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Task ownership, ticket ownership, and Google Docs ownership
Was someone taking the lead on something? Are they here next term? Do they want to continue with that task? If they’re not here next term, who takes it on? Does it need to continue? What knowledge or resources can the old lead pass to the new lead?
Does someone who is rotating off own a Jira ticket that needs follow-up? A good solution here is to make sure someone else on your team is watching that ticket.
Review Google Drive folders
Appraise ye archivists, appraise!! Do you really need to keep that draft of a thing in Google Drive? Review existing files for relevance, delete or archive old files, leave comments in files if they need explanation, and organize the space for the next term.
Remember: the place of record for council activities is the Wiki and you do not need to keep every working document. If you find an ephemeral document in Google Drive, feel empowered to delete it.
Transfer ownership of important files if they are owned by members who are rotating off
Members rotating off can transfer ownership to archivesspacehome[at]gmail[dot]com if needed.
Term Transition Doldrums
Term transition is the period after our last official meeting and before the next one. That “next meeting” can be in July, but more often it is in August. Council activities slow but do not stop during this period, and one point in particular is that there is usually a quarterly report due in this transitional time. That means that just when you thought you could go on vacation, someone will reach out to you to contribute to that last quarterly report. Please keep that one last obligation in mind.
Another thing that happens in this period is the assignment of new members. Leads will receive word about these assignments; your immediate obligation is to make yourself available for any questions from those new members prior to the next Councils Orientation (July).
Next Term
It’s never too early to start thinking about next term!
Sub-team leads/vice leads will present their team’s retrospective at the June meeting. If your sub-team does not meet between now and then, consider rescheduling your meeting. It’s ok if your retrospective is still in progress, but should be finished by the end of the month.
Retrospectives are for everyone, not just the sub-team lead!
Review which members of your sub-team are leaving at the end of the term; record any insights they might have in the retrospective.
Document ideas/potential plans for next term – even if a lot of the same people are still returning, you may have forgotten the intention or why you thought it was a good idea.
Document pain points so that they can potentially be addressed next year
Take some time (individually, as a group) to identify what worked well, and make a plan to keep doing those things. Consider too what didn’t work well, or what doesn’t need to be done anymore (but document why).
Are there any completed tasks/projects that will require maintenance by next term’s subteam? Document what needs to happen, how often it needs to happen, who should do it, and what that person needs to know in order to do it.
Do not stress if you didn’t finish tasks, but ask how you can set achievable goals? Hint: make your goals smaller, increment them from term to term
Remember to distinguish between ongoing tasks (things that will always be true) and new projects. Both should be assessed.
Remember that leadership has been around for awhile, but every team has new members. Explore motivations anew.