A Guide to COMMUNICATIONS, PROBLEM SOLVING & DECISION MAKING

Prepared by U-HAB The Urban Homesteading Assistance Board and HPD Department of Housing Preservation and

Development of the City of New York

TABLE OF CONTENTS OVERVIEW

• Welcome • About TIL • About UHAB

ORIENTATION

• About the Homesteader’s Handbook series • How to Use this Book

PARTICIPATION AND COMMUNICATION

• Introduction • Encouraging Participation • Strategies for Increasing Participation • Improving Dialogue and Communication • Tools for Keeping Everyone Informed • Tools for Tenant Input

SCHEDULING AND RUNNING MEETINGS

• Planning and Scheduling Meetings • Setting Agendas • Sample Agenda

• Running Meetings • Meeting Roles • Guidelines for Chairing a Meeting • Simplified Parliamentary Procedures • Taking Minutes • Sample Minutes • Following-up and Getting Things Done • Conducting the Meeting Evaluation

DEMOCRATIC DECISION MAKING

• Group Decision Making • Creating a Consenus • The Consensus Decision Making Process

COMMITTEES

• Steps for Forming a Committee

CONFLICTS AND ENFORCEMENT

• Steps for Resolving Conflicts • Designing and Following Effective Enforcement Procedures • Conclusion

How to Use This Book

The contents of this manual are divided into five sections:

SECTION 1—Participation and Communication (pages 8–11), offers information and strategies for increasing participation in your tenant association. This is key for developing a strong organization that can manage your building effectively over the long term. This section also provides tools for improving communication, the key to working together cooperatively.

SECTION 2 — Scheduling and Running Meetings (pages 12–25), focuses on all of the important aspects of having good meetings, including scheduling and planning meetings, setting agendas, meeting facilitation, taking minutes, follow up and evaluation. The different roles that people should play, such as chairperson, minutes taker and timekeeper are described. Simplified parliamentary procedures are spelled out in detail. This section is a “how-to” for meetings. Learning to have good meetings takes time and practice. Refer to this section

before, during and after meetings to continually think about how to improve them—you'll be surprised by how much easier it is to get people to participate when you conduct good meetings.

SECTION 3 — Democratic Decision-Making (pages 26–27). This section provides an introduction to democratic decision-making, including a step-by-step outline for consensus decision-making. The best way to get people to go along with decisions that are made is through involving them in the process. Here’s some information on how to do that.

SECTION 4 — Committees (page 28) provides some basic information on the steps for forming a committee. Committees are important for getting the work done and increasing participation in your tenant association. See the Homesteader’s Handbook A Guide to Organization and Governance for additional information on the structure of committees and sample guidelines.

SECTION 5 — Conflicts and Enforcement (pages 29–31) gives you a four-step process for resolving conflicts based on the popular book Getting to Yes: Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In. In addition, information is provided on designing and following effective enforcement procedures.

for more information call: UHAB (212) 226-4119 or TIL (212) 386-7312

Finally, don't be afraid to contact HPD or your UHAB representative if you are at all confused or have any questions.

Good Luck!

Section 1

PARTICIPATION AND COMMUNICATION

Introduction

The strength and future success of your tenant association depends in large part on the tenants' skills in communication, problem-solving and decision-making. Good communication is the key to working together cooperatively. You don't have to like each other or be friends—but you must learn to work as equal partners in the business of running your tenant association and managing your building.

Part of working together is being able to make decisions democratically—a process which allows for everyone to have input. People are much more likely to go along with the results of the decision if they were a part of the decision-making process. Another part of working together effectively is to be able to resolve problems and conflicts in a positive manner—including avoiding them in the first place, if possible.

Ways People Can Participate

pay rent on time take care of individual apartment attend meetings vote in annual elections run for and serve on the board run for and serve as an officer be a member of a committee such as Security or Floor

Captains attend training sessions and workshops for TIL

participants participate in building activities such as a spring clean

up day plan social events such as a Halloween party for the

children and many others…

Encouraging Participation

Increasing and maintaining good participation is one of the most difficult parts of running your tenant association. It is also the single most important goal for long term success. Good participation means officers and board members won't “burn out” quickly from overload. Good participation gets people to feel they are a part of the decision-making process—“buying in” to the TA—and leads to better cooperation, better rent collection, and a cleaner, better maintained building.

The leadership needs to continually share knowledge and information and consciously train the next generation of leadership. This will ensure the long term survival of TA. Getting more people involved in managing the affairs of the building means that there will be enough people who are trained and experienced to manage the affairs of the association for years to come. Think positively—look at yourself as a teacher or coach who wants to give everyone the opportunity to participate! People will benefit personally from participating; they gain personal skills and confidence useful in other aspects of their life in addition to contributing to having a better place to live.

STRATEGIES FOR INCREASING PARTICIPATION

Relationships. It’s often a personal invitation that convinces us to get involved. People often participate for personal reasons—to make new friends, and for public reasons—to broaden a base of support and/or influence. Develop relationships with people—find out what they're interested in and what they're good at—and encourage them to participate based on that.

Recognition. Recognize people for their contributions. We all want to be recognized by members of our communities for our efforts to build a better quality of life.

