Working in groups can be a challenge. Working in groups when people’s homes—and possibly their life savings—are involved can be a far greater challenge. It’s one faced every day by those brave souls who volunteer to serve on their association  or condo association board. While there is no sure-fire recipe for building a board that is  100 percent successful day in and day out, there are definitely traits and  tactics that the most well-run and effective boards share.

 Don’t Get Personal

One of the biggest components to success is ensuring that those individuals who  are elected to the board do not come to their new duties with a personal  mission. It's important to make sure that no one looking to join is saying, “they have some kind of agenda. They're on the association or condo association board because they  don't like somebody, or because they have a personal pet-peeve about an owner's  dog, or an owner in general. So, if they have issues that aren't for the best  overall, it’s best not to bring them to the table, says Joseph Balzamo, president of  Alliance Association management LLC, in Morristown, New Jersey.  

 Aspiring board members need to keep in mind that the job is to serve the entire association or building, and act in the interest of the community as a whole. Rule number one should be that “It's your property, it's your money. You have a vested interested in making sure  the building is being properly managed,” Balzamo says.  

 It's also very important to have a proper understanding of what a board wants  from you as a member. Whether it's your legal expertise, your deep pockets, or  your time, you should know from the start what they're looking for, and what  the job entails. “A sound, good, and reasonable board should actively recruit sound, good, and  reasonable members from the association to volunteer on a committee, attend  meetings, or join as an alternate member so that they understand how things  work before joining,” says Brian Weaver, director of business development at the Mahwah, New Jersey-based Wilkin  Management Group.  

 To have a board member with, say, financial or legal acumen, can be a potential  cost saver. Also, a board that has a makeup of diverse backgrounds and  experiences can be a plus. But, if your board is seeking out a new candidate  for a particular reason, it's important you are upfront about it with the  candidate. If your association self-manages its property, a board with a range  of professional experience can be a great asset.