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 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.