Curbing Committee Chaos
A variation of Murphy’s Law states, “If there’s more than one possible outcome of a job or task, and one will result in disaster or an undesirable consequence, then somebody will do it that way.” If only hard-on-his-luck Murphy weren’t right.
Murphy must have lived in a community association! Take, for example, the conundrum of committees. They’re created to give your board a way to gather information and suggestions, offer new ideas and opinions, and perhaps provide a launching point for future board members. A committee can function as a think tank or an indicator of how the community will react to a given issue. Sounds great, right? Well, not exactly. Remember what ever-the-pessimist Murphy said.
How to Reduce Volunteer Burnout
Robert volunteered for his community’s architectural control committee soon after he moved in. He wanted to use his experience as an engineer to improve the association’s permit process. His knowledge and effort improved the system tremendously. He was tireless.
The board soon asked him to serve on the budget committee, then on a special task force to review facilities. Next, the board asked him to supervise a paving project. When that project was completed, Robert quit.
ON THE BOARD
“Silent gratitude isn’t much use to anyone.” ~ G.B. Stern
Long hours. Difficult, unwanted projects. No pay or appreciation. Sounds like being a board member, right? Worse, it’s the life of a committee member – all the time and effort without the decision-making authority of being on the board.
