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--- teams [2021/04/09 13:40]
marie
+++ teams [2021/10/01 10:06] (current)
marie [Talk about Money expectations]
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-//Note: this section was originally called "AMBASSADORS / TEAM / VOLUNTEERS"
+====== TEAMS ======
-//====== TEAMS ======
+Game exhibitions are a lot of work. There’s the normal exhibition work of curation, setup, ticketing, security, communication, budgeting, promotions and administration. But game exhibitions need extra support: people get confused about how to play, software freezes or crashes, the internet goes down, alt controllers are mysteriously broken, people share germs through controllers and VR headsets, people will even quit games to check their social media on gallery computers.
-So you want to work with other people? Below are some general tips on working with others.
+Unless your exhibition is just you sharing videogames from your couch, you're going to need help. Anyway, it's more fun working together.
+===== How to find volunteers or paid helpers=====
+.  **Put out an open call.** Share your vision, the available work, and any details about duration and money. Use visuals and lead back to a short form.
+.  **Send your call directly to people you'd love to work with.** It's scary, but it's worth it.
+.  **Look for help in the right places.** Consider where you might find your ideal helpers. Try videogame festivals, web art communities, relevant university departments, digital art galleries, and arcades, and ask for their help to post a poster, share a social media post, or send out a call in their newsletter.
+.  **Choose your team carefully.** It's better to invest in a small group of enthusiastic helpers than to train hundreds of unreliable people. Your team will shape the experience of every visitor to your exhibition. If your curatorial team is diverse, your exhibition will reflect that diversity. If anyone on your team is abusive or toxic, that rot will eat away at your team and be reflected everywhere, including on the exhibition floor.
-  * **Be thoughtful about who is working on the project and how that work is being done:** the people working on a project and the way we interact will impact who else works on the project and directly shape the project itself.
+===== Make a plan for training new helpers=====
-  * **Be thoughtful about your own labour too!** Remember when you are thinking about work, the team, expectations, thanks, and everything else to include yourself. You are also a person working on the project. If you notice that working with people in general starts to feel heavy and arduous, try to scale back and take a step back.
-  * **Keep things vision focused:** it’s easier to keep people motivated by a shared vision than it is to micromanage or constantly chase people for work
-  * **Money:** Until there is a major change in our economic structure, we are often dealing with unpaid and underpaid people in the arts. Communicate openly about this, especially if some people are paid and others are not.
-  * **Keep communication open:** Actively work on communication. Recognize the cognitive drain of shame and quiet conflict.
-  * **Make space for community and friendship:** Many people get involved in this kind of work for the relationship and community. In every meeting, gathering, and work session, try to make some space for people to connect in this way.
-  * **Remember to thank people** and celebrate work in an ongoing and informal way, as well as formally and publicly.
-  * **Meet frequently** to assess how everyone is feeling. Making space for public conversations as well as anonymous feedback can be very helpful in making things better for everyone
-**Recruitment**
+Don't let the glorious new energy fizzle away. Make a plan for how you will welcome and train new helpers. For example:
-  * **Put out an open call.** If people see a “looking for help” post, they are more likely to reach out to help.
-  * When looking for help, be mindful of **diversity** and the way we tend to recruit people who look like ourselves.
-  * It’s often better to **invest in people who show up** than it is to bring in hundreds of new people. Revolving doors with people constantly coming in and out is an energy drain.
-  * You can **look for help in spaces with related mandate**s; schools; spaces with crossover interests (examples: art galleries, arcades, web art communities), and many other places.
-  * When reaching out to spaces ask people from those spaces the best way to connect with their communities: posters, email lists, coming to the space in person, nuances of language and culture, message boards, email newsletters, and anything else.
-**Have a timeline/plan for how people get involved.**
+.  After a helper reaches out, meet them quickly while energy is high.
+.  Warmly welcome them, tell them about the community and expectations. Learn about their motivations and skills and assign them an easy task with a short deadline. For example: write a 2 sentence description about a game by Monday.
+.  A few days later do a punctual check-in: how are they doing? If the first task is complete, thank them and get their feedback before assigning another task.
+.  Cycle through a few small tasks with the new helper, escalating in autonomy and difficulty. If the helper has misestimated their capacity, it’s best to know quickly. If all goes well, they easily become integrated with the team.
+===== Know why you need help=====
-For example:
+Why do you want helpers? Do you need specific labour and skills? Or are you interested in the excitement, diverse skills, and community growth that can come with a team? What do you need help with?
-  * We put out our calls for help
-  * Person contacts us and fills in a short form
-  * We make our first contact quickly while they are still energised
-  * Interview/onboarding: warm welcome, discuss expectations, discuss motivations, assign the first task
-  * A few days later we do a check-in: how are they doing/feeling?
-  * The first task is complete? Immediate thanks, celebration, and feedback (how did it go?)
-  * Assign a second task
-  * A few days later we do a check-in: how are they doing/feeling?
-  * The second task is complete? Immediate thanks, celebration, and feedback (how did it go?)
-  * Considered active: let them know they are fully onboarded!
-**Take time to understand motivations**
+At A MAZE. Berlin, some of the many tasks we needed help with were: submissions, curation, exhibition design, exhibition construction, signage, promotion, communications, media relations, administration, logistics, computer setup, internet setup, delivery, ticketing, exhibition floor (explaining how to play, assisting people, and fixing broken games), food/drink, sanitizing controllers, security, cleaning, and tear down.
