More con thoughts

[emmzzi]

One of the things I sometimes do at work is train up "listeners", a safe, non-management neutral ear, who people can talk to if they are stressed about things. These people are not the "people who have to do things" in an official way, but can support conversations with people who do things to fix things. Not counselling, just a talk-it-through person who can make useful referals if the individual wishes.

Good or bad idea for cons? We could describe them at opening, and why they are there, and they can have the DCM hotline number for emergencies...?

Comments

[alexmc.livejournal.com]

I can say that this sounds like a good idea to me but it would need a lot of thinking. Personally I would not like to turn up to Ops and discuss personal issues there.

I wonder how these people could be recognised by those who need their services.

Sometimes excellent services provided by the convention go unnoticed. For example despite being told there was going to be one it was only two days into the convention before I found out where the "quiet room" was.

Thankfully I had a hotel room which was closer than the quiet room but that isn't always the case.

[alexmc.livejournal.com]

I am thinking about this idea and think it might be best to widen the role.

What I am thinking is that we could use people who are friendly, neutral, and willing to discuss any aspect of the convention with members (while they are on duty).

To some extent that turns them into walking, talking, interactive ReadMe's - the interface between concom and members when members perhaps don't know who to speak to directly.


Hopefully this idea wouldn't dilute your original aim but it might be more attractive to future committees

[gaspodia.livejournal.com]

I think you've just described the main function of the Ops team there.

[fjm.livejournal.com]

Sadly no. I came to Ops for just such help for someone on Sunday. I was told there was no one who could help. We sat there for fifteen minutes before leaving.

[gaspodia.livejournal.com]

You are right, I should rephrase that as "what I would expect the main function of the Ops team to be". Or maybe a combination of Ops/Programme Ops at an Eastercon and those plus the info desk at a Worldcon.

Thank you alexmc and fjm, I think you have just given me Ideas :)

[emmzzi.livejournal.com]

I think that was my shift, and I think I was dealing with a Thing, and we were all out of reserve Emmas after Dealing with Things.

If I were doing it again I would be thinking of better back up plans. Or making sure I got mobile numbers to let you know when I was back.

[fjm.livejournal.com]

Truly, they were so vague that we didn't even know who we might go look for.

[alexmc.livejournal.com]

Ah, well, you see I don't really hang around with Ops much.

[tonyn.livejournal.com]

I agree with Gaspodia that your "widened role" pretty accurately covers what Ops do.

Whenever I have worked for Ops (I think including 2 EasterCons & 2 WorldCons) I have spent periods roving around looking for waifs & strays, lost property, damaged/missing signage, acting as an interactive ReadMe indeed ... Also behind the Ops desk ensuring all problems are logged, and either flagged immediately to Con Committee or reviewed with the shift manager. (Some things like lost programmes / badges can often be resolved immediately.)

Maybe the Ops people could be made more visible, (hi-viz vests?), mainly they can be spotted wandering around through being wired with a walky-talky & ear-piece. (And dressed a lot more casually than any similarly equipped convention centre staff!)

Ops is about keeping the convention running as smoothly as possible, and protecting ConCom from the relative trivia of non-urgent or easily fixable requests.

I would hope the listening service would be separate.

[twistedanimator.livejournal.com]

Hi I believe the concept of people who will chat.. and help people in distress has been raised before over emails.. mainly an emergency phone no.. maybe a phone that is passed on every couple of hours to a person who will go and just sit and talk to someone for an hour.. soothe feelings.. alert others to the possibility for further action needing to be taken etc. A safe person.

xx
you can know I am supposed to be doing work I don't like cos I'm reading and actually POSTING on live journal.

[fjm.livejournal.com]

A very good idea. The model of university listening centres might work, ie very definitely *not* advice or counselling.

[pinkdormouse.livejournal.com]

I think that's an excellent idea, having just written up the 'No Country for Old Men' panel on my other LJ. I hope I didn't come off as too critical of con committees in general there: I just feel that the issue needs discussing somewhere better than a late slot at EasterCon.