[hackerspaces] how to deal with tired staff, with hackespaces blues

[Joshua Pritt]

We usually ask the newest members take the trash out the first time it gets
full while they are there.  Just so they know where the dumpster is and
everything that way if any member just happens to see the trash is full
hopefully they will remember how they did it that one time and be tempted
to do it again.  We're all in this together!


On Mon, Feb 17, 2014 at 5:36 PM, Edward L Platt <ed at elplatt.com> wrote:

>
> If the space is not "owned" by the members then it's going to be treated
>> like a pay-for workshop service since that is what you are providing.
>> There's nothing wrong with that, but it sounds like you need to charge more
>> and pay your staff more if they are getting burned out.
>>
> ^ This!
>
> It sounds like your hackerspace has chosen to have staff who have
> additional privileges and responsibilities.  Although different from how
> many spaces run, there's nothing wrong with that, but in that situation you
> have to expect the members to take less ownership of the space.  In short,
> it's structured like a business, so it makes sense to run it more like a
> business.
>
> I have two more general suggestions for fostering a community where people
> take care of the space:
>
> 1. Rather than changing people's behavior, be picky about the behaviors
> you allow into your space.  Every new member is an example to other
> members, and a danger of growth is a lot of members setting a bad example.
>  If you focus on rewarding  members who take care of the space and make it
> easy for them to be around more to set good examples, the place should
> develop a culture of responsibility.
>
> 2. In other types of organizations, I've seen volunteer coordinators work
> wonders.  Just having a person to coordinate and track volunteers can make
> a huge difference.
>
> -Ed
>
> --
> Edward L. Platt
> http://elplatt.com
> http://civic.mit.edu/users/elplatt
> http://i3detroit.com
> @elplatt <http://twitter.com/elplatt>
>
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>
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