Engaging New Members: Part 1

Fatima Jayoma | Rural Projects Coordinator at SVJI @MNCASA

Happy Wednesday! All SARTs experience turnover. While transitions can feel disruptive, new SART members have a wealth of knowledge they can bring to the team. Today, we will be sharing resources and tips to engage new team members.

Let’s start with new team coordinators. This type of turnover might feel the most disruptive because coordinators play a critical role in coordinating, facilitating, and leading the entire team.

New coordinators should focus on learning about the position, the SART, and the agencies involved. Spending time learning about a team can help in figuring out the next steps.

Tips:

• Review existing documents (i.e., meeting notes, agendas, protocol, etc.)
• Review the SART’s mission and vision
• Meet individual team members

We always suggest setting up one-on-one meetings or small group discussions to learn about the SART. Here are some questions to consider asking team members:

1. How would you describe this team’s work?
2. What is your agency’s view of this team’s work? How does it see the team’s role?
3. How clear is the role and purpose of the team to you as a member?
4. Are meetings generally a good use of your time? What changes would you suggest to make them more useful?
5. How effective do you think the SART team is at reaching its goals?
6. What do you think have been the team’s most important accomplishments?

If you haven’t already, consider reading these blogs:

• SART Foundations: When You’re a New Coordinator
• Coordinator Turnover: An Established Team with a New Coordinator

Next week, we will continue this series on engaging new members. If you have questions or need training/technical assistance around coordinating a SART, please reach out to us at svji@mncasa.org.