This page was made to provide the resources necessary for a smooth Lead and PM onboarding process, should the current Lead or PM step down or switch to an advisor position.
Burnout
As pretty much all university students know, burnout is an issue not to be taken lightly. The team has had multiple mechanical leads drop out due to high stress. which is throws a wrench in the progress of the car as the team is left scrambling to find people to fill the role - a hectic process that only contributes to the burnout loop. This problem was what drove a re-evaluation of the Interiors leadership structure, which led to the creation of this onboarding page.
New Leadership System
One of the main causes of leads stepping down is the amount of responsibility put on the shoulders of a few or even one person. To fight this, Interiors is implementing a Co-Lead system as of S2021. This “core” team will consist of:
2 Interiors co-leads (ideally off stream)
1 project manager
Along with the PM, this ensures at least 1 active Interiors lead per term, and 2 Leads overall. Hopefully, this system will allow for the equal division of responsibilities and less work for the individual.
...
LEAD/CO-LEAD
The purpose of the Interiors Lead can be summarized by 2 responsibilities:
...
To provide opportunities for the Interiors team members to be the best versions of themselves (Student-focused)
To ensure all Interiors projects are progressing in a timely manner in the direction of completing the car (Vehicle-focused)
Burnout
The specific responsibilities of the Interiors lead are as follows:
Manage all Interiors projects at a high-level and ensure their completion.
Maintain team morale and make sure members are engaged and learning new things.
Organize new member onboarding and info sessions at the beginning of every term.
Run Interiors check-ins once a week as well as any relevant work sessions.
Attend Mech Leads and Lead/Core check-ins every week (usually Saturdays).
Answer questions from team members and provide feedback, whether technical or not.
Hold formal design reviews intermittently when necessary.
Make sure all project documentation is up to date.
Communicate with other subteam leads and relevant stakeholders (companies, alumni, etc.).
PROJECT MANAGER
The purpose of the PM is to support the team with regards to organization and administrative tasks. They are the “right-hand man” to the lead and make sure that the Interiors project as a whole progresses from start to finish.
The specific responsibilities are as follows:
Manage the Interiors timeline and all project timelines.
Manage the Interiors budget and all purchases.
Run Interiors check-ins once a week
Organize new member onboarding and info sessions at the beginning of every term.
Attend Mech Leads and Lead/Core check-ins every week (usually Saturdays).
Coordinate with the Midnight Sun PM in securing funding and sponsorships (MEF, WEEF, etc.)
Answer questions from team members and provide feedback, whether technical or not.
Communicate with other subteam leads and relevant stakeholders (companies, alumni, etc.).
...
RESOURCES
This section contains the general resources that have been used to run the Interiors team. It is recommended that the Lead and PM bookmark these or keep them handy for quick access.
Feel free to update/add to this list for the next Lead/PM!
Interiors Google Drive: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1mTB05GdzoTxcDpE9awEW3MNa5lKMXUd1
Interiors Trello: https://trello.com/invite/b/F7SdhEEB/17efc707aec9349bd5e54ba6c029e010/mech-interior
American Solar Challenge Regulations: https://www.americansolarchallenge.org/regulations/2021-american-solar-challenge-regulations/ (THIS IS YOUR BIBLE)
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc_XDqCpIg1z6k9maFaTmQGUlQ4p_d_Bkb1guVfNbqQGuRllg/viewform
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSevkENOnpumtVIkuZlAJ_JRXk15L1TX4YKlqNh4SkhlfsX4Yg/viewform
...
Important Things to Keep in Mind
Documentation
In an ideal world, there would be an endless lineup of members who are uber-interested in the team all the time, but this is never the case. What we need to get efficient at then, is preparing for rapid changeovers at short notice. The answer to this problem is clear, constant documentation. This allows any new member taking over a project to quickly get up to speed on its current progress.
A prime example is Kevin Bui’s (previous mech lead) design log for MSXIV’s bell crank:
| Google drive slides | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Another example of good documentation on Confluence is Eric Zhao’s page on the connection port for MSXIV’s Catamaran Cover: CC Connection Port
What both these examples have in common are that they record every decision that was made as well as the reasoning/validation behind it. The plan moving forward is to have design logs for every project and task, no matter how small, so that nothing is left out. Although this seems like a lot of work, putting in the effort now will save tons of stress later on. Documentation is a skill after all, meaning it can be improved through repetition.
Commitment Level
Any lead position on Midnight Sun requires a greater time commitment and responsiblity, since leads have much more stake in the completion of the car. Naturally, the lead position attracts those who are willing to put in the blood, sweat and tears to get this car out on the road, so commitment isn’t a problem. However, each person has different priorities and there is absolutely no expectation that leads give themselves entirely to the team - it's just a matter of time management, knowing your limits and most importantly, communication.
Lastly, enjoy this generic motivational poster 
...