Respect. Everyone wants respect. By joining community activities, we seek the respect of our peers. People seek recognition and respect for themselves and their values through their participation.

Role. We all need to feel needed. We want to belong to a group where our unique contributions can be appreciated. Give people specific, meaningful tasks that can

be readily accomplished and that take advantage of their gifts—and give praise and show appreciation.

ard. People get involved and continue to participate when their involvementrewarded. Not

Rew is everyone is looking for the same kind of rewards. Try to identify

the kinds of rewards that your individual TA members are looking for—e.g., public recognition, a personal thank you, the satisfaction of a job well done, celebration…

Results. Nothing works like results! If you cannot “deliver the goods” it is much harder to get people involved. Give people support and information needed to accomplish more difficult tasks—help ensure success!

Reminders. Always build in reminders when people agree to do something. People are busy and have many responsibilities—we all need reminding sometimes!

Improving Dialogue and Communication Good communication includes three im

portant elements:

1) good distribution of information; 2) clear and easy ways for peop

information about the affairs of the TA to all tenants. A lobby bulle

s.

It ation about what is

most important to focus your efforts on. The box Tools for Tena

nal s

le to communicate their concerns and needs; and 3) positive communication between members.

Many problems are created because tenants don’t know what is going on. This causes resentment, mistrust and suspicion. This can be avoided through regular distribution of

tin board is essential. The box on Tools for Keeping Everyone Informed on the next page has other useful idea

Tenants also need easy and clear ways to communicate their concerns, needs and interests to the Officers and the board. This helps people feel like a part of the tenant association and can prevent behind the scenes complaining.also provides you with valuable inform

nt Input on the next page has some ideas for getting regular communication from tenants.

Good communication also requires positive interpersorelationships between members of the TA. Again, this doenot mean that everyone must be friends, or even like each

other. You are running a business together, and in order towork together effectively in managing your building, you need a two-way dialogue based on mutual respect. This meanreally listening to people and letting them know that you

s

understand what they are saying, even if you don’t agree. It mean t

le to to

l

you tact and nodding or

saying Mmm-Hmmm. It means mirroring back what you have heard

t

to

late to the meeting again! You must not care!” change it into “W ated because I have a limited amount of time to complete our business.”

s communicating your concerns and needs directly, buin a way that isn’t blaming or critical of another person.

Good listening skills are probably the most important communication skill—more important even than being abspeak convincingly. In order to lead effectively, you needknow what people are concerned about, and they need to feeas though you understand and appreciate their needs and interests. Good listening means really focusing on what someone is saying, rather than thinking about how you are going to respond. It means actively demonstrating thathave understood by going beyond eye con

so that the speaker knows not only that you are listening, but that you are understanding.

One of the hardest communication skills is giving direct communication about your own concerns and needs without blaming or criticizing. When someone feels criticized, theirnatural tendency is to get defensive and angry. This preventsthem from being able to hear what you are saying. If you wanto succeed at being heard and you are concerned that whatyou have to say might be received as criticism, think about how you can turn the statement from a “you” statement inan “I” statement. An “I” statement conveys your feelings without blaming. For example, rather than saying “You’re

hen meetings don’t start on time, I get irrit

Tools for Keeping Everyone Informed

open Board meetings—all tenants are invited to observe post minutes of TA and Board meetings on lobby bulletin board within

seven days of the meeting p nthly financial summary report ost timely copies of mo post information about all vacancies and new tenants on bulletin board circulate monthly or bi-monthly newsletter informing tenants of activities

and accomplishments

Tools for

Tenant Input

have well run, well attended monthly tenant association meetings

designate certain board members as tenant liaisons, or establish floor captains, who are avail

able at certain times for tenant input

have written forms such as a repair request form and a suggestion form with clearly designated people and/or places to receive them

set aside

time on the board agenda for tenants to raise questions or concerns

Section 2

SCHEDULING AND RUNNING MEETINGS

Planning and Scheduling Meetings

, a

y

your apartments. You

MEETING SPACES

Look for, or createspace conducive to good meetings. Try to provide comfortable seating,adequate lighting, reasonably good acoustics, and a room size that fits the meeting. Small officers and board meetings might be held in someone’s living room while TA meetings maneed a larger space, depending on the number of people and the size of

might be able to fixpart of your basem

up a ent as a

meeting space and find used chairs or buy inexpensive ones.

can accomplish more work and make better decisions if your meetings are well run. People are m

, A

obby at

e time varies with the type of meeting. For example, board meetings usually require three days written notic

n or make a decision, distribute the material ahead of time. This includes copies of last month’s minutes - it wastes valuable meeting time to have people read them during the meeting.

Setting Agendas

Having well-run meetings is very important to the success of your TA. You

ore likely to participate if meetings start and end on time and are well organized.

Try to schedule meetings for a regular day and time; e.g.board meetings are the second Thursday of every month, Tmeetings are the fourth Thursday, officers meetings are the first and third Thursday. Post meeting notices in the lleast one week prior to the meeting and distribute notices directly to all required participants by slipping them under their doors. Check your bylaws for requirements on notification - th

e and annual tenant association meetings require ten days written notice.

