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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.

New Leadership System

One of the main causes of leads stepping down is the large amount of responsibility put on the shoulders of one or a few people. To counter 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 fully active Interiors lead per term. Hopefully, this system will allow for the equal division of responsibilities and less work for the individual.

This system is open to changes in the future.

LEAD/CO-LEAD

The purpose of the Interiors Lead can be summarized by 2 responsibilities:

  1. To provide opportunities for Interiors team members to be the best versions of themselves (Student-focused)

  2. To ensure all Interiors projects are progressing in a timely manner in the direction of completing the car (Vehicle-focused)

The specific responsibilities are as follows:

  • Manage all Interiors projects at a high-level.

  • 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 Saturday.

  • 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.).

The double lead position can be implemented in 2 ways:

  • Both leads are of equal experience and commintment level and will split the workload

  • One lead training a core member to take on the role in the future (mentor/mentee). The core member will act as a supporting role while learning the ropes

PROJECT MANAGER

The purpose of the PM is to support the team with regards to organization and administrative tasks. They help the lead 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.

  • Attend/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 (Kristen) 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 and other links that may be useful. 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!

Important Things to Keep in Mind

Documentation

Clear, constant documentation 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:

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1IeO6-0cQIENbptO43RSky7oiMCIkJQ2zBdahJys4PWo/edit#slide=id.g85bcb2d859_0_45

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 the stress later on.

PM: Log any major decision and reason behind them

Asking Questions

One of the best parts of Midnight Sun, or any student team, is that you are constantly learning. Being a lead doesn’t mean you are an expert in your field, although it may look like it from a new member’s point of view. You are in this position because you hopefully have spent some time as a regular member and have remained excited about what the team has been doing. Asking questions is always encouraged, whether it’s with other leads, advisors, alumni, profs, etc. Doing this publicly also encourages newer members, who most likely know less than you, to do the same.

Commitment Level

Any lead position on Midnight Sun requires a greater time commitment and more responsiblity, since leads have a larger 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, everyone has different priorities and there is absolutely no expectation that leads give themselves entirely to the team 24/7- it's just a matter of time management, knowing your limits and most importantly, communication.

Scouting New Leads/PM’s

So you’ve been a lead for a while now….what’s next?

Maybe you’re ready to step back into an advisor position, or you’re academic, co-op or personal lives are getting too hectic and you can’t make time for Midnight Sun anymore. What do you do then?

Obviously one of our team goals is to be sustainable. It is quite difficult to start a student team after it’s members have completely disbanded, let alone a new student team from scratch. And Midnight Sun has been in this situation before where the team, in a sense, fizzled out and was only later brought back to life by some committed students for their fourth year design project.

To prevent this from happening again, there needs to be lineup of potential leads who are motivated and committed enough to take on the role and keep the team alive. It is largely on the current lead and PM to look out for these members and bring them up so that they develop the skills to one day take over.

To conclude, enjoy this generic motivational poster (smile)

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