As with any job or position there comes a time where a condo association board member may no longer be able (or willing) to do the job. Leaving a condo association requires a certain amount of tact. Any resigning board member should remember that their soon to be former associates are still their neighbors and leaving on good terms is always advisable. The following tips will help make a resignation go smoothly and reduce the chances of animosity between the two sides.
Tips On How to Resign From a Condo Association Board of Directors
Review any specific condo association policies: a condo association’s board of directors will likely have specific rules for how resignations must be submitted. Aside from format (for example in some cases a written resignation may be needed), there may also be matters of content and terminology as well as time-frame that must also be considered. Review and follow your association’s resignation policies.
Resign from the condo association in person: a resignation should always be submitted in person. Even if presenting a resignation in person may be a bit uncomfortable; it is respectful. This is also the best way to maintain positive relationships with other condo association members.
Be positive: when resigning, a copy of the resignation letter should be given to each condo association board member. The resignation letter should strike a positive tone and the content should focus on goals the board has accomplished under the resigning member’s term plus best wishes for the positive outcome of current projects. Complaints about various team members should be excluded as this is likely to create bad blood.
Prepare for questions: remaining board members may have questions about why a member is resigning. Above all, any responses to these questions should remain upbeat and non-confrontational. Any personal matters between board members should be kept personal and if a member’s reasons for leaving the condo association are a private matter more general answers should be given. Much like the resignation letter, a positive tone should be maintained.
Resign well in advance: most decisions to resign are not sudden; they often occur after long periods of thought. A resignation should be given well in advance of a member’s leaving date if possible. Providing at least four weeks notice allows the condo association’s board of directors time to find a fitting replacement. If a departing member has a good replacement in mind many boards will consider their referral.
Tie up any loose ends: before leaving, a board member should attempt to complete any outstanding projects they are directly overseeing or ones in which they are playing an important role. If a replacement is found in time and the time frame allows it training a replacement assures that the new board member will be prepared to take over the position when they leave.
It is never easy to resign from a position, whether it be paid or volunteer. By resigning in a professional way that adheres to any specific rules of resignation, leaving a condo association board of directors should go smoothly and without incident. Former board members will likely need to interact with the condo association in the future and by not burning any bridges their requests are more likely to be considered in a positive way.
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