Cultivate Community

Earlier this week we examined how to get ready to be on the board. Now we will look at what the roles of the board of directors are. Linda A. Bartel explores these roles in The Role of Today's HOA Board of Directors. Here a few of the roles the board is responsible for:

• Enforce the documents.
• Develop a workable budget, keeping in mind the needs, requirements and expectations of the community.
• Review local laws before passing rules or sending bylaws to membership for approval.
• Appoint committees and delegate authority to them.

Many different people will participate in your website and forums, but they will take on certain roles. Nancy White describes these roles, and how these different personalities will interact with each other. Some of the roles are:

• Core Participants: These individuals visit frequently and post often. They are important members. Understanding and meeting their needs will go a long way to making your community successful.
• Linkers, weavers and pollinators: These members tend to participate across a range of interests, and in doing so, are in the best position to let others know of interesting happenings across the community. They make wonderful greeters and mentors.
• Energy Creatures: Perhaps the most famous archetype in online communities, the Energy Creature is an individual who so irritates a community that they form up around him or her to try and counteract the "creature's" energy.

You're starting or just started an online community. What do you need to get conversation going and flowing? Nancy White shows you the roles your community will need to to start and keep forums going in Controlling and Hosting a Virtual Community.

She not only describes what facilitators, cybranians, and social hosts do, but also provides characteristics that each person needs as well as further resources on each role.