Mentor Leader Role Updates!!
Hi Team,
We have been doing some problem solving around the Mentor Leader role! Traditionally, this role has been a project leader position where those selected are managing and supported the execution of a specific project - usually within individual tracks. This role has been unchanged for over 3 years… and here we are going to announce two changes.
1 - One big change is that we will be making it a requirement to be an Adult Teen Listener to apply for Mentor Leader. We need these project coordinators to be able to work with the teen population and serve them alongside the adults. This update is now relfected in the Mentor Leader application.
2 - Secondly, we want to make the Mentor Leader role more focused and structured. More structure will make those in the roles more successful! So over the next few weeks/months we be asking each leadership track to write up and think through the specific roles the MLs play within their track.
The forum track is the first group to work through this task. As an example of what is to come, please review the structured Forum Mentor Leader roles below and review their new Forum Mentor Leader Application. Moving forward, any Forum Mentor Leader applicants will apply using this form.
Forum Team Engagement ML/TSL
Schedules and sets agendas for monthly Mentor/Member Leader/Teen Star meetings (can be run by them, project agents, or other forum leadership to cover time zones)
Collects, organizes, and shares agendas and meeting notes with team
Potentially may take on same role for Forum Team meetings in time
Additional team engagement projects as needed
Forum Outreach / Recruitment ML/TSL
Develops ‘Forum Open House discussions
Schedules monthly Forum Open Houses (can be run by ML/project agents or other forum leadership to cover time zones)
Assists or develops additional outreach methods as appropriate (e.g., looking for new people interested in forum team, encouraging applications, connecting across tracks, working with interns, etc.)
Forum Teen Engagement ML/TSL (MEL)
Focuses on increasing teen engagement across the forums
Develops new processes/events/strategies to improve teen engagement
Connects with existing teen stars and teen forum supporters and encourages applications for new ones
Forum Needs Reply ML/TSL
Restarts SWAT team to ensure major threads have coverage for responses
Focus on Needs Reply section and working with category leaders and other forum supporters to ensure needs reply is managed effectively and does not get out of hand
Additional needs reply projects as needed
Forum Events ML/TSL (RAIN)
Assists smaller communities in organizing events to raise profile and engagement
Works across categories to encourage cross-community events and engagement (both in large scale events that tie across all - e.g., a forum-wide event for Cupsgiving; and in category specific events that may have tie ins to others - e.g., Healthy Living participating in Eating Disorder Awareness Week with a Healthy Living after an ED discussion)
Additional events based projects as needed
Forum Team Logistics / Organization ML (ANGGI)
Finishes development of Forum Team Guide and regularly updates (minimum quarterly) to ensure up to date information on all communities and teams
Regularly reviews category involvement (minimum quarterly) to ensure lists are accurate and do not include those not trained and that forum team members are within their 3 category limit
Develops additional team resources and logistical support as needed
@Laura Thanks for posting! I think making ATL required is great.
@Laura @Kate
I don't this fair to block people from progressing because they are not taking teen chats (ATL needed a number of teen member chats every month for keep it) or are not comfortable with voice calls interviews or about sharing their personal details; or can't get ATL for many other reason. I don't think everyone on the role doesnt needed to have it. we talk about mentor leader roles, not about teen mentor leaders. There are even ambasadors who are not even ATL. People should be able to progress on 7cups and getting into higher roles without have to take teen members.
@vivelespatates
Just out of curiosity, which ambassadors are not ATL?
@MonBon I'm not sure if it's still of actuality, but I remember I seen some in past 6 months who were ambassadors and not ATL. I don't have checked recently.
@vivelespatates
That's fine! I was just curious :) Thank you <3
What is the swat team and what do they do?
@Havingfuninthesnow they reply to all members on a thread in particuliar, such the one where they announce their progress on the growth path :)
@Laura
WooootWooot Laura wow 2 new updates all in 1 day awesome!!! Love that the need for ALT is added. The teeenies need us
@Laura thanks for this posting on Mentor Leader. I think for Quality Coaching there are really two tracks on the team one is a mentor leader that handles the sheets, closing, data and updates.
The other is a role of reaching out to team member and reinforcing the good job they are doing.
Sometimes someone will like one role better than another. Can we have two mentor leaders in one team?
@soulsings
oh wow Souls I like this option alot
@soulsings
Absolutely! We have outlined 6 projects for the forums :)
@MonBon I see them great post on that https://www.7cups.com/forum/CommunityProjects_124/ForumTeam_686/ForumLeadershipOpportunities_142533/1/#1562588
@soulsings
This is definitely something we could figure out.
