Profile Improvement Project Voyage Guide Cheat Sheet

Date: [unknown] [unknown]
Location: [unknown]

Contents 1 PIP Voyage Guide Cheat Sheet 1.1 Voyagers 1.2 Starting out 1.2.1 Trello Cards 1.2.2 Guide Spreadsheet 1.2.3 Shore Excursion 1.2.4 Examples & Help

PIP Voyage Guide Cheat Sheet

Welcome! We’re glad that you’re joining us. Hopefully, the following will help you as you guide your Voyagers on this journey. We hope that it will answer your questions and be a resource for you in the future. Someone is usually available in the Discord #voyager-guide channel if you have questions that aren’t covered below.

Being a Guide is a commitment and a responsibility. It’s also a commitment for the Voyager. It is expected that you will maintain contact with your Voyagers regularly. By this we mean, with occasional variations, every 1 to 2 weeks. Some Voyagers may tend to stray, staying active on WikiTree but not on their Voyage profile. You must stay in contact with them and guide them back to the Voyage. We usually have other WikiTreers waiting for a Guide so they must understand that this is not a cruise but a voyage. You are also a crew – Guide and Voyager. At the same time, WikiTree is supposed to be fun and the Voyage is a “work at your own pace” project. As long as work is being done, we should never give them an end date. We never want to rush the Voyager to finish the Voyage. More on this below under Shore Excursion.

Voyagers

As in everything, you will find a wide variety of personalities and learning abilities in the people you will be guiding. Some are NEWTs who have little or no experience with our guidelines and some are long-time WikiTreers who want to create better profiles and become more familiar with the guidelines. Some need to be led step-by-step through the points on a help page, while others can ‘drink from the firehose’.

Usually, everything goes well, but on occasion, there is a bad match. If this occurs it is perfectly okay to ask to have another Guide replace you. And sometimes the Voyager may ask for that. That, too, is okay. We all learn differently.

Starting out

Trello Cards

We use the Trello tool for working with Voyagers. It also has dozens of “Notes, Tools & Examples”. The checklists will not only help you, but they can help keep you organized. It is very important to have updated checklists if for some reason another Guide needs to work with the Voyager. Therefore, we encourage you to regularly (preferably weekly) update the Trello cards for each of your Voyagers. It should only take a few minutes.

The card for each Voyager shows a process checklist for the Voyage. There is also a section for comments at the bottom of each card. Your comments are necessary and required. They can include information about what you are working on with the Voyager, how they are doing, if they are taking a break (for whatever reason), if they are being moved to Shore Excursion and why (very important), etc. They can be brief, and when necessary more detailed. Did we say they are important? It is expected that these cards be kept updated.

NOTE: When updating the ‘Due date’ on the Trello card, be sure NOT to check the little box just to the left of the date. If you check that box the date will be shown as ‘Complete’ (green) and you will NOT receive a reminder on the due date.

Guide Spreadsheet

We use a shared spreadsheet to track items that you have discussed with the Voyager. It will show the Voyager's progress using the Rubric checklist. As the Guide, you will be able to tell at a glance what has and has not been covered for each Voyager.

Shore Excursion

If the Voyager is wandering too much or too often, or if they have “real life” issues, they can go on Shore Excursion (SE). This should be offered to them with the option to return when it is a better time for them. Be sure they understand that this is a ‘leave’ and not punishment. If the choice to leave is due to “real life” issues, the Guide may choose to take them back on board at the time of return.

There is no time frame on how long it takes a Voyager to complete the Voyage as long as the work is consistent and regular. Sometimes there are extenuating circumstances for the Voyager or the Guide (illness, holidays, vacations). SE shouldn’t be considered as long as the Voyager returns after the expected time period. You, as the Guide, have some leeway on this decision.

