BOF on Shepherding
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We had a BoF on Shepherding at SPA
Contents |
How do we measure the effectiveness of shepherding?
- Session has a high score for "well lead" and "matches description" on the session feedback
- The session presenter is happy with the shepherding (perhaps through questionnaire feedback after conference?)
What are the criteria for being a shepherd?
We discussed this a lot, and we think:
- Has been to SPA and is familiar with the ways that it is different to other conferences (must)
- Has led a session of their own (preferred but not required)
- Wants to do it - i.e. self-selection is a good sign
If we have some kind of feedback from the sessions proposer at the end on the shepherding, over time we might be able to refine this.
What are the criteria for GETTING a shepherd
We think we should go back to the time when every SPA session leader gets a shepherd. Experienced speakers said they felt that a shepherd could have been very useful to them.
What makes a good shepherd?
This is what makes a bad shepherd: http://www.slideshare.net/kevinrutherford/shepherding-antipatterns-35126142 Some things we came up with:
- ask questions to draw things out (e.g. "how will this work?" rather than "this isn't going to work")
- takes the time to speak to session leaders
- has skin in the game? i.e. it reflects well/badly on them if the session does well/badly?
- steers rather than bosses... allows session presenter to make mistakes
- similar to mentoring
What should the shepherd and session leader's responsibilities be?
Executive summary: we should have a clear timetable of what is expected from a shepherd and their session proposers, and reserve the option to withdraw sessions that we are concerned about.
Our priority is to make sure the sessions at SPA are good. We think the way to achieve this is to have some clear guidelines for shepherds, and clear guidelines to presenters as to what is expected of them, and the way to do this is to come up with a timetable.
Something like:
- After session is selected: ask presenter whether they've looked at the feedback/review and what they propose to do about it
- Deadline for sharing slides/code/material
- Shepherd should facilitate/enable/bully presenter into doing a dry-run by some deadline
We discussed at length the risks of a session proposer refusing engaging with the shepherd and then doing a poor session, and felt that we should:
- Make it very clear up front what the session leader's responsibilities are
- Reserve the option to withdraw the session if shepherd/programme chairs have concerns about session leader's engagement with shepherd, and make this clear to the presenters upfront (before submission, perhaps?, and certainly once the session is accepted).
Actions
- Come up with some guidelines for being a good shepherd
- Come up with a checklist of things a shepherd and session proposer need to do
- Also a timetable for the above
- Set up a mailing list for discussion of these things and shepherding as it's going on. <- done: https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/shepherdingatSPA/info, or send an email to [email protected]
All welcome to get involved in the discussion - please join the mailing list above.
If there's anything I've missed - this is a wiki! Add it :)