@EvelyneRose yes thanks for your help.
Really happy to see that ATL is a requirement, it
@PhoenixAsh
Definitely worth looking into in my opinion.
I also noticed the requirements for keeping the teen badge are very strict -- even leading chats in teen group or listener rooms don't contribute toward it (last I checked). I think the initial reasoning for adding the auto-removal to the teen badge was to ensure ATLs were actually interacting with teens, but it may be time to adjust the metric used for this.
@MonBon
can you tell me please does the teen interaction have to be with members or will chatting to teen listeners be also coounted?
@MistyMagic
I honestly don't know :-/ I originally thought it was all teen interactions (group rooms, listener room, teen listeners) but I don't actually know what the system is counting. Perhaps @krinkthemellowunicorn can find out for us?
@MonBon - I definitely don't know but could probably find out, but I woud do it by asking @laura or @kate :D
@MonBon I think that there was some requirement connected with members only but later I think it was changed, at least for Teen Mentors, but I am not sure if I didn't dream that 
@MonBon @MistyMagic As far as I'm aware our system can't differentiate talking to adults and teens (in pms and group support), so from what I understood the requirement is just 5 member chats (with any member). Though, that is me remembering from a fair while ago so I might be wrong :3
@PhoenixAsh it's 4, but you are right :P
@PhoenixAsh
Right the system can't detect YET if they are teen chAts or adult chats
@Laura Definitely noticed some issues with people doing a project but only having Adult access or only Teen Access. This definitely helps lots! Thanks!
I love the new requirement of having to be an ATL! It will be a lot easier to coordinate with the Teen Side! I am excited for this!
@AnyaS
Wootwoot teenies rock 
@Laura woho! This is well thought and great update! I love to see ATL being a requirement as I know that many teen leaders are facing issues because of the communication barriers when leaders are not ATLs :/
@RaCat
Yes, this is a great improvement, we need to make sure the teenies have access.
@Laura What will happen with current ones who are not ATL ?
And will it still have a difference between teen mentor leader, or any other mentor leader ? or will the teen mentor leader tracks dispear?
@vivelespatates I think it's a good question. In my opinion, if a person is Mentor Leader and not ATL, they should try and gain that badge as soon as possible as this is a new requirement and we would expect people to have it
As for Teen Mentor Leader, I can't really comment, as I have no idea on this 
@Mark5, @MelAllYouNeedIsLove do you have any idea on this?
@RaCat @vivelespatates I agree with you, Rasa! If you are a mentor leader and you're not an ATL right now, I would really encourage you to apply for that as soon as possible, so there's no barrier in your duties & also you meet this new criteria.
Right now mentor leader badge is track focused too, so mentor leaders who are teen focus (for example, like I am with forums) are part of the track mentor leader team but focus on the teen members of the track. I'm pretty sure most tracks are doing / should be doing / will be doing the same soon, to follow up with the teen leadership updates that have been previously done!
and teens in this role? does it mean we are no longer accepting teens in ? I love working with @Emily619 as community mentor leader in disability support subcommunity..
@vivelespatates we are accepting teens, it's teens inclusive role for sure! The requirement remains as it was - we would like every SC to have teen and adult CML, but teen can apply only if there is some Adult as CML
@RaCat @MelAllyouneedislove
and how it's fair to allow teen-only listeners and not adult-only listeners??
All adults forced to be adult-teen listeners for progressing. so it will be easier to progress as a teen, and not possible as an adult who can't get adult-teen listener for different reasons that i previously talked about?
@vivelespatates
I think part of the logic has to do with the fact that teens have a shorter amount of time as teens, so we are trying to enable them to have access to leadership positions and make the transition easier. I would recommended posting further questions on this to @Kate
@vivelespatates adults are supposed to be there for teens too while in leadership positions: right now theres no teen star leaders so its not an issue were having but they always have a mentor leader helping them too. The idea behind having the ML be adult teen listener is because you cant lead a team that you cant communicate with. With teens, this is for their own safety, so they can have an adult giving them a hand to connect those adults that arent teen listeners too.
Also, I dont quite agree with calling leadership positions progression, thats not the final end of a listener (to be ambassador, or mentor leader), the way you progress as a listener is working on your listener skills and having better chats, *giving* better help. Leadership positions are not for everyone either, so its okay if someone chooses not to be part of it!
@vivelespatates mentor leader is the equivalent of teen star leader! This does not affect teens because they still have apply through the teen star system :)