Post meeting agendas in the lobby and distribute them to meeting participants beforehand so people know what to expect. Try giving participants reminder phone calls one or two days beforehand to improve attendance. If people will need to read material in order to have a meaningful discussio

nned me of

a standard format which will be the

Agendas for TA and board meetings should be plaat an officers’ meeting the week prior to the meeting. Sothe agenda will follow

same

you

et

e, or beginning discussion on amending your house rules to addr to get

limited to brief reporting of information and questions for clarification. Decisions related to th

ssed before.

usefu with the flow of the meeting:

to s

moderate, non-controversial decisions: decisions that are ofon sho People’s energy may be low, and it is good to end the meeting on a positive note if possible.

s.

you will get much better participation and cooperation if you can avoid lengthy meet

each month (see box). The old business and new business parts to the agenda will change, and should be carefully planned for.

Before you plan your agenda, it is a good idea to start with a discussion about the goals of the meeting: what are youtrying to accomplish? What are the most important things want to happen at the meeting? This might include making adecision about a major repair, getting approval on a budgmodification, getting people to sign up for a new committe

ess some recent problems. Other goals might bemore board members to participate on committees, or to clarify some issue that was causing rumors or complaints.

Reports should be

at area (e.g. finance, or maintenance and repair) should come under old or new business, depending on whether it hadbeen discu

When a number of decisions need to be made, it can be l to order them in a way that helps

easy decisions first: it helps get people comfortable start off with some easy decision

hard, controversial decisions: decisions that require a lot of discussion and/or energy should happen next, before people start to get tired.

some importance but which most people will agree uld come last.

[adapted from the Midwest Academy manual Organizing forSocial Change]

Assign a time to each agenda item. You will get better atestimating times as you gain experience in running meetingThe time helps keep you on track so that your meetings canend on time. Everyone’s time is valuable:

ings that go on and on and you are less likely to have

people walking out in the middle of important discussionbecause they have another c

s ommitment.

After completing your agenda, review it and make sure you have someone prepared to present each report or issue. This should be someone other than the chairperson. See Meeting Roles on page 16.

Sample Agenda

DA f Agenda

Report

tion Committee Report

7:35pm

7:35pm ontractor for New Lobby Doors

Rules: Addressing Noise

8:10pm cial Activities Committee etting Volunteers

New Business

8:20pm Review of Assignments

5pm Evaluation

8:30

Running Meeting

AGEN7:00pm Review and Approval o

7:02pm Review and Approval of Last Month’s Minutes

7:05pm Reports

7:05pm A. Treasurer’s

7:15pm B. Maintenance and Repair Committee Report

7:25pm C. Tenant Selec

Old Business

A. Approval of C

7:45pm New Business

7:45pm A. Amending Budget to Shift Money from Suppliesto Maintenance

7:50pm B. Discussion on House and Parties

C. Should We Have a Soand If So, G

8:15pm D. Other

8:2

pm Adjourn

s

idea to assign roles to people ahead of time.

People should know in advance, for example, that they will be

likel on playi ople’s skills. Typical roles might include:

Cha make sure someone is

prepared to play this role.

Min e; again, if he or she can’t be at a meeting make sure someone else is

Tim

Pres eports or presenting proposals for discussion. This may include the

ir,

much time they have.

Group Process Watcher: someone to observe the level of energy, participation and tension in the meeting and who

lp keep the meeting effective.

cipating in Meetings

It is a good

giving a report or making a presentation. People are morey to come to a meeting if they have a role. In additing a role helps increase pe

irperson: usually the president or vice president. If neither one can be present,

utes Taker: normally the secretary’s rol

prepared to take minutes.

ekeeper: it is very helpful to have someone who reminds the chairperson about time constraints.

enters: various people may be presenting r

Treasurer, the Maintenance and Repair Committee Chaor other committee representative. They should know ahead of time that they will be presenting, and approximately how

takes steps to intervene if necessary to he

DO’s and DON’Ts for Parti

Ev ting has a responsibility to help make it a eryone who participates in a meesuccess but we can control ourselves. Here are some . We can’t always control others, do’s and don’ts for participating in meetings:

DO Persona

DON’T lly welcome new people

ad

Actively listen to others Support the facilitator in moving the

agenda ahe Recommend ways to resolve

Dominate the discussion Bring up tangents—issues

unrelated to the agenda item s

Insist that Dwell on past problem

people support

diffe ate in discussions

Help set up and clean up the room Be positive and upbeat throughout

the meeting dd a light comment to difficult discussion

your ideas

[quoted from Midwest Academy’s Organizing for Social Change]

Meeting Roles

rences Particip

Encourage new people to speak and volunteer

Tell a joke or aease the tension in a

Facilitator’s Role (Chairperson’s Role)

the Understandgoals of the meeting and the tenant association

keep the grthe agenda and moving forward

invol

oup on

ve everyone in the meeting, both controlling the domineering people and drawing out the shy ones

make sure that decisions are made democratically

Chairperson: the chairperson’s role is a facilitator - it inot the chairperson’s job to direct or control the ouof the meeting. Rather it

s tcome

is to help ensure that the meeting will accomplish its goals, that people will have the opportunity to participate democratically in decision-making and that the meeting is run efficiently so people’s time isn’t wasted. It is a skill which people can learn and which improves with practice.