-Why do you want helpers? Do you know?
-  - Community growth
-  - Labour (skills)
-  - Excitement and enthusiasm
-  - Diversity of expression
-Why might people want to help you?
-  - Community
-  - Interest in Cause
-  - Skill Development
-  - Empowerment
-  - $$$
-  - Creativity
-  - Prestige
-  - Access to Resources
-**Take time to talk about expectations** so everyone knows what is promised to them and expected of them. For example:
+===== Take time to understand motivations and skills=====
-The organization will:
+When you understand the skills and motivations of an individual helper, it's easy to see what tasks are a good or bad fit. For example, it takes a certain type of personality to continue to be polite and enthusiastic after asking the hundredth person to keep their sticky drink off a computer.
-  - Only do work together that matches our shared vision and goals
-  - Speak our vision clearly so people can see each task in the larger context
+Some of the top motivators for volunteers include community, friendship, interest in the cause, skill development, empowerment, money, opportunities for creativity, prestige, and access to resources. Ask your helpers what motivates them and pay attention to what moves them.
-  - Match people to the work that most closely meets personal skills and interests
-  - Define tasks clearly, provide training, communicate expectations
-  - Support people when they ask for help (within capacity)
-  - Acknowledge and celebrate all work
-  - Take all feedback seriously and make changes when the community agrees.
-  - Say no to growth when we are low on energy or time
-  - Continuously work towards a stronger, safer, and more accessible community.
-  - Make space for people to grow and/or step back when needed
-Each person will:
-  - Be aware of the space you occupy and mindful of the way your energy and actions shape the team, community, and project
-  - Communicate your needs and desires clearly
-  - Invest in your own training: take time to understand the community
-  - Only sign on for the work you can do
-  - Ask for help
-  - Communicate right away when you can’t meet your commitments
-  - Communicate when something isn’t working (anonymous if needed)
-**Onboarding**
+===== Be mindful about how the work is being done=====
-  * Ensure the training feels **welcoming and well organized**. Be clear about expectations.
-  * The onboarding has three main parts:
-  - The person learning about us (as a community, our expectations, our history)
-  - Us learning about the person (their interests, their motivations, their needs)
-  - Discussing how we both will work together.
-  * Make sure the first task is easy and well-supported. Get an early win!
-  * Tasks should immediately begin to escalate in terms of autonomy and difficulty. If the person has misestimated their capacity or interest, it’s best to know quickly.
-**On work:**
+In every gathering or work session, make space for people to connect in a personal and delightful way. Find excuses to celebrate the work your team is doing. Invite private feedback to avoid the slow festering of unsurfaced conflict.
-  * Actively communicate available work: **People can’t help if they don’t know what you need help with.**
-  * Set people up to win! Tasks should be:
+Invest time in making the working environment positive and supportive. This includes you! If you notice that the work starts to feel arduous, communicate and immediately scale back.
-  - **Specific:** a manageable task with a beginning and an end.
+===== Talk openly about expectations=====
-  - A task that **matches capacity** and **interests** for volunteering.
+==== Talk about money expectations====
-In giving each task we should provide:
-  -** A reason for doing the task (relative to the big picture)**
+Until there is a major change in our economic structure, we are often dealing with volunteers and underpaid helpers in the arts. Communicate openly about money, especially if some people are paid and others are not. There is an important difference between interacting with unionized staff, contract workers, and volunteers that can't be glossed over.
-  - **Recognition** of the person and their personal value.
+====Talk about community expectations====
-  - Clear **instructions**, adequate training, and tools to complete the task.
+Set clear expectations around what helpers can expect from you and the broader community. For example, we will:
-  - A reasonable **timeline**.
-  - A safe, friendly working environment.
+.  Only do work that matches our shared vision and goals.
-  - Follow up to see that the task is completed.
-  - Opportunity to provide and receive feedback when the task is finished.
+.  Speak our vision clearly so helpers can see each task in the larger context.
-  - Appreciation and rewards that match their reasons for working with us.
+.  Match helpers to work that most closely meets personal skills and interests.
+.  Define tasks clearly, provide training, communicate expectations.
+.  Support people when they ask for help (within capacity).
+.  Celebrate all work.
+.  Take feedback seriously and make changes when the community agrees.
+.  Say no to growth when we are low on energy or time.
+.  Continuously work towards a stronger, safer, and more accessible community.
+.  Make space for people to grow and/or step back when needed
+====Talk about individual helpers expectations====
+Set clear expectations around what is expected from each helper. For example, we expect that each helper:
+.  Is aware of the space they occupy and mindful of the way their actions shape the community and exhibition.
+.  Communicates needs and desires as clearly as possible.
+.  Invests in their own training.
+.  Only signs on for the work they can do.
+.  Ask for help when they need it.
+.  Communicates right away when they can’t meet commitments.
+.  Communicates when something isn’t working (anonymously if needed).
+=====Who is helping who?=====
+Consider organizing your exhibition or community so that everyone is a helper. The model where one charismatic artist or curator is supported by hundreds of uncredited and undervalued underlings is hopefully dying out.
-**Ending relationships/letting people go**
-  - Always do an exit interview! There are many reasons why a person might leave and there is always something to learn.
-  - Provide a space for dialogue and allow them to offer candid feedback (it will never be more candid)
-  - Thank them for their time.
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