number of seats to fill.

The smaller your board, the more owners you have on deck that you

can ask jump in when current board members feel stretched to the

limit. "Don't ever go with a bigger board than you absolutely

need," says Bob Tankel, principal at Robert L. Tankel PA in

Dunedin, Fla., a law firm that advises associations.

He told us, "I got a call recently from a board member from a

community with 35 units and seven people on the board. I said,

'Are you crazy? In Florida, you can amend your documents down to

three board members by law.' Get by on the smallest board your

state allows."

Second, break positions into small pieces, wherever possible.

"What scares people away from being on the board is the fact

that it's too much of a commitment," Bob told us. "If you can

take apart various roles and give everybody a teaspoonful, it's

better than everybody having to swallow a gallon."

Bob explained, "You've often got people wearing two hats--a

policy-making hat and a policy-executing hat. You may be able to

get someone to say, 'I'll be the recording secretary. I'll come

to the meetings, take minutes, and leave. I don't want to be

tasked with making policy.' Or maybe you've got someone who's

willing to be in charge of security but who doesn't want to

attend board meetings. That person can just keep an eye out to

make sure people are following security rules and then let the

board know if there are problems. By taking apart the pieces of

what makes the association run and giving smaller pieces to

different people, you'll be a lot better off."

Get two more ways to fight HOA board member burnout--read our

new article (free access).

Best regards,

Matt Humphrey

President