As a member of a community association board, you know that there is a significant amount of time spent communicating with vendors, members within the community, and even with an association management company. When there is ineffective communication, everyone within the community pays the price. Therefore, it is important to consider a few tips that can help improve the way your association board communicates. One of the primary ways your board communicates is through its reports. Here are four tips that can help improve your board's reports.

1. Keep Things as Simple as Possible.

When creating a report, it is crucial to organize it in a way that basically anyone can understand the information. In addition, the organization of the report must be simple enough that anyone is able to find information with ease. Supporting documentation should always be in order and linked together.

If the report is several pages long, make sure that each page is numbered and that there is a table of contents included. If the report is being sent electronically to association members, it is recommended that anchors/hyperlinks be added in the table of contents for each section and that these are double-checked to make certain that they go to the appropriate page within the report.

2. Maintain a Straightforward Approach.

When creating an association report, it is imperative that each report only covers a single idea rather than multiple ideas. When a report is going to be over a complex subject matter, it may be wise to include sub-sections that will help minimize confusion and maintain a clear message to those reading the document.

3. Ask for Feedback.

When presenting a report to the association, take the time to allow everyone to ask questions regarding the information that has been presented. There is a good chance that someone in attendance will need some clarification, and it is important that everyone is clear about what is within the report.

In fact, as you present the report, stop periodically and ask if there are any questions or concerns rather than waiting until the end. This will help ensure no one forgets what they want to ask and that everyone is on the same page with everything.

4. Make Sure to Offer Support.

As with full-time employment, there may be times when association members do not fully grasp their duties or understand particular reports or documents. When this is the case, they may need special training. If this is an issue that is encountered on a regular basis, especially with the same members, it may be time to consider offering some type of training support.

Companies like Duval Realty Inc. that offer association management can assist you with reports and training programs to ensure communication between vendors is clear.