Choosing a new name for Meta Leads
Austin Desautels
Public
Seen by 283
The title Meta Lead was introduced during the lead up to the 2015 Festival as a way to group leads that worked across multiple teams and projects that would need to regularly coordinate with each other (as opposed to leads that could work mostly autonomously). Not everyone adopted or understood the title as there wasn't a clear initiative to define this role in the context of the greater organizational structure.
After the 2015 festival, changes were made in the organizational structure. Namely, the former board was dissolved, a structural review was initiated and an interim structure has now been proposed by the Directors. Here is an organigram and description of the new structure, as published to all leads by the directors:
Structure: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1snD9UdbpeibLcd4ONEiyXm-ZtT3QIuTNt1IEs1Xj3qc/edit
Organigram: https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B_BUeUpN55kYVm5jVzFQaFhvU2M
Here is the text from the document above concerning the Metalead role:
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MetaLeads
A MetaLead runs a department of Nowhere. This will normally be a logical collection of a group of smaller projects. MetaLeads have executive authority for their department. If a decision has a legal, financial, ethical or strategic impact its needs to be run past the committees for approval. A department may have either one or two MetaLeads, depending on individual strengths and the requirements of the specific role.
MetaLead tasks include:
Agree budget with the finance team and manage expenditure.
Recruit and manage leads and volunteers for their area and ensure work schedules are in place.
Ensure H&S of volunteers and everyone at the event.
Take part in the monthly MetaLeads committee meeting.
Liaise and consult with the other MetaLeads to ensure that information is shared, and work closely with them on cross-departmental projects.
Ensure their area of responsibility is delivered to agreed timeline and budget.
Regularly review the work of their colleagues and undergo corresponding peer reviews.
MetaLead Committee
The MetaLead committee is the executive body in charge of the day to day running of Nowhere.
Membership: MetaLeads and administrator
Forum for communicating between the different departments and for raising issues.
Discuss day to day issues affecting the event, and make decisions on policy related to their area.
The committee will aim to work by consensus, with the administrator holding final authority to make a decisions on issues where no clear consensus exists.
Deliverables: The MetaLead committee meets once a month. Meeting minutes will be shared after each meeting.
.......
Some of the Meta Leads feel that the title could be improved, so let's hear some proposals and try this decision making tool out!
Poll Created Wed 27 Jan 2016 4:11PM
Focusing on the Departments Closed Mon 1 Feb 2016 9:15PM
I believe that the key changes within this interim structure are that we:
a) Have Departments
b) Are trying to push decision making, authority and accountability to the leads, while supporting them as best we can
c) Do not have a board
I propose we call ourselves Department Leads, as it most clearly designates our responsibility to support each of our Departments. It could be abbreviated to DL for short.
I think we could continue without changing the title "Lead" for everyone else.
As long as each Lead knows which department they are in, and knows their Department Lead...I think everything will be clear.
We have yet to determine to what extent the Department Leads will act as a deciding committee, but I get the impression that we will mostly meet to coordinate the planning of the event and will only resolve inter-departmental disagreements as a committee when/if they cannot be resolved between the few Department Leads affected by the decision.
Results
| Results | Option | % of points | Voters | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
Agree | 33.3% | 4 |
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| Abstain | 33.3% | 4 |
|
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| Disagree | 33.3% | 4 |
|
|
| Block | 0.0% | 0 | ||
| Undecided | 0% | 7 |
|
12 of 19 people have participated (63%)
Ugo Riboni
Wed 27 Jan 2016 10:06PM
I also support keeping "Meta Leads" if more voters want to call us that way.
Zach C
Thu 28 Jan 2016 10:43AM
I think we should drop the "meta-" part, because it is opaque-sounding. Whether we change it to department leads or anything else, I have no opinion.
Will R
Thu 28 Jan 2016 1:07PM
agreed - I don't have a better suggestion than this, however I'd just like to mention that I also don't have a problem with the currently name.
Misa
Thu 28 Jan 2016 1:07PM
I would like to keep the name Meta Lead.
Austin, thank you for the explanation and proposal.:)
Will R
Thu 28 Jan 2016 1:11PM
I'm fine with MetaLead as the name personally, but honestly I don't mind too much what we're called so long as our role in the event's planning and execution is clear to leads, volunteers and participants.
Bruce
Thu 28 Jan 2016 2:28PM
I'm a meta supporter
Romy Boettger
Thu 28 Jan 2016 6:15PM
I agree with department lead. Although a little plain, it clearly defines our role and if for whatever reason you may have to explain to the outside world what we do, then, for example, Production Department Lead makes a lot more sense than Meta Lead
Aqua
Sat 30 Jan 2016 8:50AM
I'm fine with meta-leads, as it is short enough that people won't feel the need to drop the meta part. With 'department lead', I expect the department bit will be left out and add confusion.
plan B
Sat 30 Jan 2016 12:42PM
I don't have a strong opinion on this topic, so will go for whatever the majority decides