With the forum migration successfully behind us, things humming along smoothly, and me getting some much needed shop time, I've started to think about our next challenge. Here are my thoughts;
I'm extremely happy with what we've become since we opened the doors in 2004. We have a fantastic community of talented pen makers, hundreds of new friendships have been made here, we've been witness to some big advances in materials and techniques, and we have created a body of pen making education and knowledge that is beyond compare.
But we can do more! We can be a bigger, better, more active community, we can bring lots more enthusiastic people into this great craft, and we can do an even better job of being the most complete source of pen making education anywhere. I have a lot of projects that I want to do for the IAP, both as a web site and as an organization, but in order to grow beyond where we are today, I need your help.
Lately I've been frustrated with myself, because while I have a list of projects and ideas as long as my arm, I have simply not been able to find the time to even begin to move forward with them. I have not been able to provide the leadership and long-term planning the IAP deserves, and I have not been able to move us in new directions web-wise and as an organization because I have not asked you to help me put the structure in place to get these things done. Any time I've asked for assistance, you've all come through, but I have not asked for enough help, often enough, and that is going to change.
It's time to recommit to Success Rule #1: Use all the help you can get.
Over the next several weeks, I'm going to be looking to fill a number of key positions that will help us move forward. I'll be coming up with detailed "job descriptions", and I'll ask for you to volunteer or recommend members for these positions. I'll be looking for people who can make a solid, long-term commitment to the site, and who are excited about taking on the challenge. Of course I can tell you the salary right now; zero dollars, but infinite appreciation from me and the membership. The members in these positions will have the opportunity to make a huge impact on our organization, our presence on the web, and the hobby/art/business of pen making.
The positions are:
Activities Manager - to coordinate and oversee all formal activities
Web Development Manager - to turn member needs into website features
Library and Resource Manager - to handle all articles and reference content
Group Purchase Coordinator - to put some structure and rigor into group buys
Product Reviews Manager - to develop and manage product reviews
Merchandise and Brand Manager - to come up with creative, cool, fun IAP products
Classifieds and Marketing Manager - to manage our growing activity in this area
Wiki Manager - to build and maintain our on-line encyclopedia
Manufacturer & Vendor Liaison - to establish solid relationships with our suppliers
I'm also going to ask our Head Moderator, Curtis Seebeck, to expand the moderator corps, not to do additional policing, but to improve member support and provide more timely help to those who need it. The folks in the other positions I've listed will also have the freedom to solicit help. I don't expect a flood of deputy assistant undersecretaries of this and that, but I could definitely see an assistant or two, especially for a couple of the larger jobs such as Activities Manager.
The members in these positions, including Curtis, will form the IAP Advisory Committee. That committee's main objective will not be to meet in closed sessions and produce mountains of policies and procedures and proclamations. Their main job will be to stay in touch with the membership and develop programs and features and activities that make the IAP what you want and need.
Because we'll be asking so much of the members in these positions, I don't expect a flood of volunteers. In the case where we have multiple highly qualified people stepping up, I'll ask Curtis, our co-founder Scott Greaves, and one or two other respected members to help me make the best selection. I've considered voting to select these individuals, but I don't want to turn this into a popularity contest. We need dedicated, motivated individuals, and sometimes those people are not found in the mainstream.
Many of you know that I work for the Government. I am all too familiar with the negative effect of a heavy bureaucracy. It is not my intent here to create a huge management burden on the site. Rather I am trying to put some very dedicated and responsible individuals into key positions to help us sustain the great community you have all built, and to move forward and grow. It's my intent to build a great team to help you all get more out of the IAP and our web site.
Speaking of dedicated and responsible individuals, I am very pleased to announce that William Cavanaugh has agreed to step into the role of Activities Manager for us. That is a position we've needed for a long time, as I have not been able to provide adequate coordination and support of the great activities we have going. I have been nagging William to take on this role because he's done such a good job (that'll teach him!) coordinating some recent activities. William will be responsible for coordination and oversight of all formal activities we run here at the site such as fundraising (auctions and raffles for the IAP and for Members In Need), pen swaps, contests, and probably 10 other things I have not thought of. I'm sure I'll be frequently typing "please check with William on that". Please join me in welcoming William to his new position and give him your full support.
Thank you for sticking with me through this long post, and for sticking with us as we've grown over the past (nearly) five years. With your help and support, the next five, ten, and twenty years will be great ones. Look for more from me soon on these new positions, and please begin to think about how you could support your fellow pen makers by taking on one of these important jobs.
Please post your thoughts, positive or negative, or PM me if you prefer.