Timekeeper: The timekeeper keeps one eye on a watch(with a second hand!) and warns the chairperson or speakerwhen time is running out, following your timed agenda. Forlonger items, give a five minute warning and a two minuwarning, followed by a time’s up. For shorter items, a minute or one m

te two

inute warning is sufficient. Signal or speak just loud enough to be heard by the chairperson, but don’t disru

n, not to compete. If the energy level is too low, suggest a quick stretch break. If participation is really uneven, call it to everyone’s attention and encourage people to give others a chance to speak. If tensions get too high, suggest a cool down break or suggest postponing the issue for another meeting.

Guidelines for Cha

pt the discussion by a blaring announcement. “Time’s up” generally means “finish your thought as quickly as possible” rather than “cease and desist from speaking immediately.”

Group Process Watcher: Because the facilitator has alot to do already, it is helpful to have another person watch the tone of the meeting. This person is there to support the chairperso

iring a Meeting

Start the meeting promptly. If you want people to come on time, start on time

1. , even if there are very few people

in

e

2. ere is

there. When people come late and see that the meeting is progress, they will be much more likely to come on time the next time. Reward those that came on time by not making them wait for others. Serve refreshments before thmeeting, not during.

Welcome and introduce everyone. Set a friendly tone. Show that you appreciate people’s participation. If thanyone present who doesn’t know everyone, have eachperson introduce themselves. If this is a first meeting, ask

each person to say something about themselves such as how long they have lived in the building or what they hope to accomplish as a TA or Board in the coming year.

Review the agenda. Go over what is planned for the meeting and as

3. k if there are any suggestions for changes or

be

n.

ng es

5. re a part of the decision-making

6.

k by saying something like “That’s an interesting

7. Detailed Decision-Making. Some issues are of such

, do

8. t

ir

hose commitments at the end

additions. Even though 90 percent of the time there will no suggestions, it is important to get people’s agreement on what will be happening. Call for a motion and vote to approve the agenda, after any additions have been proposedand voted o

4. Explain the meeting rules. If this is a first meeting, go over some basic rules of order such as the Simplified Parliamentary Procedure or Consensus Decision-MakiProcess below. Make sure everyone has a copy (see pag20 & 27).

Encourage participation. Your TA’s success depends on people feeling like they aprocess. This comes in part from giving everyone the opportunity to voice their opinion and feel listened to. Meetings are also an opportunity to help people develop their skills and gain self-confidence. Let people know that you value their opinion.

Stick to the Agenda. People have a tendency to go off on tangents by bringing up issues unrelated to the original agenda. When you hear the discussion wandering off, bringpeople bacissue, but we should get back to the original agenda item. We can take that up under new business if there’s time or the officers can consider putting it on next month’s agenda.” People will appreciate your keeping the meeting on track.

Avoid detail that they are better handled by a relevant committee. You can help keep from getting bogged down in detail by suggesting “Perhaps the committee can resolve this issue. I don’t think we want to discuss that level of detail hereyou?”

Seek Commitments. Getting commitments from people todo certain tasks or volunteer for committees is an importanway to increase participation and help people develop theskills. Make sure that you allow enough time to seek commitments and to review tof the meeting. It is a good idea to have newsprint or a chalkboard to write people’s names down next to the task

or committee they agreed to take on. If one person volunteers for several tasks, encourage others to take on some of those tasks instead.

Bring Closure to Discussions. People have the tendency tdiscuss things much longer than necessary. The facilitator can help recognize that people are s

9. o

tarting to repeat

vote on

10. t

can ch as each

e

11. must alter the agenda to

or g items if necessary.

ys

r

13. t the end for feedback on how the meeting went.

t

themselves or that there is basic agreement and move the discussion forward by asking if people are ready tothe issue or stating a consensus position that reflects the general opinion. See Group Decision-Making on page 26for more information on this issue.

Respect Everyone. The facilitator should encourage quieand shy people to speak and prevent people from dominating the discussion or ridiculing other people’s ideas. You can ask “Is there anyone who hasn’t already spoken who would like to say something?” and make eye contact with the people who haven’t spoken. Or you can say “Chris, what do you think?” Keep in mind that somepeople would feel put on the spot while others would be grateful that you care about what they have to say. Youget agreement on giving people time limits superson can speak for up to three minutes, or go around throom and give each person the opportunity to say something. You might also ask dominating people who have a lot of energy or enthusiasm about something to serve on a committee to deal with the issue.

Be Flexible. Once in a while, issues and concerns arise which are so important that youdiscuss them before returning to the prepared agenda. You may want to ask for a five-minute break to confer with other officers before deciding on how to proceed. Be prepared to recommend an alternative agenda, dropping postponin

12. Summarize the Meeting Results and Follow-Up. Alwaallow time at the end of a meeting to go over what was agreed upon and who will do what. Make provisions fofollow-up. See Follow-Up and Getting Things Done on page 24.

Conduct an Evaluation. It is a good idea to allow five minutes aThis is a way for everyone to learn about how to have better meetings. It is especially useful for the facilitator, buall participants can learn from feedback about the role that

they played. See Conducting the Meeting Evaluation on page 25.

14. Thank People. Take a moment to thank everyone who participated in the meeting, particularly those with formal roles and those who helped prepare materials, set the room up or brought refreshments. Also, thank everyone for making the meeting a success! Remind everyone of the next meeting date.

