Find Your Volunteer Path! Which 7 Cups Leadership Track Fits You?
Hi, everybirdy!
7 Cups is a vast community, to be sure, and it takes many different skills and selfless volunteers to keep our platform supportive, safe, and growing. Within our community, there are many roles to play, and these critical support roles are held by volunteers who take paths to become leaders and help oversee the daily operations of our beloved community.
Our leadership structure is made up of 5 domains: Forums, Group Support & Listener Chatrooms, Quality, Safety, and the Academy. Think of these domains as different "paths" you can explore. In several of them, you have the opportunity to move up through different tiers: from Support (Tier I) roles, to Mentor (Tier II), Mentor Leader (Tier III), and even Ambassador (Tier IV) roles!
Let's explore the tracks you can join:
1. The Academy Track
This is the "school" of 7 Cups, a free institution that trains everyone to be better listeners, leaders, and supporters. This track is all about learning and helping others learn.
The Path & Roles:
- Academy Mentor: Be a guide! You'll support trainees 1-on-1 as they go through programs like "Quality Listening" or "Leadership Development."
- Academy Mentor Leader: Lead the mentors and help manage the Academy's programs.
This path is for you if: You're a natural teacher. You're organized, love helping others grow, and are passionate about education and skill-building.
2. The Quality Track
This track is all about making sure the support on 7 Cups is the best it can be. You'll be the one helping other listeners polish their skills and provide high-quality, compassionate support.
The Path & Roles:
- Anonymous Evaluation Team: As a member of the team, you will be responsible for evaluating listeners’ skills and providing feedback to listeners to help them improve their skills and provide better support to members.
- Listener Coaching Team: Work directly with listeners to help them improve their active listening skills.
- Quality Mentor: A Quality Mentor helps listeners with questions and guides listeners needing help to resources that will help them become better listeners!
This path is for you if: You have amazing attention to detail. You're analytical, objective, and (most importantly) know how to give kind, constructive feedback that empowers people, not discourages them.
3. The Safety Track
This vital track's focus is keeping everyone in our community safe.
The Path & Roles:
- Safety Patrol: Scan the site for profiles that break the rules and flag them.
- Safety Outreach: Kindly message users with minor profile violations, giving them a chance to fix it before they get flagged.
- Safety Mentor Leader / Ambassador: Lead safety teams, manage projects, and work to create a safer environment for all.
This path is for you if: You are calm under pressure. You can be decisive, assertive (in a kind way!), and have strong boundaries. You're passionate about protecting the community and making it a safe space for everyone.
4. The Group Support Track (Members)
Member Group Chat Leadership puts efforts into serving to ensure a comforting space in the group chats.
The Path & Roles:
- Room Supporter (Tier I): Be the welcoming face in the chat! You'll foster healthy conversation and make everyone feel included.
- Chatroom Moderator (Tier II): The official "host." You'll facilitate the chat, keep it safe, and guide the discussion. (Requires experience as a Room Supporter).
- Group Support Mentor (Tier III): Lead the way by mentoring new Moderators and Supporters and helping to build a strong team.
This path is for you if: You enjoy facilitating conversations, meeting new people, and helping every participant feel seen.
4. The Chatrooms (Listeners) - This is the listener side support!
The Path & Roles:
- Peer Support: When someone has experience with listening and is motivated to assist others with their listening challenges, they become peer support. Their role is to help fellow listeners after a difficult chat.
- Chat Support: This is a role that all mentors/teen stars are asked to apply for in order to gain additional skills and knowledge so they can give on-demand chat support with different topics and situations that arise on 7 cups, specifically in member chats.
- Chatroom Mentor(Tier II): his role focuses on building and fostering a supportive and group-learning environment for the listener community. Chatroom Mentors/Teen Stars ensure that listener chatrooms are inclusive, safe, comforting, kind, and supportive to all the participants.
This path is for you if: You want to create a positive impact, empower others, and contribute to the well-being of our listener community.
5. The Forum Track
This track is all about our awesome Forums—the place where people can post about their challenges and get thoughtful support over time.
The Path & Roles:
- Forum Supporter (Tier I): Be the heart of 1-3 forum communities. You'll post and reply to threads to keep the conversation supportive and engaged.
- Community Mentor / Teen Star (Tier II): Take more ownership of the community of your choice! You'll oversee its activity and safety and guide the Forum Supporters.
- Community Mentor Leader (Tier III): Lead the community of your choice and the team of Community Mentors and help your part of the forum thrive.
This path is for you if: You prefer taking time to craft a thoughtful, empathetic response rather than a fast-paced chat. You're a natural community-builder.
Please note that this is not all the roles! You can read more in-depth about them (here). You'll see leaders on every tab to message. Don't be shy! They will all be happy to help you!
▶️ So, how to start?
- The first major step for most of these roles is to earn your Verified Listener badge, which we highly recommend for all listeners, regardless of whether you choose to try out leadership! Read about how to become verified here. From there, you can apply for a Tier I role (like Room Supporter or Forum Supporter) and begin your leadership journey!
- 🔺 And for members (i.e. not listeners) who are wondering how they can get involved, I have a handy-dandy guide right here for you (click me!).
So, which track sounds like the best fit for your personality and talents? Share with us in the replies!
