Page 7 - Nevada Cooperator February 2019

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THE NEVADA COOPERATOR —
FEBRUARY 2019
7
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Managing Board Conflict
How to Maintain Harmony
BY MIKE ODENTHAL
I
n a community association, it falls on
the board to put out any fires that ignite
among the property’s residents. But what
happens when that blaze springs up between
the board members themselves?
Those who volunteer to serve on their
community association or co-op board are
likely to bring strong convictions – and per-
sonalities – to the table. As in any decision-
making body, there is likely to be difference
of opinion. And if the stakes and tempers rise
high enough, it can occasionally escalate into
a war of words. At worst, it can lead to knock-
down, drag-out fisticuffs.
Preventing any and all conflict is impos-
sible. But minimizing and mitigating the
problem is essential in order for a board to do
its job. Board members should actively antici-
pate arguments among their ranks, and have
a strategy on hand to ease tensions and reach
an acceptable compromise – before things get
out of hand.
Talk It Out
One way to keep things copacetic among
board members is to identify which attributes
most contribute to a board’s functionality, and
reach for those as a baseline when things start
to drift apart.
“I think that the key to harmony on a board
is that its members have the ability to agree to
disagree,” says Tina Straits, Vice President and
General Manager of Baum Property Manage-
ment in Aurora, Illinois. “Any one group of
people is not going to reach a consensus on
every issue. Where there is disagreement, it is
vitally important that board members listen
respectfully to each other and understand that
having a difference of opinion is nothing to
take personally.”
Communication – and the ability to calm-
ly articulate why one board member may dis-
agree with one or other persons – is critical.
“Some disputes are caused by a lack of un-
derstanding among board members as to the aspirations of control and world domination keep the corporation moving forward.”
regulation and operation of the association – even if that world only consists of the asso-
and the function of the board, which can be ciation. Those board members are potentially genuinely committed to either supporting or
due to the inexperience of some of the direc-
tors,” explains Elizabeth A. Bowen, a share-
holder with Florida-based law firm Siegfried, for the members of the board to be reminded interests of the building and its residents,”
Rivera, Hyman, Lerner, De La Torre, Mars & that their function is to effectuate the admin-
Sobel, P.A. “To this end, a good management istration and governance of the association
company with the ability to effectively com-
municate with a board regarding the needs of come with personal agendas. Many times, as-
the association is important.
“Truth be told,” Bowen continues, “some enced ‘voice of reason’ and assist the board in
board members assume their position with attempting to move through its difficulties to
the most difficult personalities to incorporate opposing matters that come to them based on
into what should be a ‘team.’ It is important whether or not those matters are in the best
pursuant to their best business judgment.
Sometimes that purpose gets lost if directors
sociation general counsel can act as an experi-
“In a harmonious board, members are
adds attorney Michael E. Fleiss, a partner at
BOARD RELATIONSHIPS
continued on page 14
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