A Homeowner Association forum is a welcome idea for a condominium community which is mostly practiced in well managed Philadelphia HOA communities where there is unity. However, while individuals are giving out their opinion on the way forward, crisis does sometimes loom. Hence, to manage unhealthy HOA conversation, and have a productive open forum session, below are ten useful tips, a Homeowner association Manager which must maintain.

1.    Establish standing rules and regulations: For the sake of order and decorum, there should be rules guiding the use of meeting floors as well as non-use of abusive words or interruption of the current speaker.
2.    The method of signups: Every condominium owner who wishes to say a word or two must first sign up, with the HOA Management Company 1st to avoid multiple speakers at a time. See article on using social media to manage Philadelphia HOA Residents
3.    Early summary submission: A brief detail about the impending issue must be submitted some hours – or days – before the meeting time to prepare for possible questions and answers.
4.    Establish a submission time limit: The use of 2 to 5 minutes is ideal should they request for more minutes to finalize their submission. And, ensure that it is in written form and maintain the set limit.
5.    Establish issue limit: To avoid unnecessary lengthy talk which can lead to crisis, permit only a single topic by one condo owner at a time. Also, ask the speaker to speak calmly and precise.
6.    Organize meeting agenda: Ensure that the HOA Management Company has all issues to be discussed and has been scheduled before you commence the meeting.
7.    Ask for resolutions: When a question arises, endeavor to always ask the condo owners or board members for a possible solution to the problem. Using this approach will prevent an unproductive session from taking place.
8.    Be accommodative: Even when things are getting tough, avoid being defensive and absorb the challenge.
9.    Avoid Outburst: As much as possible, rants must be avoided, and when a condo owners begins to rant, endeavor to curb the resident politely by asking him to submit his opinion in written form, to the HOA Manager or speak to him privately.
10.    Think and take your time before you answer: Endeavor to take your time to think before you respond to a sudden question. A late thoughtful answer is better than a quick unwise response. Also, accept feedbacks, appreciate their contribution and reply when you feel the answer has been reasonably thought about.

On a final note, you stand to have a productive meeting every forum day as long as the stated key points are consistently applied to the Homeowners Association Management of your community forums.