Questions are welcome too! I hope this post inspires you to take on new, fun challenges and bring more support coverage to our community! You make the difference! <3
@Heather225 Lol, I'm a dabbler! I've had many leadership roles and have walked away from them. I don't think I fit in any one place and that's probably why I dabble here and there. I still like to do things and give my time on my own accord, but labels, roles, and titles don't need put on me. I just like being me and offering what I can. 😀 With anything I do, I have to have passion in it or I just can't do things well. That's why I just be myself and hope it pays off. ❤️
@YourCaringConfidant
the way we're set up encourages dabbling! we want you to be able to explore, and that also diversifies your skillset as you're learning from all different domains. I like your positive open minded outlook! I especially appreciate that you're so fluid in simply being you. i firmly believe leadership isn't rooted in any label and the most vibrant community dynamic is one that's powered by anyone being able to take ownership and collectively care for our ecosystem, and you can see that in every single line of text and moment of time given to another person. <3 thanks for commenting and sharing your insight!
@YourCaringConfidant
@Heather225
Hi Caring! 😊 ❤️
I salute you sweet dabbler and thank you for your service! ❤️ I for one find it quite grand that you are a powerhouse in your own right. That you have explored many options and learned so very much about 7 cups along the way. Each step has added more to your *listener/leader tool box*. "Learn, help, learn, help" -Glenn.
I have thought a great deal about "cross training" here on the platform over the years. Maybe if we have willing spirits, just like you, perhaps we could create programs specifically designed for learning all (some) of the different areas, domains, and tiers within. Now that sounds like soooo much fun! 😊
A strong leader is a strong leader and so that can apply to so many areas. If we are running short on talent in one area, perhaps we could ask strong leaders that have learned what is needed, tried and true and that have taken somewhat of a "tour" around here to assist in the interim until more are on boarded? Maybe an analogy could be like "checking out a library book and then returning it in 2 weeks"?
For me, in real life, at the extreme levels it was called "task force". In house, cross training, outside of house, task force. It's where I was asked to get on a plane, go to some other state and engage in the same type of department that I was responsible for, but to teach them the things that I learned on how to be successful if they were struggling and even some of that was cross training while I was there. Team work, makes the dream work 😊.
I don't now. It just sounds like it could be a really fun opportunity for inquisitive minds that might want to learn a great deal about 7 cups, how things are truly interconnected, for those that would like to try new things and often, but don't want to be seen as "quitters". The end result could be highly knowledgeable people that could "sit in the space" to keep us up and running if we are a bit lean in some areas while being really happy doing so.
Not sure how it could all play out or badged, maybe Tier 1 for taking the tour, Tier 2, etc. or none really needed at all if one truly wants to.
It's there for all of us, for the taking, to engage and take on roles for a bit and then move along including so many different opportunities in the Academy. Learning for the sake of learning is also quite lovely.
There is also much value in simply "being", to simply exist around here. To go where one is needed, where one feels wanted and to do your personal best. No pressure at all. Call back to "track A and track B".
*high fives* 😊 and *hugs* ❤️
Add me
@Meditativesoul2
Hi, can you elaborate on what you're wanting to be added to?
@Heather225
Hi H! 😊 ❤️
I cannot thank you enough for this amazing forum post! ❤️ I think this is so incredibly helpful for mentally organizing things....domains and then tiers with in! I think I just heard angels sing 😇.
For some it would seem like an odd comment and that's okay too. For someone like me, I just hit the ground running, got my "go juice" and help where I can. The links provided are fantastic too and give me a great lay out, visual of how to see things.
The longer you are here the more you understand how very, very big 7 cups is! This is a really big place! 😊
In an effort to be of help, we may have many up and coming leaders from time to time that might be a bit confused of how best to select roles... as in, what might be the best "fit" for them as there are so many options to choose from. They want to be of service to others and with that, want to choose wisely.
It can be good to reach out to a mentor or a peer support to toss around ideas, concepts, brainstorm together, tease things apart, to find out what it might be that would make ones heart sing. It can be good to speak to someone that is highly seasoned to see what might be helpful to come 1st, 2nd and then 3rd to build a solid foundation to plan a trajectory even for future leadership options. Layering and building can be most wise as well as considering time constraints. Some things truly go "hand in hand".
Ultimately, fall in love with the role and not the badge! ❤️ Leadership comes from within, roles and badges do not define us. The idea of holding that brand new, shiny badge will soon fade and one is left with the work to do. Love the work, love the role, love the process. Choose wisely if you can and if something doesn't work out so well, it's okay to change course too!
Again, thank you for such a great forum post! ❤️
*high fives* 😊 and *hugs* ❤️
I wanna take part in reporting profiles here that violate rules. Someone in a group chat was victim-blaming and of course that messed up the atmosphere of the chat. I could not report the user so hopefully I be granted the opportunity to report these people and restore peace in the app/website. I am okay with doing it for free :) let me volunteer but let me do it in the time I choose too
@VentFreely
Hey there! All of our roles are volunteer, and you can perform the duties in your spare time, at your own convenience! You can report profiles. If you're interested in profile flagging you can look up the safety Patrol (here) and check your eligibility. But you do have the power to report any misconduct through our Helpdesk which doesn't require a role.
If someone was being inappropriate in a room, you can Call a Moderator (example of where it is in our rooms under those 3 dots). You can also Report an issue for any problems/concerns (here).
The reporting button is also in 1:1 chat windows. Lemme know if you have questions!
