What can we do to improve our "People Interface"?

DMS General
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Tapper; I agree. This discussion was a real eye opener. It was very apparent that we are not doing enough to retain new members. This could be a serious concern if the present trend continues, and growth rate is in the negative numbers. I have a theory, and proposed solution.

To get started at the Space, new members need to be “engaged”; that is, they need to (1) come to the space regularly, and (2) and find something interesting to do. To do this they first need to be introduced to the Space on a personal level, and then trained on the equipment. The Introduction would be a “Newbie Intro” class on Thursday nights at 8PM. Anyone who has signed up that night, or come to the open house to get a RFID key, can attend. Topics could include:

1, Access to the network
2. Remote Desktop
3. Signing up for a class
4. How to use the website
5. The Committee System
6. Who to contact with questions
7. Getting a card for the Galley
8. How Storage Works
9. Getting a storage bin in the Galley
10. Lost and Found
11. Children at the Space
12. Tools that need training
13. The Handbook
14. Whatever else people think new people need to know.

Then we need to coordinate training in the “core curriculum” to enable new members to access the tools we have available. The Core Courses include the following:

  1. 3D Printer
  2. Laser Cutter
  3. Electronics
  4. Vinyl Cutter
  5. Large Format Printer
  6. Wood Shop 101
  7. Metal Shop 101
  8. Machine Shop
  9. Haas Mill
  10. Automotive Lift
  11. Pottery
  12. Blacksmithing
  13. CNC Router

We are wholly lacking in providing this training. I do not believe we have offered all these classes in any two month period. It is not surprising that we do not retain the interest of new members, or get them to start coming to the Space regularly.

I suggest that we start a rolling schedule of core courses. The idea is that, within two week period, each core course would be scheduled twice: once on a weekend and once on a week night. Each Committee Chairman would be responsible for providing this training (directly or by another Committee Member).

The schedule would be coordinated to avoid conflicts. The content of each course could be standardized, to improve quality. Since the same instructor (or group of instructors) would be doing the training, preparation time for each class would be minimal.

Any other classes would continue to be provided on an ad hoc basis, but new members would be given an opportunity to take all the Core Courses in two weeks.

Some things may need to be adjusted in the current class system. The approval process and honorarium system might have to be adapted to streamline regularly scheduled classes.

I would be willing to organize this process, and work with the trainers to develop an effective training program, but we need the Board and the Committee Chairs on board to make it work.

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I like your idea Chuck (@dallasmagna),

I would be up for teaching one or a few of the classes. But, I would want honorarium and the system is in shards right now. There is political BS in the system, confusion over approvals and no leniency for mistake. Also, there is a transition that was supposed to happen about a month ago. But, it hasn’t happened yet. Based on the last transition I’m fearful. (looking at bank account glad to have the $540 back)

Maybe we can make a new program for core classes that allows for honorarium payment without as many requirements?

I like the ideas, I hope we can pull them off.

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Chuck,

This proposal deserves its’ own thread. It’s a good one.

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I very much like the idea of an intro to Dms. I would love to help with this. I also must say my available free time is very limited for the next three months and I can’t pretend that it’s not. That in mind if you need someone please let me know and I will do the best I can to assist but I might need to break it into smaller tasks.

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Yep…totally agreed. In the corporate world (and maybe other places) this general indoctrination and orientation process is called “on-boarding”; it even has its own Wikipedia page. For this type of effort to be successful and effective it needs to be thoughtful, structured, engaging, and universal.

It would seem to me that one of the most important things a new member should walk away from an orientation process or whatever it is called is not necessarily all of the knowledge necessary to properly engage with the 'Space (this would feel like drinking from a firehouse, I imagine), but how to get that knowledge (help ticket, DMS Wiki, Talk Forums, Chair-people) when they realize there is something they need to know.

And if we really want to know how well we are doing with this, we should follow up with a survey after the on-boarding/orientation session, and again maybe 3 months later.

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@mblatz I’d also recommend a lot of signage going up in each respective room that provides key details on each discipline (when a core class might be taught, who is the chairperson, who to contact, how to contact, etc.). New members are walking around the space looking for answers and the space does not speak to them. I helped @LisaSelk with this for the 3D Printing room, and I’m available to help with any other signage needs. Let’s put up some signs as a stopgap for information acquisition.

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In the discussion of declining revenue growth, folks were discussing the need for a ‘intro to Makerspace’ class.

Improved signage was mentioned, also.

It seems that it would be good to have a dedicated thread for this.

