Technology’s role in smarter community meeting management

Community meetings are a critical element of governance for Bodies Corporate and Homeowners Associations (HOAs). However, they are often accompanied by challenges that can make them daunting for Community Managers.

‍

The need to coordinate multiple stakeholders, manage complex logistics, and ensure productive outcomes can turn these meetings into a significant source of stress. Yet, with the right technological tools, these challenges can be transformed into opportunities that enhance efficiency, transparency, and overall value for everyone involved.

‍

‍

Embracing technology to unlock value

The key to making community meetings more manageable lies in leveraging modern technology to reduce the pain points and create efficiencies. This approach not only simplifies the meeting process but also allows Community Managers to unlock new levels of value by ensuring that meetings are well-organised, transparent, and effective.

‍

The primary goal should always be to streamline the entire meeting process, from preparation to follow-up, ensuring that all stakeholders are kept in the loop and that every action item is tracked and completed efficiently. By doing so, technology can transform community meetings from an arduous chore into a powerful tool for demonstrating professional value and driving community progress.

‍

‍

Choosing the right solution

It’s all very well to say that technology is a critical operational asset for Community Managers. But not all technology is created equally. Popular choices like Zoom, Teams are great conferencing tools but they aren’t designed to handle all the intricacies of the Community Management space.

‍

To truly unlock the power of community meetings, it’s important to choose a meeting management solution that ticks the right boxes.

‍

The first and arguably most important of those boxes is comprehensive meeting management technology that integrates all aspects of the meeting process. This eliminates inefficiencies and errors providing Community Managers and their stakeholders with a seamless experience that enhances communication.

‍

‍

‍

A good meeting management solution should also facilitate smoother meeting experiences by enabling easy management of participation, including proxy management and automated voting systems. This not only helps Community Managers ensure compliance, but also saves them time and reduces the risk of errors, enabling more energy to be spent on adding strategic value.

‍

Let’s not forget the documentation process, either. A good meeting management tool should allow for things like real-time capturing of minutes, and actively streamline approval processes. This ensures that all necessary documents (attendance registers, meeting minutes etc.) are accurate and promptly distributed, reinforcing the professionalism of the Community Manager.

‍

With the right tools consolidating all these tasks within a single system, Community Managers can eliminate unnecessary administrative time-sinks while fast-tracking execution. The result is a more convenient and professional meeting experience that delivers tangible outcomes to communities while spotlighting the Community Manager as an invaluable resource.

‍

‍

Closing the loop

Making the most of community meetings means focussing on more than just the meeting experience, however. Trustees and other community members also need to have confidence that decisions made will be followed through effectively.

‍

In this, the right technology can, again, play a pivotal role by providing tools for both transparent reporting and effective task management.

‍

Let’s take AGMs for example. These meetings often set the agenda for the year, laying the foundation for financial and operational actions. By using task management features within purpose-built meeting management platforms (like WeconnectU’s MeetingSpace), Community Managers can delegate tasks, set deadlines, and monitor progress – and accountability – in real time.

‍

Trustees also benefit from the detailed reports that solutions like MeetingSpace can generate after AGMs and other meetings. These can be configured to provide full transparency on action items completed, tasks in progress, and any roadblocks in the way.

‍

Importantly, with an integrated technology solution in play, this feedback can be extended beyond meeting-specific updates to feature in monthly community reports as well. This ensures trustees are always fully informed on the progress of meeting-related actions and compliance items, reducing their risk exposure – and stress levels – significantly.

‍

By taking this kind of action-oriented approach, Community Managers can ensure that meetings are not just a forum for discussion but a driver of continuous improvement. This not only enhances the value of the meetings, but also positions the Community Manager as a proactive and strategic leader.

‍

For Community Managers looking to elevate their practice and deliver exceptional value to their communities, investing in the right meeting technology is a strategic move that can yield significant benefits.

‍

This is exactly where WeconnectU’s new MeetingSpace solution comes in.

‍

As a fully integrated component of our comprehensive Community Management Solution, MeetingSpace offers an end-to-end answer to all of Community Managers’ meeting preparation, facilitation and follow-up challenges. It enables WeconnectU users to deliver community meetings with next-level convenience, professionalism and efficiency, unlocking significant time savings and reputation enhancements – not to mention a serious competitive edge.

‍

If you’re ready to rethink your meeting experience and reporting capabilities – and differentiate your business from the competition in a way your communities cannot ignore – get in touch with WeconnectU. Our solution is your solution.