I spent three years as the Head of Programming at Collins Living Learning Center at Indiana University, Bloomington.
Each year I recruited and coordinated a small team of volunteers to help arrange each event. My personal duties involved the scheduling, planning, conducting, and management of four annual events.
My work and my team taught me many lessons that I hadn’t expected to be so relevant as I moved into the Design field.
Know Your Audience
You might enjoy your work, but the outcome is not for you. Make sure that everyone you’re working with, and for, gets more out of it. What do they like? What do they want? What do they NEED? What is the right combination of elements to hook their interest and keep them coming back?
Work Consistently
Even when a deadline seems far off, the best way to avoid being overwhelmed in the end is to get started now. Make a full schedule and see what can be done now. If you can’t do it now, when can you? When should you? If there’s anything you don’t know right now, find a way to learn.
Iterate, iterate, iterate
If an idea didn’t work out, that doesn’t mean it won’t ever work. Take a long, in-depth look at what didn’t work and if there is still value there then try again. And even if it’s best to move on, keep that idea in the wings somewhere. It may be more useful somewhere else, or to someone else, later.
Trust your Team
The vibe you establish with your team is crucial. Don’t approach a problem like a hassle. It’s a puzzle to solve. Make sure everyone is being heard, is on the same page, and agrees on what’s best to do.
Austin Van Scoik 