1 ple ore

keep coming. Unless you have gotten agreement to on time. And remember, no ing early. Ask for a motion

to adjourn.

Simplified Parlia

5. Close the Meeting on or Before the Ending Time. Peoreally appreciate meetings which end on time, and are mlikely toextend the meeting time, end it one minds getting out of a meet

[adapted from Midwest Academy, Organizing for Social Change]

mentary Procedures

ng made.

n of de which summarizes

the dicussion/decision. A motion must be made, then seco . Afte

Ever ree things can then happen to this motion:

t

re is not enough information or

d

While some tenant associations may run their meetings in an informal manner, the purpose of tenant association meetings is to make decisions. Standard rules for running meetings, called parliamentary procedures, help in structuring discussions and clarifying the decisions bei

Every action or decision needs a motion. After dicussioan agenda topic, a motion should be ma

nded by another person. Then there is time for discussionr enough debate, proceed with a vote.

y proposal must be made as a motion. Only th

It can be amended. Each proposed amendment is dealwith as it comes up. It is either voted up or down by a majority of those present and eligible to vote, and then the motion—as amended or not—is dealt with.

It can be tabled. If themore time is needed or for whatever reason, the main motion can be tabled by a majority vote for a specific period or indefinitely. Debate on tabling a motion is not permitted. The motion to table is merely seconded an

voted on. If tabled, the motion cannot be brought up again at that meeting.

It can be adopted or rejected by a majority vote. Once an issue is decided, the chairperson moves immediately

n!

Call the Question. After enough debate has taken place on a motiquesvote.

proceeds immediately to a vote.

ent

eeds immediately to a vote. If not, then debate continues until someone else “calls the question” and this

nduct a vote: Ask for a voice vote and/or a hand vote. “All in favor, say Aye; All opposed, say No. Any abstentions?” The count for each must be recorded in the minutes.

Taking Minutes

to the next item on the agenda. No more discussio

on, anyone —including the chair—can “call the tion”—i.e., end debate and proceed immediately to a

Informally. The chairperson asks if there is any objection and, if none,

Formally. If there is an objection to ending debate, an immediate vote is taken. If two-thirds of those presand voting want to end debate, then the chairperson proc

procedure is repeated.

How to co

Motion to Adjourn. A motion to adjourn must be seconded but is not debatable. A majority vote is needed to adjourn a meeting.

inutes is a skill which improves with practice. Tape recording should be a

y—the Secretary or designated person should always be taking notes during the meeting.

d or write down each eeded

fo

Essential:

date, time, place

Minutes are very important as a written record of meetings and decision-making. Taking good m

back-up onl

Don’t take down every wordiscussion. Use the following as a guide for what is n

r a good set of minutes:

who attended, who is absent decisions made; record of who made motion, who

seconded, what the actual vote count was for each motion. ments.

summary of key discussions. what and by when

main points of reports, announce

Optional:

summary at bottom of who agreed to do

(highly recommended) date and time for next meeting.

MAKING MINUTE TAKING EASIER…

get copies of reports from the treasurer, committee chairs, etc.

ask people to repeat a motion so you can get it down word for word

make sure people keep their hand up while you are counting votes

don’t try to write down all of the discussion—learn to summarize key points use a tap is no e recorder for backup only in case you missed something important—thereneed to listen to the whole meeting again if you take good notes the first time

if the TA can afford it, invest in a electronic typewriter with memory or an inexpensive computer and printer—this makes it much easier to type minutes, correspondence, form letters, etc. You don’t need the most powerful computer

available if you are only using it for word processing!

it is ideal to get the minutes done within a week of the meeting— and it is required by your bylaws. First of all, everything is fresh in your mind so it is easier to write up. Also, you can then post the minutes in the lobby so all tenants have an up-to-dat h board e idea of what is going on. You should also give a copy to eac

board meeting) so they can review them befomember (if it is a re the next meeting.

Sample Minutes

Minutes

from January 4, 199x Board Meeting of the 700 Angel Avenue Tenant Association

Others present: James Atkins, Julie Simmons idia Rivera

Board Members present: Josephine Campbell, Arnaldo Fernandez, Lidia Rivera, Peter Cummings, Sarah Jones, Walter Eddy Absent: Jean White

Presiding: L

The meeting was called to order at 7:32 p.m. in Apartment 4F. Sarah Jones motioned to approve the agenda, and was seconded by Peter Cummings. It was approved unanimously. Josephine Campbell moved to approve the minutes of December 7. The motion was seconded by Peter Cummings and passed unanimously.

Reports:

The Treasurer’s Report was given by Arnaldo Fernandez. Income for December was $7,642. One tenant is more than two months in arrears. Total arrears is currently $1Expenses for December were $6,186. The checking account balance is $3,424 and tsavings account reserve balance is $12,874. Walter Ed

,275. he

dy moved to accept the Treasurer’s Report. It was seconded by Sarah Jones and approved unanimously. The Maintenance

mittee Report was given by Peter Cummings. The boiler repairs are holding up well and there have been no disruptions in heat. Peter has obtained the third

ee Report. It was seconded by Sarah Jones and approved unanimously.

