At times, it can appear that trying to unify the board of a homeowner association is very much like herding cats. Freedom of expression is what America is all about, right? Well, yes and no. While it’s true each citizen is allowed freedom of thought and expression, having a group of special interests fighting over the same turf is contrary to the interests of the community at large. It is up to the Board President to build a team, a coalition that can prioritize and get the job done.

Coalitions take the strengths of differing viewpoints to accomplish a unified result by focusing on a common objective. In the case of homeowner associations, the primary objective should usually be to sustain and protect owners’ property values. This primary object is the “filter” by which decisions are made.

So what does it take to build a coalition of cats? For this, we turn to the supreme artists of change, politicians. Here’s what successful politicians do: Don’t Wait for Crisis. Like the Boy Scouts, “Be Prepared” by getting to know your board members personally. Understand their motives for serving. There may be more to it than you imagine. This information could be very useful in the future.