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November 30, 2007
The Institutional Memory of Associations
I received a call the other day from an association I had done some consulting work for a long time ago. They asked if I would be interested in looking at a project they were looking into that had to do with changing the appearance of the structures, building colors, landscaping, shingle types and colors, etc. They wanted a process that would allow owner involvement, but end up with a reasonable consensus. I said I'd be happy to, but then...I started thinking about it. I went into my storage area and started digging through the boxes until I came up with a large file folder with their name on it. Yep, inside was the project that I had done for them so long ago, the exact same thing.
Now, I guess I could have sat through some meetings, and then sent them the same report, along with a large bill, but instead, nice guy that I am, I just sent them a copy of the report, asking them if they could use it. The President was nice enough to call back thanking me for not taking advantage of their "long-term memory loss".
There are quite a few associations that have 30-40 years of operations and their long-term memory usually consists of a few residents who have lived there since the beginning and have been active enough over those years to know what has gone on. Oh, the records exist, but by now, they're buried in storage boxes in someone's basement or a separate storage facility, and realistically, they are probably so disorganized as to make it futile or extremely time consuming to search for anything.
The fact that board members come and go, often in a short period of time, can lead to subjects being re-visited time after time, without the historical information that can provide valuable background to the subject. Since a community association is probably going to be around for awhile, it might be worth exploring ways to keep the institutional memory in front of current leaders.
The first item that should be standard in any association is a "Motions" book. This is simply a listing of the motions made at a meeting, whether they were passed or not, and any comments pertinent to the motion. Associations with computer capabilities might have a "Motions" database, which would provide a search function that could be of great assistance. The Secretary would be responsible for the book (or database). Each board member should have a copy, (or a section in their board member's manual) adding in the updated pages as provided by the Secretary, and would pass it along to their successor. A similar book (or database) could be created for "Resolutions".
This item probably isn't done, but I think it would be worthwhile considering, and that is the creation of an association "Timeline". A visual history of association events. This can also be done through the computer, but it is the visual quality that makes it useful, so if it sits on one board member's computer, print it off now and then, to add to the manuals of the other board members. This would provide a quick reference to when things were decided or done, i.e. major repairs or replacements, litigation, successful social events. At least you would know which box to dig into for more detail (if you label your record storage boxes by the year).
I'm sure you could think of other or better ways. Remember, the easier you can make for future board members to find information, the more likely they won't waste money repeating your efforts.
Posted by joewest at November 30, 2007 10:38 AM