Old Business:

t the

New Business:

we

Josephine Campbell discussed the issue of noise and parties. She said that a number of more

d

ts to join. They scheduled the first meeting for January 23 at 7 p.m.

ded by Josephine. Ideas included organizing parties for children, and organizing bus trips for

ey. Some people thought it was too much work to take on right now. After a lot of discussion, Walter made a motion to table the motion until the next meeting. It was seconded by Arnaldo, and passed 4 to 2.

and Repair Com

estimate for replacing the building entry and vestibule doors. The exterminator has been coming every week and most tenants are taking advantage of the service. Arnaldo Fernandez moved to accept the Maintenance and Repair Committ

Peter Cummings moved to accept the bid from Jackson Construction Co. It was seconded by Walter Eddy. Peter explained that it is the middle bid in terms of price but thareferences were excellent. The motion was passed unanimously.

Peter Cummings made a motion to move $500 from the Supplies line to the Maintenanceline in this year’s budget. It was seconded by Arnaldo Fernandez. Peter explained that have been using much less supplies than anticipated, and that there is additional maintenance to be done, particularly in taking care of some routine plumbing leaks. The motion passed unanimously.

tenants have complained about loud music and other noise late at night and want arestrictive house rule passed. After some discussion, Walter made a motion to form a committee to review the issue and come up with a recommendation. Josephine secondethe motion, and it passed 5 to 1. Josephine agreed to chair the committee, and Lidia andWalter agreed to be on it. Josephine will post a sign inviting other tenan

Sarah made a motion to form a Social Activities Committee. It was secon

adults, both for fun and to raise mon

Arnaldo made a motion to send a three-day notice to the tenant who is more than two months in arrears. It was seconded by Walter, and passed unanimously.

There was no further new business.

Review of Assignments: Arnaldo will post the Treasurer’s Report and call the attorney for the three-day notice. Peter will notify Jackson Construction Co. that they are awarded

em the signed contract and schedule the work. He will also notify the other two contractors that they weren’t selected. Arnaldo will revise the budget and post

Evaluation:

as

e ake their comments shorter and try not to repeat

what others have said. We discussed imposing a time limit - this will be discussed at the next meeting.

Arnaldo made a motion to adjourn the meeting at 9:47 p.m. It was seconded by

Following-up and

the job, send th

it. Josephine will post a notice about the House Rules/Noise Committee. Lidia will call people to follow up on assignments Monday.

Positive comments: There was pretty good attendance, and we started on time. There wgood participation. Lidia’s facilitation was good, especially in the first half of the meeting.

Suggestions for improvements: The discussion of the Social Activities Committedragged on too long. People should m

Josephine, and passed unanimously.

Minutes submitted bySarah Jones

Getting Things Done Board meetings, for the most part, are times wh

decisions are made about what needs to be done or reports

en

are made about what has been done. TA meetings are oppo

what they are supposed to do, and by when. This should be defined at th

irs

rtunities to get input from tenants and to keep them informed about what is being accomplished. Much of the actual work takes place in committee meetings, by individuals, or by small groups agreeing to take on tasks.

It is extremely important to always be clear on how something is going to get done—who is going to do it,

e time the decision is made to do something and should be summarized again at the end of the meeting. Plans for follow up should be made by the officers or committee chato ensure that tasks are carried out in a timely fashion.

A person should be designated to make reminder calls totenants/officers who have agreed to do something, whether they are doing the task by virtue of a position they hold or because they volunteered to do it. It often helps if the personknows that someone will be calling them on a certain day to get information about the progr

ess they have made on their assignment. Everyone is busy and has to juggle priorities—this h

e

cers

at work is. This helps make sure that progress has been made by the time the Board or TA meeting happens. It

summary of the assigned sponsible for checking up on

each

Conducting the M

elps make this particular task a priority. Also, people sometimes forget because of other demands on their time. Wall can use reminders at times.

It is usually the officers or committee chairs who have the responsibility for making the follow up calls, but other people could also do it. One of the things to discuss at offimeetings is who is supposed to be doing what, and what the status of th

helps if meeting minutes have atasks, and if it is clear who is re

task.

eeting Evaluation One important way to improve the quality of meetings

and help people develop their skills, both as meeting facilitators and participants, is to conduct an evaluation at tend of every meeting. It also provides an oppo

he rtunity to clear

the air of any lingering tensions which may have arisen during the m

Its best if there is a flip chart or easel with newsprint and markshou work

ng anything they can lead off with one or two comments so people can get the

eeting. Someone - preferably someone other than the chairperson - should be prepared ahead of time to lead the evaluation. It should take about five minutes.

ers to record everyone’s comments. The atmosphere ld be upbeat and positive - what can we learn so we can better together?

Start out with things that went well/were useful. The person who is leading the evaluation generally should speak last, but if no one is sayi

general idea. People like getting positive feedback about things that they did well and it helps everyone to know what things to continue to do.

Move to things that didn’t work wellReview the section on Clear Communication abovtips on how to say things in a constructive manner. Remember you are trying to help people learn and work together better. This is not an attack.

/were not useful. e for

Finally move to suggestions for next time/improvements. This is important: concrete

improve your meetings including specific things people can do in their roles as facilitator,

per, presenter, and participant.

