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In general, the chair is responsible for running meetings and keeping an eye on everything happening in the ensembleEnsemble. It is good to either be familiar with most ensemble Ensemble processes or know someone who is. Making sure everyone is doing their job can be tricky at times. Ultimately, you will develop your own style. There is also some advice on this page. First and foremost, remember to be organized and prioritize.
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There are a lot of processes you will want to be familiar with and keep an eye on:
Top Priority:
- Term Show!
- IAP & Summer Shows
- Recruitment
- Room Reservations
- Finances
- Event Registrations
- Director Interviews
Other Administrative:
- Ensemble HistoryDocumentation
- Mailing Lists
- Ensemble Calendar
- Membership Requirements
Other Procedural:
- Retreat
- Small Shows
- Large Ensemble Events (ex. Picnic)
- Community Events (ex. CAST)
- Classes
- Play Choice
- Office CleansSpecial Projects (ex. Sonnets)
- Social Events
- Other Ensemble Events
- Anything else Term Job-related
Term Shows
It is imperative that you select your Producer, SM, and TD carefully. (Note: For the fall show, the email for the Producer should be sent out by the beginning of August.) They will set the attitude for the show. While it is can be difficult to be Chair and Producer simultaneously, it is worth considering. Technically, the term show is not your responsibility once a producer Producer is selected, but it is always good to keep an eye on it. You should be using your knowledge of ensemble Ensemble history and your awareness as an officer to predict what could go wrong and make sure the right people have it on their radar. As the chair, you theoretically have access to all the ensembleEnsemble's information. The producer Producer and/or SM might not. You should make sure that communication is open, that people have the resources they need to do their job, and that the ensemble Ensemble as a whole is as coordinated as possible.
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- At the beginning of each semester, choose a time for weekly officer meetings. Keep in mind that most many of the officers will have rehearsals. In the past, 5pm has worked reasonably well.may have rehearsals. It's okay to have a temporary meeting time for the first few weeks as folks settle into the semester, a more regular meeting time during the rehearsal process, and a different meeting time after the show. If a meeting needs to be rescheduled for a week, that's okay. If someone needs to miss a meeting, that's okay, too (although you should definitely be there, and if the Secretary can't be there, make sure someone else takes minutes).
- Budget 90 minutes for the meeting, but aim for 60 minutes or lessBudget an hour for the meetings. If meetings are consistently running too long, prioritize and try handling simple administrative reminders via email. Alternatively, schedule meetings when everyone has two hours freeSome business is better discussed at the weekly production meetings.
- Make sure to send a reminder to the ensemble Ensemble at least a day before the meeting. Include a rough agenda. You may also want to encourage a specific member to attend if the business pertains to them (ex. producere.g. a specific Dirstaff member or Term Job).
- It is certainly reasonable to cancel meetings during Tech Week and occasionally reasonable to reschedule or cancel these meetings around tech week or holidays or if there is very little business to discuss. Try to avoid canceling two meetings in a row.
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BoT, Term Job Assignment, Retreat,
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EoT
- At BOT, assign term jobs, BoT, review important policy items (DEI, Set Shop, Office Security, membership requirements) and talk about the upcoming show and major events. If you would like, you can set goals for the semester.
- Immediately after BoT, assign Term Jobs. Think carefully about term jobsthese. Giving difficult jobs to responsible people will make your life easier. Assigning Set Shop Master to a responsible person who lives in East Campus is a good idea because proximity for this job is key.
- At EOTEoT, recap the show and spear new members. At Fall EOTEoT, get people to find locations for Spring retreatRetreat.
- Try to avoid contentious discussion and keep the meetings short, especially BOT BoT and EOTEoT. If there is a tough matter to discuss, try to limit it to just the relevant people.
- Retreat should be reserved for discussions which can be productive with a large group.
- Even if it has been in the past, retreat Retreat does not need to be long.
- Be pragmatic. If you discuss something, try to drive the discussion towards concrete action items.
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Organization is key. You probably already have your own way of keeping organized, but I recommend keeping a list of everything that needs to get done in the ensemble Ensemble (at present) and highlighting those that you need to take action on. Typically, there will be three to five categories of things and three to five tasks in each category. You will probably have three to five things you are directly responsible for at any given time, though if you are spending more than four or five hours a week on Chair responsibilities then you might be doing too much. You can use the list above for inspiration. While some projects may sound fun, they can be difficult in practice. Keep an eye out for these. It is your prerogative to say "No." Make sure people in charge of various things keep you up to date. Check in with them frequently. If things are out of control, decrease their size and scope.
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When people are not doing their jobs, you need to think carefully about your response. Sometimes, a simple email will do the trick and get the person back on track. That said, if the tone needs to get harsh then it is best to do it outside email. There is really no substitute for talking to someone in person. Consider a person in the context of all their commitments to the ensembleEnsemble. If they forgot their term job but were diligent in their production position, you might want to let them go depending on the circumstances. If you do need to take action to a person, try to meet with them in person and explain very clearly what happened and understand why it happened and what can be fixed in the future.