Public Playgrounds - Management Policy

[+TeamRJMK]

Hello All (especially officers of the Public Playgrounds group),

 

I've been very interested in the Group Dynamics ... Thread talking about how the leaders and officers manage their waymark category.

 

Basically, there are leaders who want to approve ALL the waymarks in their category and only want the officers to jump in when they aren't available. On the other side are leaders who want the group to jump right in and keep things moving. I think that having a leader with one opinion and an officer with the opposite opinion can be frustrating to both sides.

 

So.... here's my first take at writing down a management policy for OUR group and category:

 

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Waymark Management Policy:

All officers may approve waymarks that meet the requirements. There is no need to give the leader a chance to approve them first.

 

If you see a waymark that appears to be approved in error, please send a message to the officer approving the waymark and give him/her the chance to explain or work with the waymark owner to resolve the issue.

 

If you see a waymark that needs changes prior to approval and you send an email to the waymark submitter, please send an email to the group letting us know so we don't innundate the waymark submitter.

 

If you see something amiss or have a suggestion for improvement, please send it to the officers for discussion. Decisions will be made as much as possible by consensus. If consensus cannot be reached, the leader will make the final decision.

 

Welcome to OUR group and waymark category!

 

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Please offer your opinions and suggestions. I'm curious about your opinion on the decision reaching method - I also considered simple majority rule but know that sometimes, that isn't the best method for making group decisions. What do you think?

 

(Even though final decisions about our policy will be made by Public Playground officers, I'm very interested in comments, suggestions and opinions from the rest if the community as well - please jump right in!.)

 

Thanks~

~J of TeamRJMK~

[+Dew Crew]

Can I use it?

[+TeamRJMK]

Can I use it?

 

Yep - especially if you help make it better!

[+Dew Crew]

All officers may approve waymarks that meet the requirements. There is no need to give the leader a chance to approve them first.

 

Maybe add something like: 'Approvals may be done by the first officer who gets a chance, in order to get submitted waymarks approved in a timely manner.'

[+Jake39]

A "Leader" has a maximum of 5 'Categories' = 5 responsibilities. +/-

If in addition he is an "Officer" in 10 more, it's 5 + 10 = 15 'Categories' to watch or approve.

I also see some names in more than 10 'Categories'.

The math tells you the load could be overwhelming, therefore I suggested the work should be done by the "Leader" first. (unless he wants to delegate)

 

When out of 'beta' or as more show an interest in 'Waymarking' we could let others take over as officers, freeing us up to our own or our chosen ones only.

[+TeamRJMK]

All officers may approve waymarks that meet the requirements. There is no need to give the leader a chance to approve them first.

 

Maybe add something like: 'Approvals may be done by the first officer who gets a chance, in order to get submitted waymarks approved in a timely manner.'

 

I like adding the aspect of "first officer who gets a chance."

 

 

 

A "Leader" has a maximum of 5 'Categories' = 5 responsibilities. +/-

If in addition he is an "Officer" in 10 more, it's 5 + 10 = 15 'Categories' to watch or approve.

I also see some names in more than 10 'Categories'.

The math tells you the load could be overwhelming, therefore I suggested the work should be done by the "Leader" first. (unless he wants to delegate)

 

When out of 'beta' or as more show an interest in 'Waymarking' we could let others take over as officers, freeing us up to our own or our chosen ones only.

 

If I understand you correctly, your point is that people are choosing to become officers in so many categories that they don't have time to help manage those categories so the leaders should do the managing instead of the people who volunteered to be officers to help manage the category.

 

Hmmmmm.

 

Encouraging others to approve waymarks and trying to define a group management philosophy is not because I'm trying to reduce my workload. (Just approving the waymarks would be easier and quicker than trying to define a management philosophy.) I've pushed the group management philosophy because this category is too important and too universal to become the "TeamRJMK view of what is right or wrong about playgrounds."

 

I prefer that officers in Public Playgrounds have an interest in specifically managing our category. THAT DOES NOT MEAN that in order to be an officer you have to approve waymarks or have to spend a lot of time. It DOES mean that I would prefer that you are at least care about making PUBLIC PLAYGROUNDS a great category.

 

Based on that understanding, why wouldn't we encourage everyone to participate?

 

(Thanks for your thoughts Jake39 - I like to see differing opinions, they frequently teach me things.)

[+chstress53]

I think that the Management Group helps your officers clarify and communciate your group's Category's vision and I think that allowing some the opportunity to approve waymarks is beneficial to some officers, but not all. I also think that as officers grow into Waymarking that each can have different tasks too accomplish. I have allowed some officers to have editing abilities and other tasks. Some officers I have not allowed these abilities yet, and there are some officers that I would prefer not to have the ability to even approve waymarks, even though TPTB allows them too, currently. I will not though get in a snit if someone approves a waymark that I would have prefereed to approve myself. I also think each Category I own, as the leader should set the standards. Likewise my favorite Category Art- O- Mats, I would prefer that I alone approve waymarks first., and only allow another officer to approve when I am away. This I think is my liking this category very very much and enjoy approving them. ( I know it is selfish but it was my first category and it is hard to let a group take it over) Alll my other Categories I enjoy watching other officers approve them.