Section 3

DEMOCRATIC DE

Group Decision M

suggestions on how to

timekee

CISION MAKING

aking

You are not going to all agree all of the time. It is very impo o

most h voting, with a simple majority (fifty-one

percent) carrying in most cases. Some decisions are reserved for a .

les of Parliamentary Procedure on page 20 explain the basics of this type of decision-making. The second

de

f de

st keep foremost in mind the good of the whole—the TA and the building—as well as what is best

mselves as individuals when making a decision n the minority opinion must to be able to yield to the

majority and go along with the decision for the good of the

rtant to the long-term success of your TA for everyone tlearn how to make decisions together democratically and to follow those decisions whether they agree with them or not. The heart of a democracy is that the majority rules, so long as the basic rights of the minority are protected.

There are two basic ways to make decisions. Thecommon is throug

“super” majority of two-thirds as stated in your bylawsThe Simplified Ru

way is through consensus decision-making, which is scribed below.

The following are essential elements in either form ocision-making:

opinions of all sides must be allowed to be presented and everyone needs to listen with respect and to consider the various opinions before making a decision everyone mu

for the those i

wh n

Creating a Conse

oleit must be presumed that everyone is operating igood faith.

nsus Consensus de

cision-making is a particular form of

demo

nsus decision-making works in groups who have a r and a willingness to mes slower.

Consensus decision making may lead to different solutions or decisions because they must encompass a broad range of

The Consensus D

cratic decision-making in which everyone must agree to go along with the decision in order for a decision to go forward. No vote is taken. Those in a minority opinion must decide that they can live with a decision and agree not to block consensus.

Consestrong commitment to working togetheparticipate in a process which is someti

opinions.

ecision-Making Process

sensus?” Agreement means that everyone is willing to go along with the decision. It implies a contract to abide by it and not undermine it.

to

Clearly State the Issue or Problem. Consensus decision-making begins with a clear statement of the issue or problempresented in an unbiased way: “Should we allow pets and if so, what kinds of pets should we allow?” Facilitate a Democratic Discussion and Look for Areas of Agreement. The facilitator invites and regulates discussion, clarifies proposals put forward and prevents people from dominating the meeting. The facilitator continues to restate the position of the meeting when they see areas of agreement and specifically invites those who disagree to speak up. Check for Consensus. The facilitator may perceive a specific proposal that has general support and then state that as a possible consensus decision. They ask “do we have con

If There Isn't Agreement. Sometimes there are one or two individuals who are not in agreement. There are three options,

:

1.

ay their position stated in the minutes.

as to

e

3. d

people believe “that the decision is fundamentally wrong and ththis ha l for others to look at their position to see if it has merit. They may be speaking for others who remained silent because they didn't want to rock the boat. If they continue to find themselves at odds with the group, they need to consider whether they are in the wrong.

e Tiger’s Mouth: An Empowerment Guide

Section 4

COMMITTEES

Steps for Forming a Committee

See whether they are willing to “step aside.” This means they do not agree with the decision but don't feel it is fundamentally wrong and are willing to accept it. They mbe satisfied by having

2. The issue can get laid aside or tabled for another time. Sometimes having more time to reflect allows new idecome out. The need for the decision is not always more important than unity. Often we allow ourselves to get “timpressured” into accepting inferior decisions which may cause problems later.

Individuals can stop the decision from moving forwarby “blocking consensus.” This should happen when

ey cannot in good conscience let it go forward.” If ppens it is usefu

[adapted from In thfor Social Action]

Comsing

o other. See d Governance for informatioguidelines.

Step The board makes a decision that there is a need for a comm ember volunteers to s

Step Two:

Solicit mem

a. pos

mittees are important for getting the work done and participation in the TA. Your bylaws require at

committees—Maintenance and Repair and one A Guide to Organization an

increaleast tw

n on the structure of committees and sample

One: ittee. At least one board merve on the committee.

bers for the committee from TA by:

ting a notice in the lobby ting a flyer explaining purpose ob distribu f

commic. ask

commi people who have skills or interests

related to the committee’s work

o haven't been involved

Step Three:

Step Four:

begin to develop

Step Five:

—see Strategies for Increasing

Participation and Following Up and Getting Things Done on pages 9 and 24.

Six:

uit new members if membership identify good potential committee

members or if you have specific tasks that require stance.

Section 5

CONFLICTS AND

Steps for Resolvi

ttee to all residents ing specific members to serve on the

ttee

people you are trying to get more involved in the TA (have shown leadership potential)

people whbefore

Schedule the first committee meeting based on theschedule of initial volunteers—post a notice in thelobby again about the first meeting inviting all interested TA members.

At the first meeting elect a chairperson, establish regular meeting times, andguidelines for the committee. Get the approval of HPD and TA when the guidelines are completed.

