When an issue comes before a board, it is easy for a conclusion to form quickly.
An owner isn’t complying.
A vendor isn’t performing.
A resident is causing a problem.
A policy isn’t working.
Sometimes that first impression is exactly right.
But before deciding how to respond, there is another question worth asking:
What else could be true?
Maybe the owner doesn’t understand the requirement.
Maybe the vendor doesn’t have all of the information needed to do the job correctly.
Maybe the policy isn’t being applied the way the board intended.
Maybe there is information the board hasn’t heard yet.
Maybe the situation isn’t quite what it first appeared to be.
This isn’t about excusing conduct or avoiding difficult decisions. And it certainly doesn’t mean every explanation deserves equal weight.
It’s about making sure the board is responding to the situation that actually exists, rather than acting on a conclusion that hasn’t been tested.
Sometimes asking one more question changes the decision.
Sometimes it doesn’t.
But the question itself can be valuable.
Good judgment isn’t about having the first answer. It’s about being willing to consider whether there is more to the story.
Before deciding, ask:
What else could be true?