Objective
State the purpose of the group in 25 words or less (brief, energizing).
Roles
What are the duties needed to get the work done? Who will take notes? Who will keep meetings on track/time? Who is responsible for tracking actions?The Digital Collections Project Team is responsible for optimizing the integration and findability of digital collections in the Primo VE discovery service (“UC Library Search”).
Roles
Notetaker: record important points, areas of agreement and disagreement, decisions, action items, etc. (rotate each meeting)
Timekeeper: keep people aware of time and help them use it productively (rotate each meeting)
Chair: serves as Facilitator and is responsible for agenda building (including estimated time for items) and guides the discussion so that it covers the relevant topics and participants feel progress has been made
Vice-Chair: supports the Chair in their role; serves as backup Facilitator as needed
What are our expectations for working together? Create a list of statements that the team agrees to uphold. For example, ask yourself: How do we make this group a safe space for transparent discussion (knowing that it might become contentious, and avoid back-channeling)? What are our ground rules for meetings? How do we ensure everyone is engaged? How do we ensure everyone has a voice? How will we resolve disagreements?
BE HERE NOW
Be present, in person, and in your attention.
PARTICIPATE
Our goals can only be achieved if we each strive to participate fully in our meetings. Be sure to do the readings. Be ready to discuss agenda items. Help build future meeting agendas. Leave space for everyone to participate. Volunteer for tasks. Follow-through on work commitments and let the Chair/team know when you are unable to meet a deadline because of changing circumstances.
RESPECT
Honest, candid, and thoughtful discussions are essential for our work. Keep an open mind. Respect each other’s time. Give space for others to speak up. One voice at a time maximizes communication.
SHARE APPROPRIATELY
Share widely as much as is appropriate, while keeping in mind that some discussions deserve to be more fully developed before being broadcast to our colleagues. Just ask if you’re not sure.
SERVE A DUAL ROLE
In addition to serving as a conduit between your particular campus and the project team, seek out the bigger picture, and look out for the overall well-being of the UC Libraries.
REFLECT
Commit to take the time to reflect on our work as a group periodically.
NO ONE KNOWS EVERYTHING; TOGETHER WE KNOW A LOT
This means we all get to practice being humble, because we have something to learn from everyone in the room. It also means we all have a responsibility to share what we know, as well as our questions, so that others may learn from us.
EMBRACE CURIOSITY
Listen actively and seek to understand others’ points of view. We make better decisions when we approach our problems and challenges with questions (“What if we…?”) and curiosity. Allow space for play, curiosity, and creative thinking.
ACKNOWLEDGE THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN INTENT AND IMPACT
When someone does or says something that causes harm or supports the values of oppressive systems, it is not their intention to do so. Acknowledge that our intent and the impact of our actions are two different things, and to take responsibility for any negative impact we have. (This can be as simple as apologizing.)
References:
Anti-Oppressive Facilitation Guide For Democratic Process (June 2017) http://dev.aorta.coop/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/AO-Facilitation-Resource-Sheet.pdf