Try to make sure each member has something to dobetween meetings

Step Continue to recrgets low, if you

more assi

ENFORCEMENT

ng Conflicts Differences of opinion are inevitable, but are also

healthy. Clear communication can go a long way towards preventing conflicts, and being able to listen to other peopleopinions and seriously co

’s nsider them often leads to better

solutions—see Improving Dialogue and Communications on d 11. When conflicts do arise, using a formal

conflict resolution process can help find solutions that all parties feel positively about. What follows is a brief summary

pages 10 an

of thYes:Fishe

Step

the Problem. The people who are negotiating are not the problem. Their difference

est or opinion is. It is important to communicate positively using the active listening technique described

rk

Step

ot to and

g

some shared concerns and interests, as well as g ones. Rather than starting with “kids

shouldn't be allowed to play in front of the building” you

Step

e

or them. Get them out, on paper, including any that seem farfetched - “start a summer

“give the kids their own apartment as a play area.” Some of the best ideas come when the creative

Step

e four step negotiating process described in Getting to Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In by Roger r and William Ury.

One:

Separate the People from

in inter

earlier. Consider the importance of creating and maintaining a positive working relationship as you wothrough your differences.

Two:

Focus on Interests, Not Positions. It is crucial nbegin with positions or solutions. Instead look at understand differences in interests or concerns. Often we need to stop and think about what our underlyininterests are, and let go of our particular position or solution for the moment. You will find that there are

conflictin

would say “I work at home and have difficulty concentrating on my work because of the noise the children make when they play in front of the building.”

Three:

Invent Options for Mutual Gain. After everyone’s interests and concerns are identified and understood, including those that are shared as well as those that ardiffering, it is time to start brainstorming options or solutions that might address those concerns. When the ideas are first generated, don't stop to evaluate, reject, criticize, or lobby f

camp;”

juices are really flowing - let your imagination go! Pay attention to options for mutual gain - where everyone’s concerns are met.

Four:

Insist on Using Objective Criteria. Once you've run of possible options, it’s time to start developing criteria to eva

out objective

luate them and negotiate which one(s) to agree to try. Look for criteria that everyone will perceive

the

n a course of action to follow without committing yourselves long term. “We'll try this f

if

ed me. Like many other

things, resolving conflicts is a skill which takes time to learn. mind that nships as

neighbors and business partners. It can be very difficult to rebuild bridges once they get burnt.

Designing and FoProcedures

as fair, without trying to predetermine which options criteria might result in pointing to: “Affordable, safe, possible to implement this summer, open to all children…”

You can reach an agreement o

or two months and meet after that to discuss how it is working.” It’s often easier to get people to try somethingthey know they'll have a chance to review it rather than committing themselves “forever.”

Get a copy of Getting to Yes for the TA. The authors also have several related books out: Getting Together: Building Relationships as We Negotiate and Getting Past No: Negotiating with Difficult People. Don't get discouragif it doesn't work perfectly the first ti

Be patient with yourselves and each other. Keep inyou are working towards building long-term relatio

llowing Effective Enforcement

Any policy is good only if it is enforceable. Always ask

when first

Is there a perception of fairness about how the policy is applied?

How will it be determined if someone is breaking the policy?

What will the steps be to

Who will be respon

What are the conseq

istently

yourselves the question “Is this enforceable?”developing a policy.

Questions to ask when writing a policy:

address someone who is breaking the policy?

sible for monitoring it?

uences if someone continues to refuse to comply?

It is very important that enforcement mechanisms, such as fines and loss of voting privileges be fairly and cons

applied. What is applied to one must be applied to all. If a policy states a particular consequence for breaking the policy, then you must follow through immediately after someone breaks it, otherwise the policy is meaningless. When creating the policy in the first place, ask yourself whether it is reasonable to take the measures you are outlining. Do they “fit t ant

Conclusion

he crime” or are they so harsh that you will feel reluctto enforce them?

By now you are well aware that managing your own building involves much more than collecting rent and repairs. Any private landlord can deposit ten

making ants’ checks and

fix pipes when they break. But tenants who are going to live in a

ill

t’s a lot of information to

absorb all at once, but once you get started you will see that it’s no different from other building management skills you have acquired: most of your learning will come from hands-

n't be afraid, roll up your sleeves and ose doors!

UHAB Publications Publicaciones de UHAB

cooperative must take that word “cooperate” seriously. This means doing the hard work that comes with running a participatory tenants association and making sure the residents are involved in meaningful ways.

This manual has covered some of the key skills you wneed to make this happen. You have learned how to improveparticipation and communication in your tenants association,how to schedule and run effective meetings, how to form committees and make decisions democratically, and how toaddress conflicts as they arise. I

on experience. So dostart knocking on th

MANAGEMENT MANUALS MANUALES de ADMINISTRACIÓN

• A Guide for Tenants Who Manage Their Own Building

• ♦ Guía para Inquilinos Que Administran Su Propio Edificio

• A Guide to Cooperative Ownership

• ♦ Una Guía a la Propiedad Cooperativa

• A Guide to Payroll Bookkeeping

• (No está disponible en Español / Not available in Spanish)

• Managing Money and Keeping Records

• do Archivos ♦ Administrando Dinero y Mantenien

DEVELOPMENT MANUALS MANUALES de DESARROLLO

• The Affordable Cooperative

• in Spanish) (No está disponible en Español / Not available

• Becoming a Cooperative

• ♦ Convirtiendose a Cooperativa

• A Guide to Rehab Feasibility

• (No está disponible en Español / Not available in Spanish)

FOR MORE INFORMATION CALL UHAB AT (212) 226-4119