A couple of other ideas—try to have something, not necessarily a class going on in various aras on Thurs night.
Since jewelry is not very interesting to folks on a tour, unless something is going on there, I am going to start hosting a Thurs night wonight workshope most Thurs nights

I would love to see more collabrative projects like the dulcimer sticks and the inkle looms happen

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Instead of depending on scheduling in person classes, moving to video based self training would greatly speed up how quickly a new member could get qualified.

I added an agenda item to expand honorarium idea and pay $350 to a member who creates such video content. The idea would be to replace things like woodshop basics, laser intro, 3d printing intro classes with videos and online tests.

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The board offered a monetary incentive to produce videos, for youtube, a few years ago. From all reports it wasn’t particularly successful.

Producing curriculum material is time consuming. Producing quality videos is time consuming. Producing good online test are time consuming. Commercially paying for a single course to be developed would be far more then $350. I don’t think we would get good results from volunteers who try to produce such things if money is a driving factor.

In my opinion, if we want such a thing we should contract with a professional firm to produce it. I suggest laser or 3d fab would be good pilot projects for the idea.

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This approach would work very well for training where safety and/or mistakes with expensive equipment were not of primary concern, i.e. would we want the gvmnt/DMV licensing people to drive based on the viewing of some online videos and online tests? Or fly planes, drive trains, etc.?

So training for the sewing machines, or how to get a spend card for vending room, or how to book a classroom or step through process for getting an event on the DMS class calendar…great idea/solution.

But for Wood Shop/Machine Shop/Metal Shop basics…no way. And Laser Cutters and 3D printers being as expensive as they are, I’d be surprised if there was much appetite for this there, either.

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Our volunteer based teaching of classes just doesn’t scale, what happens in the future when we get another laser that requires new training, requiring all 1,000+ members to go through classes, even if we have 4 classes a week(training 8 people per class) would take over 7 months to train everyone.

The hope is that requiring a test and providing source material to look at in the future would improve how much the student learns and retains. Instead of just standing around in person and hoping that 1) they retain all the info and 2) the teacher remembers to cover everything

Anyone want to gather quote for making such a video from a professional service? Less than $5,000?

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Let’s stop bandying about this number as if these members were actual users of the tools. Over the last year it seems that our actual users (as indicated by those members who actually enter the building) hasn’t changed all that much. We are really in the 300-400 member range as a practical number.

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@Brandon_Green

What are your thoughts on charging for these training videos and online test? Do you anticipate that we would charge the same as we would for the prior instructor lead classes?

In either case, you could use your role as Auto Chair to lead by example and create a pilot for the lift training you’ll offer.

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Just throwing this out. video and test. Than have a list of folks that can oversee a oerson’s first use of a machine. The new person uses it under the supervision of an experienced member,

A list of ‘checking’ members could be posted near each machine.

I will be honest, I would not be comfortable with just watching a video and then using an expensive and or dangerous machine. I think a lot of us older folks are that way. Watching one ahead of time would be great. It would allow me to see the tool in use and to come up with intelligent questions.

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Last time I checked, Machine Shop did not require training for the Bridgeport mill or lathe. There are nice videos on our committee page which takes one through a self-paced training on those machines.

You’re telling me that someone can’t learn how to operate a 3D printer from a video?

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I think you are right about no training being required (Haas, which was what I actually had in mind, being the exception). I also think that would change quickly if a lot more people became active in the machine shop, and a lot more misuse/abuse/accidents ended up occurring as a result.

I guess what I am saying is not everyone can learn to operate a 3D printer from watching a video, and it is just those people that you really really wouldn’t allow to operate your 3D printer. The 3D committee may or may not agree. Why can’t we just let the committee chair(s) involved handle their committees they way they decide is best…that is what they are chosen/appointed for.

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Not likely. I teach the non-required introduction for both machines, and have taught a lathe class for people who were willing to teach lathe classes. None of those who attended that class have taught one, to the best of my knowledge.

We simply don’t seem to have enough members willing to volunteer to ever make mandatory training possible.

Also, the machine shop gets far more use then most notice or give credit. I have several projects I would like to work on and have yet to find the machines unused.

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And only a fraction of that number use any given tool or piece of equipment. Recent Laser training issues/backlog had a different root cause than not having enough teachers willing to teach classes.

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Again, I think that would change if the cost/benefit equation shifted, e.g. if the tools were in a constant state of disrepair or generally down due to lack of hands on training, as opposed to other potential reasons. It’s just that this is not the case at the current time so the status quo works. Lucky dogs…

Come during the weekdays…it’s a graveyard then.

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I doubt it. The tools get broken quite often, they just get replaced.

I have had many requests for more hands on classes, but I only have so much time and so far no one has wanted to teach the basics classes, even though all of the training material is already done.

During weekdays, the entire place is a grave yard, just ask our thief.

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