If the reason is lack of commitment to the Voyage the following guidelines are in place (see Profile Improvements Project (PIP) Voyage):

• If the Voyager doesn’t work on their profile for three weeks or misses three check-ins, they will be moved to SE. If the Voyager is placed on SE three or more times for not working on their Voyage profile or not responding to the Guide's emails, they will be withdrawn from the Voyage. The Guide may contact Robin, Debi, or Kay if they would prefer to have it handled by one of them.
• If the Voyager has been on SE for a year, they will be withdrawn from the Voyage, but they may register again.
• If they do not want to go on SE, then contact Robin, Debi, or Kay
• The Voyager should be told they are being moved to Shore Excursion
• Add Debi, Kay, and Robin to the Trello card so they will be alerted to the next steps for SE Voyagers
• If you are not willing to continue as their Guide if they return, remove yourself.
• The Trello card should have a follow-up date added to it that falls a few days before the date on the ‘Hold Request’ date on the profile(s) they are using for the Voyage (unless they have said they will return sooner than that date, then that date should be used).

Examples & Help

Note: Some of the suggestions below may overlap. You may find that some of them work better for you than others. Some find a combination of two or more of the examples works best.

• Sample Introduction Letter - This letter can be adjusted to fit your “style”, but the main points should be presented in one way or another.

Subject: Profile Improvement Project (PIP) Voyage

Hello ?

Welcome to the PIP Voyage. I’m going to be your Voyage Guide and it’s nice to meet you. I see that you have chosen to work on (name with link) as your first profile.

Please do not change the {{Hold Request}} Research Note Box at the top of the profile or the {{Image}} or {{Clear}} in the Research Notes section. These tell others not to work on this profile; it is fine if you or I make changes.

I recommend that you review the Goals found on the Profile Improvement Project page. You can also find links to example profiles that meet those goals on the Project Page.

When I review, I will use the Level 1 guidance found in the Project's Style Standards to make suggestions for further changes.

Here is a short list of the goals we have for profiles

• Narrative or timeline style
• Grammatically correct
• Past tense
• At least one well-crafted inline citation for each fact
• Links to the profiles of other people in the first instance they are mentioned

You are welcome to work to higher level standards than are shown in these standards.

I will usually check with you on the profile’s progress about once a week unless I hear from you sooner. Does that schedule work for you? Since life changes, this schedule can always be adapted.

Keep in mind that we usually have someone waiting in the queue. If at any time you find that you need to take a break from the Voyage, please let me know and you can go on Shore Leave until a better time for you. This allows you what might be a needed break and I can then work with someone else while you're away.

Please let me know that you received this email and when you’re ready to review ?’s profile. As we progress on this Voyage, please don’t hesitate to contact me with any questions or comments.

Welcome aboard! I’m looking forward to working with you,

Signature

• Wording for Voyager being withdrawn from the Voyage for being placed on SE three or more times

You have been placed on Shore Excursion three or more times and yet are not responding to check-in messages or are not working on your Voyage profile. Therefore, you have been withdrawn from the Voyage. Please see the Profile Improvement Project (PIP) Voyage page if you have any questions.

• Wording for Voyager who has been on Shore Excursion for more than one year

Since you have been on Shore Excursion for a year, you have been withdrawn from the Voyage. Please see the Profile Improvement Project (PIP) Voyage page. If in the future you find that you have the time to commit to the Voyage, please feel free to register again.

• Notes, Tools & Examples - Found on the far left column on Trello – Contains information and examples for dozens of different items that may be encountered on the Voyage. To see only things you are responsible for, access the filter feature (menu bar > Filters) and select yourself and unassigned. You can clear the filters at any time to see all the cards.

• The Rubric - This FSP shows the Voyager Skills that we want to achieve. There are three levels. At the least we want the Voyager to achieve Level 1, but we prefer either Level 2 or Level 3. If you are unfamiliar with any item on the Rubric, please ask Robin, Debi, or Kay. If you feel your Voyager will respond positively, encourage them to learn some of the less common skills, ex. ‘labels’ (alt. text)

• Profile Improvement Project Resources is a quick reference for various Help pages. Be sure to refer to individual skills in the Rubric and to the Trello card in the Notes, Tools, & Examples list for further information, as applicable.

• Adding a PDF to Voyager’s Trello card for 2nd profile - For instructions, see Save PDF of a Profile under Notes, Tools, & Examples in Trello (far left column)

• Once your Voyager has completed the Voyage, if you feel they would make a good Guide, review the Guide nomination FSP. If you still want to nominate the person, follow the instructions on their Trello card.

• Discord #voyager-guide channel – This is a good place to communicate questions or comments with other Guides