Watch for the "help wanted ads" in September.
Very Best Regards - Jeff
I'm extremely happy with what we've become since we opened the doors in 2004. We have a fantastic community of talented pen makers, hundreds of new friendships have been made here, we've been witness to some big advances in materials and techniques, and we have created a body of pen making education and knowledge that is beyond compare.
But we can do more! We can be a bigger, better, more active community, we can bring lots more enthusiastic people into this great craft, and we can do an even better job of being the most complete source of pen making education anywhere. I have a lot of projects that I want to do for the IAP, both as a web site and as an organization, but in order to grow beyond where we are today, I need your help.
Lately I've been frustrated with myself, because while I have a list of projects and ideas as long as my arm, I have simply not been able to find the time to even begin to move forward with them. I have not been able to provide the leadership and long-term planning the IAP deserves, and I have not been able to move us in new directions web-wise and as an organization because I have not asked you to help me put the structure in place to get these things done. Any time I've asked for assistance, you've all come through, but I have not asked for enough help, often enough, and that is going to change.
It's time to recommit to Success Rule #1: Use all the help you can get.
Over the next several weeks, I'm going to be looking to fill a number of key positions that will help us move forward. I'll be coming up with detailed "job descriptions", and I'll ask for you to volunteer or recommend members for these positions. I'll be looking for people who can make a solid, long-term commitment to the site, and who are excited about taking on the challenge. Of course I can tell you the salary right now; zero dollars, but infinite appreciation from me and the membership. The members in these positions will have the opportunity to make a huge impact on our organization, our presence on the web, and the hobby/art/business of pen making.
The positions are:
Activities Manager - to coordinate and oversee all formal activities
Web Development Manager - to turn member needs into website features
Library and Resource Manager - to handle all articles and reference content
Group Purchase Coordinator - to put some structure and rigor into group buys
Product Reviews Manager - to develop and manage product reviews
Merchandise and Brand Manager - to come up with creative, cool, fun IAP products
Classifieds and Marketing Manager - to manage our growing activity in this area
Wiki Manager - to build and maintain our on-line encyclopedia
Manufacturer & Vendor Liaison - to establish solid relationships with our suppliers
I'm also going to ask our Head Moderator, Curtis Seebeck, to expand the moderator corps, not to do additional policing, but to improve member support and provide more timely help to those who need it. The folks in the other positions I've listed will also have the freedom to solicit help. I don't expect a flood of deputy assistant undersecretaries of this and that, but I could definitely see an assistant or two, especially for a couple of the larger jobs such as Activities Manager.
The members in these positions, including Curtis, will form the IAP Advisory Committee. That committee's main objective will not be to meet in closed sessions and produce mountains of policies and procedures and proclamations. Their main job will be to stay in touch with the membership and develop programs and features and activities that make the IAP what you want and need.
Because we'll be asking so much of the members in these positions, I don't expect a flood of volunteers. In the case where we have multiple highly qualified people stepping up, I'll ask Curtis, our co-founder Scott Greaves, and one or two other respected members to help me make the best selection. I've considered voting to select these individuals, but I don't want to turn this into a popularity contest. We need dedicated, motivated individuals, and sometimes those people are not found in the mainstream.
Many of you know that I work for the Government. I am all too familiar with the negative effect of a heavy bureaucracy. It is not my intent here to create a huge management burden on the site. Rather I am trying to put some very dedicated and responsible individuals into key positions to help us sustain the great community you have all built, and to move forward and grow. It's my intent to build a great team to help you all get more out of the IAP and our web site.
Speaking of dedicated and responsible individuals, I am very pleased to announce that William Cavanaugh has agreed to step into the role of Activities Manager for us. That is a position we've needed for a long time, as I have not been able to provide adequate coordination and support of the great activities we have going. I have been nagging William to take on this role because he's done such a good job (that'll teach him!) coordinating some recent activities. William will be responsible for coordination and oversight of all formal activities we run here at the site such as fundraising (auctions and raffles for the IAP and for Members In Need), pen swaps, contests, and probably 10 other things I have not thought of. I'm sure I'll be frequently typing "please check with William on that". Please join me in welcoming William to his new position and give him your full support.
Thank you for sticking with me through this long post, and for sticking with us as we've grown over the past (nearly) five years. With your help and support, the next five, ten, and twenty years will be great ones. Look for more from me soon on these new positions, and please begin to think about how you could support your fellow pen makers by taking on one of these important jobs.
Please post your thoughts, positive or negative, or PM me if you prefer.
Watch for the "help wanted ads" in September.
Very Best Regards - Jeff
