One Community
Welcome to the Team
Welcome to the team and thank you for becoming a part of world change with us! This page will walk you through our volunteer structure and set-up process. As a result, this will ensure that your performance positively impacts both you and the organization.
Read through the steps below and through the on-boarding process in your Google Docs. There are additional steps there that are customized specifically for your role and all of this must be read and understood prior to starting work.
POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
One Community is a professional, all-volunteer remote team that works together through virtual platforms. We clock in and out, maintain schedules, adhere to deadlines, and pride ourselves on operating professionally and efficiently. As a member of our team, these are our expectations for you to help maintain our smooth-running and effective creation and collaboration process:
- Attend any agreed upon and scheduled collaborative calls. (what if I can’t?)
- Commit to completing your volunteer hours. (what if I can’t?)
- Log your time in the One Community Highest Good Network Software. (how?)
- Submit a weekly picture set and summary of your work. (how?)
- Stay on schedule and complete your tasks on time. (what if I can’t?)
- Respond to communication in a timely fashion. (how soon?)
- Proactively communicate: Be proactive about your tasks and your progress. Push information to your supervisor rather than having them need to ask for it. This includes when a task is complete, if more guidance is needed, if you are going to be late on a task, etc.
- Give us 2-weeks notice if you intend to leave: So we can wrap up your work and finish up your time with us in good standing, you must give at least 2 week’s notice and do whatever is necessary to wrap up and/or prepare your work for proper handoff.
* Note: Your performance will be evaluated based on the responsibilities above. Not meeting these expectations will results in a negative mark, also known as a “Blue Square” (what is this). We allow a maximum of five Blue Squares before considering termination. Receiving multiple Blue Squares within your probationary period (first 2 months) will be grounds for termination too. Read the FAQ below for more about Blue Squares.
PROMOTING YOU
Our goal as an organization is to support and benefit everyone who volunteers for us. The work you complete is shared on our website through a weekly update. After your two month probationary period, we also add your bio, your company’s bio, or both to our Collaborator Page.
For those who complete quality work with us, we are also happy to provide:
- Professional references
- Letters of recommendation
- Customer referrals
- Direct website-crediting for completed work
A MESSAGE FROM OUR FOUNDER
Thank you for being a part of the One Community team! Everyone working on this project, including myself and the other directors, are unpaid volunteers and we feel that that is something really special. There is no other organization in the world creating what we are and how we are. We’ve had over 900 volunteers collaborate from all over the world. The age of our volunteers has ranged from 7 to 70+. So welcome to one of the most diverse teams possible!
This project is succeeding because of people like you who contribute their time, knowledge, and passion to create a better and more sustainable world. We call this living and creating for “The Highest Good of All,” and we’re immensely grateful to have you aboard.
I’m here to support you and make this the best win-win possible. If there’s anything I can do to help you, please contact me directly by text or email or schedule a call anytime you need one. My contact details and the process for scheduling a call are in the Communications Procedure doc linked to from your Google Doc.
Welcome to One Community and THANK YOU AGAIN!
FREQUENTLY ANSWERED QUESTIONS
Q: How do I get started, find information on the component I’ll be working on, ask questions, etc.?
All of this is explained on your Google Doc. This Google Doc has been shared with you through the email you used during your application process.
Q: What if I can’t attend my scheduled collaborative call?
Collaborative calls are scheduled as needed and at agreed upon times for everyone participating. If you can’t make a scheduled collaborative call, please give your supervisor/manager at least 24-hours notice and reschedule it for the same week. If the call can’t be scheduled for the same week, then a Blue Square will be issued.
Q: What if I can’t complete my agreed upon hours for the week?
One Community brings every volunteer onto the team with a minimum-hours weekly commitment. You will be held accountable (Blue Square) for your commitment.
Q: How do I log my time in the One Community Highest Good Network Software?
The Highest Good Network software is how One Community tracks time and projects. Instructions for how to log in are on your personal Google Doc. Please see the Communications Procedure (linked from your Google Doc) for more details.
The One Community work week runs Sunday through Saturday. The latest you can log time and have it counted towards the current week is Saturday night at midnight, Pacific Time. The software has a countdown timer to make this closing time easy to adhere to for those in different timezones.
Q: How do I submit my weekly summary?
Your weekly summaries are how we credit you for your work in the weekly progress updates blog and keep track of your progress. Summaries are submitted in the Highest Good Network software by clicking the link above the countdown timer. Directions for what is needed are included there.
Q: What if I fall behind schedule and can’t complete my task within the designated time?
Estimated time needed to complete tasks will be discussed prior to your task starting. If you fall behind schedule please request a call with your Manager or Administrator to discuss why and set new timelines. If your reasons are understandable and your new timelines workable, we’re happy to adjust them. Repeatedly missing timelines without good reasons can lead to a Blue Square or termination.
Q: How quickly am I expected to respond and get responses to emails, Google Doc comments, etc.?
Expectation for responses to communication is within a 24-hour window. Exceptions may be made for non-workdays. Repeated requests for timely responses will result in a Blue Square.
Blue Squares are what we use to track violations of our Policies and Procedures listed at the top of this page.
Q: How are Blue Squares tracked?
They are tracked in the Highest Good Network software and can be viewed on your Profile Page.
Q: Do Blue Squares ever expire/get removed?
Each Blue Square expires and is removed after 1 year.
Q: What if I have a vacation planned?
No problem taking the week off. The system will still issue you a blue square but we’ll note your reason/vacation in the blue square description it so it’s clear you chose to use one and let us know in advance. Blue squares are meant for situations like this and we allow 5 of them so they can be used for emergencies too.
Q: Can I reschedule a call or hours to avoid getting a Blue Square?
If a call can be rescheduled during the same week with your Manager or Administrator, then a Blue Square will not be assigned. Missed hours can only be made up to have a Blue Square removed:
- In special circumstances
- With the approval of Management
- And only if made up in the week directly following the week the Blue Square was assigned
Q: How do I become featured in the weekly updates blog, on the open source hubs, and/or other consultant pages?
Unless requested otherwise, all volunteers are featured in the weekly updates blog for their prior week’s work. Submitting a weekly update is required for this to occur though. Visit our weekly updates blog for examples of the kind of progress reported. You will be added to the open source hubs and our Collaborator Page after 2 months of consistent contribution.
Q: What if I can’t help anymore?
Please give us 2 weeks notice.
