This links to my work collaborating with other educators to support The Pivoter website with job aids for new mentors. This was a project where Ann Lopez solicited help in “Teaching: A Path to L&D” LinkedIn group for developing resources for mentors working with The Pivoter.
Responsibilities: Project Management, Instructional Design, Development, Editing, Consensus Building, Research and work with SME
Tools Used: Canva, Flipsnack, Google Workspace/Suite for Collaboration and Storyboarding
Date Completed: January 2022
Collaborative Project: Request from The Pivoter
About the Project
The Project: This was a request for content to support a mentoring program Ann was launching at The Pivoter. She wanted onboarding materials for new mentors to help streamline the process of launching the program and setting up mentors with their protégées/mentees. She wanted materials to help them set boundaries and form effective coaching processes, as well as to build their confidence.
My Skills: This project helped me realize my learning project management and collaborating skills. I was one of the first to answer the request for volunteers, and I began organizing the team. This shows my collaboration skills as well. My team who worked through the process with me (Leelavathy and Lindsey) both thanked me for my leadership and felt I created a collaborative process that worked for them. I also worked well with a SME who was a stranger to me and a “client” I had just met, Ann.
Team Design Process
My Role
I took on the role of unofficial project manager in creating a lot of the initial organization, as I held the initial conversation with the client. I made an action plan based on client needs. Other contributors were coming together as I developed the goals and outline. I acted as the initial project manager, greeting new contributors and introducing the project scope and goals to them with outlining the project plan. Several contributors decided this project did not fit their goals and left. Leelavathy Balakrishnan and I were there together from the beginning, and we supported each other in framing the goals of the project. We worked on the project from end to end and owned the project.
I also worked with the SME by drafting questions after researching and incorporating that information into the different topics produced by myself and the team. In designing, small digestible sub-guides were determined to be the correct strategy and approved by the client, Ann Lopez.
The Team Collaboration
In the end, the three of us that came together for the project were Lindsay Wallace, Leelavathy Balakrishnan, and myself. Together, we fleshed out the outline as a group, though I would say I was lead editor whereas Leelavathy was crucial in asking questions to build additional sections and determine what was important information. Leelavathy and I both contributed a lot of initial research, and Lindsay contributed some crucial research later in the process as well as the broad overview for the infographic. We each worked on individual components but interacted frequently to check and cross-reference the full materials. After this, I did the final review and compiled them onto a Canva website, per the request of the client.
Development Challenges
For development, we were limited to free tools so everyone had access so Canva and Flipsnack were chosen as the options. Additionally, I made 2 Flipsnack created micro-guides ("Introduction to Mentoring" and "Enforcing Boundaries and Avoiding Burnout") and helped compile the resources together to send to the client.
This was unpaid work but a good opportunity to work with others on a project with for a real world use. It was a good exercise in working together, agreeing on tool, task, design elements, and scope.
Credits
Because I worked for an outside nonprofit client with a team, resources and references for this project are cited at The Pivoter website by individual contributors on materials. The Pivoter and all its contents belong to Ann Lopez, but I have permission to share every aspect of this project. All resources were developed under proper license.