Year-End Wrap-Up

Please note the updated location for the January 4 Leadership Team meeting highlighted below:

It has been just over a year since I took on the job of Coordinator of Time Trader. Some of you already know this, but it's worth mentioning that I was a member of Time Trader for just over 2 years before I got this job. I signed up when TT was just a week old, and traded things like Car Detailing, Mending, Dog sitting, and Carpet Cleaning, all of which are still offered in Time Trader.

I thought this would be a good time to look back at the past year and ahead to 2012. I have a vision of where I'd like to see Time Trader go, but my vision is meaningless without input and help from the members. Ultimately, Time Trader is about building community, and community input and involvement are the most important building tools.

So, first -- a quick look back at 2011. The year, for me, can be summed up in 3 points:

Learning

Wow. There was a LOT of learning. As a member, I had a vague sense of what the Coordinator's job was. Once on the job I spent a lot of time learning the daily routine of managing the timebank, the structure and scope of TimeBanks USA, and, most important, the membership. Of course I knew a number of members because I had participated in exchanges with them and/or met them at events sponsored by Time Trader, but there were many members I had never met. Getting to know members has been my favorite part of this job. Time Traders are an amazing community of smart, funny, talented people who are all dedicated, in one way or another, to making the world a better place to live. This community inspires me, and I continue to learn from its members every day!

Technology

Wow. Facebook, a blog, PowerPoint, and new open-source software in the form of Community Weaver 2.0 -- that is a LOT of technology to harness. I try to post a blog entry once or twice a month, and I hope that this will become a place members will come to for answers. I'd also like it to be a place to spotlight members and services that are offered. As always, if you have a skill  you'd like featured, a story of a transaction, or any other blog-appropriate content, submit it to timetrader@familyservicerochester.org and you will earn 1TD$ when it is published on the blog. You can connect with our Facebook page by clicking the Facebook button on the right, and of course, our new software can be found here. That was the biggest challenge for me this year; it was truly a lesson in "rolling with the punches," and for this Type A planning girl, it was sometimes hard. The good news is that it is up and running, the rollout was not *too* difficult, and the software continues to improve as the technology gurus at TimeBanks USA respond to the needs of the over 250 affiliated timebanks worldwide. A HUGE thank you goes out to Time Traders who assisted with the software testing and transition, especially the amazing Christina. The many hours she spent in testing and reporting, compiling a FAQ, and offering her service as the Time Trader Help Desk are so very appreciated!

Leadership

In my first year as Coordinator I spent a lot of time learning how the timebank works; how daily operations go, how orientations are managed, how transactions and membership are tracked. I streamlined some of the processes that I saw as cumbersome, and I reorganized a number of things so that they made sense to me. Isn't it funny how each of us has our own particular sense of organization? As I reorganized files and documents, I learned more about how the timebank functions and how to lead it. I worked closely with the Leadership Team, which has served as a sounding board, provided motivation and encouragement to me, and has planned events for members like the Free Stuff Event, the Really Really Free Market and the Share Your Skills night. My sincerest thanks to the people who have taken time from their busy schedules to work on this team, including Sandy K., Jonathan, Angie R., Jaben, Aleea, Mike, Abra, Carol B., David and Don.

Goals for 2012 
Using the same 3 categories, here is a brief overview of my vision for the coming year:


Learning

One of the great things about timebanking is that it provides continuous opportunities for learning. In 2012 I look forward to learning Drupal, the platform upon which our new software is built. I am not a programmer but I do enjoy a challenge, and learning Drupal will allow me to customize the timebank specifically for Time Trader. If you have expertise in Drupal and an interest in assisting with customizing our website, please contact me. Of course you will earn TD$ for your time, and it will be an opportunity to become more involved in the timebank from the inside. Of course there are still some members I haven't met yet, and I look forward to seeing you at events and perhaps in a transaction, so that I can end 2012 saying I know each of the timebank members.
 
Technology

This ties in directly with Learning, obviously. We have a lot of ideas in the timebank for adding features and functions to Time Trader, and much of the implementation of those ideas will involve technology. I hope to improve the use of social media like our blog and Facebook to get the word out about Time Trader and to grow the membership and the level of activity in the timebank. Again, if you are interested in helping with social media, please contact me at timetrader@familyservicerochester.org. Your ideas are welcome, and you will earn TD$ for helping.


Leadership 

Leadership is the biggest challenge I face in 2012. The ultimate goal for Time Trader is to have a timebank that is basically run by members with a Coordinator whose primary job is oversight and community outreach. That means that YOU, the members, have the biggest task in front of you. While I learn more about effective leadership and  running a timebank, I want to begin transferring some of the daily tasks to you. Those tasks include:

• matching service offers and requests and sending emails to notify members there is a possible match
• writing blog entries (topics of your choice or suggested by me)
• performing orientations (this is a very HIGH PRIORITY need) 
• writing Service Updates
• increasing timebank activity, simply by participating in more exchanges
• bringing NEW MEMBERS into the timebank (most in-demand skills are massage therapy and handyman)

If you are interested in learning more about any of these tasks, or perhaps in taking one on, please contact me timetrader@familyservicerochester.org. You will earn TD$ for your time [and of course, a great sense of personal satisfaction :-) ].In addition, I would like to see more events that bring members together. If you have ideas or suggestions about those, please contact me or join us at a Leadership Team event. The next Leadership Team meeting is Wednesday, January 4, 2012 at 6:30 PM at the Family Service Rochester building, 1110 6th St. NW, on the corner of 11th Ave. NW and Civic Center Drive near Hy-Vee Barlow. Just stop at the front desk, tell them you are there for a Time Trader meeting, and staff will direct you. You will receive TD$ for attending the meeting as well.
I have said it before, but it's the truth; this is YOUR timebank. What you want for it, what you  want FROM it -- it's all up to you. I look forward to the coming year and to working with all of you to help Time Trader become an even more active, vibrant force for good in our community.

My wishes for health, happiness and all things good go out to you as we welcome 2012. Let's work together to make it a great year!
Jennifer 

You are invited

If you're not a member of Time Trader yet, please consider this your invitation.

You are cordially invited

to become a part of

the Time Trader community.

To share your skills,

to build community,

to make life better for yourself

and the people around you.

If you are already a Time Trader, who do you know that you can personally invite to our community? There must be people you know -- in your neighborhood, in your faith community, in your workplace -- who are good at something. Could we use their talents at Time Trader? Can we offer them a benefit as well?

Right now there are many offers: for pet care, for snowblower repair, for jewelry making, for scrapbooking and paper crafts, and many more.
And there are requests: for carpet laying, for painting, for drywall work, for baking, for clerical and computer work, as well as many others.

Do you know someone with "mad skills" as Napoleon Dynamite would say? Invite them! Research tells us that people need to be presented with the concept of Time Trader 7 times before they take action and sign up. Seven times. So keep mentioning it.

Please note that we really need "handyman" type people; people who can do minor repairs, simple home improvement projects, and general home maintenance tasks. Remind them that they need only take on the jobs that fit into their lives and schedules -- we don't want to overwhelm people but we do need more people who can do these tasks in our community. I would like to have at least 3 people with these skills become members of the time bank before the end of 2011. If you know someone who fits the description, please put them in touch with me, and remember, you can earn TD$ for each person you refer who becomes a member!

Issuing an invitation is a form of welcoming, a formal way to introduce someone to our community, and a vital method of growing our community.

So, you are invited. Now who can YOU invite?