 

The composition of Waymarking is changing dramatically as others find the site. As the demographics shift, so will the talent and skill of the available officers. In addition,my officers are becoming more age-diverse as I see up to four distinct generations co-existing in Waymarking. The mix of Veterans, Baby Boomers, Generation Xers, and Gen Yers creates a challenging dynamic for managers and officers.

 

The Management Group should consult each other and assist in managing these dynamics. Approving waymarks can foster a greater understanding of the disparate values that exist among the officers. ; and as long as we are all on the same page I think it can be a good thing.

 

Officer selection, motivation, & retention are all critical issues we will be faceing as managers . To keep the waymark alive & kicking I feel all officers ahould be interactive, practical, and engaging and if they are not they should be demoted. And, most importantly, to promote learning, you will want to structure your group with the ability to do tasks like reviewing waymarks, this will encourage the kind of interactions and active learning that foster deep learning about a category. Deep approaches to learning -- learning for understanding -- are integrative processes where officers can synthesize and connect material to their existing knowledge.

 

I remember this from a course I took once in group dynamics.

“If you don’t know where you’re going, you’ll probably end up somewhere else.” This saying is certainly true for group management of Waymarking. As a general rule, you will want to ask yourself the following questions before setting up a group:

 

· What will you do?

 

· Why are you doing it?

 

· How will this waymark further my fun?

 

· How will you introduce this waymark to the community at large?

 

· How will you form the group?

 

· How will you monitor the officers interactions and learning?

 

· How will you foster positive interdependence (Allowing some to approve, some to edit etc.)?

 

· How will you maintain individual officer accountability?

 

· What problems/challenges do you expect?

 

Once these questions are answered and a group formed I feel that each category will be entirely different and should be in how it is managed, with some categories only giving permission to the lead officer to approve waymarks and others the tasks will be broad. So in summation I both agree and disagree with jake39 and team RJMK

Edited May 16, 2006 by chstress53

[+Black Dog Trackers]

TeamRJMK -

 

I agree completely with your view of category management by the leader and the officers as well as with Dew Crew's modification.

 

Considering the other 'camp', I don't agree with the idea that the leader should somehow be considered to have more capability in the process of handling the Approve/Decline function. Basically, the leader is just the first person who thought of and went ahead with a category proposal. That stuff isn't rocket science. The officers were the people who said, well yeah, I could've thought of that too, but so what, let's get going, I like this category too! They are not less capable than the leader. In fact many officers are leaders of other categories. How can the same person be extra-capable in the category in which they are the leader and barely-capable in another category where they are an officer and should only attempt to act if there's an emergency.

 

One could say that only the leader knows the amazing peculiarities of the category so only they can reliably operate the Accept/Decline function. If that's the case, then the Description and Requirements sections in the category are not comprehensive enough for not only the group managing the category, but also for people who want to waymark in the category.

 

Having said all that, it is definitely true that, no matter how excellently and carefully one words the Description and Requirements, gray areas and contingencies will occur, being focused by certain waymark submissions. All officers should be capable of determining when a waymark submission is a gray area, but again, do category leaders have a higher natural capability in this than category officers? I sincerely doubt it.

 

The key is to communicate about the gray area submissions before acting! If you spot one, communicate with the group (leader plus officers). Get a consensus on what to do. I think the leader should not act without getting such a consensus on a gray area submission either.

[+Jake39]

Black Dog Trackers

post May 16 2006, 12:31 PM

Post #8

TeamRJMK -

I agree completely with your view of category management by the leader and the officers as well as with Dew Crew's modification.

Considering the other 'camp', I don't agree with the idea that the leader should somehow be considered to have more capability in the process of handling the Approve/Decline function. Basically, the leader is just the first person who thought of and went ahead with a category proposal. That stuff isn't rocket science. The officers were the people who said, well yeah, I could've thought of that too, but so what, let's get going, I like this category too! They are not less capable than the leader. In fact many officers are leaders of other categories. How can the same person be extra-capable in the category in which they are the leader and barely-capable in another category where they are an officer and should only attempt to act if there's an emergency.

Basically speaking...you don't get the butcher to repair your plumbing or the roofer to repair your car. Not that they are not able to do that job, or willing to try, however skillful.

Some are just more informed on certain subjects than others, hence the reason some 'Categories' get created.

(Obviously not McDonalds )

What I am saying is that the first responsibily goes to the 'Creator' and then gets devided among the rest of the officers, as many of us were asked to join so a particular 'Category' would get off the ground and listed even tho we don't have a real interest in the topic submitted.

Yes, some take their responsibilities seriously and actively participate while others are observers and fence sitters only and are just keeping an eye on a particular 'Category'

Personally I have corresponded with some 'Leaders' about their 'Categories or Waymarks' when I don't agree with a submission, but have only been active within my own and closely related groups.