Proposing Activity Methods Tailored to Organizing Members' Diversity
This is a daily report published personally by PyCon JP 2025 Chair @nishimotz.
PyCon JP 2025 will be held September 26-28 at Hiroshima International Conference Center. The final day features development sprints.
Official website 2025.pycon.jp is now live!
Introduction
In my previous article “The Chair’s Job is to Visualize Work and Have Members Take It Away,” I wrote about ideal delegation practices. I described an idealistic model where members proactively “take away” work.
However, in real organizational management, not all organizing members can be that proactive. The “2-6-2 rule” mentioned in “Planning Study Sessions for Organizing Members” represents the reality of team activities:
- 20%: Members who act proactively, finding and taking on work themselves
- 60%: Members who respond to situations and reliably complete assigned tasks
- 20%: Members who act cautiously and demonstrate their abilities with proper support
This article explains a more realistic delegation system for each type of reader. Please read the section that corresponds to your position.
For Proactive Members (20%)
You are the driving force of the organization. You proactively “take away” work that the chair has made visible.
Your Role and Responsibilities
Primary Role:
- Proactively “take away” work that the chair has made visible
- Lead work breakdown and redistribution within teams
- Create an environment where other members can easily participate
Position in Multi-layered Delegation System: You are a crucial part of Stage 1 delegation. Since it’s unrealistic for the chair to delegate work directly to all members, you first “pull away” work from the chair and then appropriately distribute it within your team.
Important Considerations
- Fighting the “it’s faster if I do it myself” temptation: This is a challenge for chairs as well, but it’s also common among proactive members
- Respecting other members’ pace: Be careful not to be pushy
- Practicing Working Out Loud: Make work processes transparent to help collaborators emerge
Specific Actions
Task Breakdown and Distribution:
- Break down large tasks into smaller, manageable pieces for other members
- Break down tasks to appropriate sizes matching member skill levels
- Provide clear instructions (what, when, how)
Communication Practices:
- Regularly share progress and seek collaborators
- Practice Working Out Loud as described in “Communication That Seems Excessive”
- Proactively offer support when you see struggling members
Decision-Making Under Time Constraints:
- For Quick Decision Type tasks (technical implementation, daily operations, emergency response), make decisions proactively
- For Full Consensus Type tasks (branding, participant experience, organizational values), carefully build consensus
Growth and Learning Opportunities
- Utilize opportunities to learn from other members’ efforts
- Actively seek opportunities to improve leadership skills
- Accumulate and share success and failure cases
For Situation-Responsive Members (60%)
You are the stable foundation of the organization. You have the ability to reliably complete assigned tasks.
Your Strengths and Value
Core Strengths:
- Ability to reliably complete assigned tasks
- Adaptability to respond flexibly to situations
- Being an important presence that supports team stability
Position in Multi-layered Delegation System: You are the central focus of Stage 2 delegation. Leaders and sub-leaders appropriately assign work to you, and you produce reliable results under clear instructions.
Effective Participation Methods
Receiving Instructions:
- Receive clear instructions from leaders and sub-leaders
- Don’t hesitate to ask questions when unclear
- Specifically confirm what, when, and how to do something
Utilizing Support Systems:
- Actively use the environment where you can consult when in trouble
- Utilize one-on-one dialogue opportunities to share individual situations and challenges
- Seek pair work and collaboration with experienced members
Contributing at Your Own Pace:
- Contribute steadily without overexerting yourself
- Demonstrate your abilities in your areas of expertise or interest
- Gradually increase responsibilities
Growth Tips
Demonstrating Initiative:
- Start with small suggestions and gradually demonstrate initiative
- Actively share opinions in your areas of expertise
- Observe and learn from other members’ approaches
Communication Improvement:
- Practice Working Out Loud to improve transparency
- Share signs of problems and challenges across the team
- Utilize opportunities to learn from other members’ efforts
How to Receive Support
Utilizing Early Detection Systems: The chair team regularly checks each member’s participation and contribution levels. If there are signs of motivation decline or isolation, we provide the following support:
- Direct dialogue: Individual approaches from the chair or leaders
- Environmental adjustments: Reviewing team assignments or redefining roles
- Additional support: Providing mentoring or pair work opportunities
For Cautious Members (20%)
Your cautiousness is a valuable quality for the organization. You can demonstrate great abilities with proper support.
Your Value and Contributions
Unique Value:
- Insight to identify risks in advance
- Meticulousness in creating high-quality deliverables
- Thoughtful perspective that adds depth to team decisions
Position in Multi-layered Delegation System: You are the target of Stage 3 individual support and growth assistance. Through more careful support, you can participate gradually and start with small success experiences.
Accessible Participation Methods
Gradual Participation:
- Start with pair work or small group activities
- Contribute in your areas of expertise or interest
- Gradually increase responsibilities
Utilizing Individual Support:
- One-on-one dialogue: Have individual situations and challenges understood
- Gradual participation: Start with small success experiences
- Pair work: Collaborate with experienced members
How to Receive Support
Importance of Early Consultation:
- Consult with leaders or the chair team early when in trouble
- Actively utilize one-on-one dialogue opportunities
- Build up small success experiences
Support Measures by Cause: When you have motivation but struggle to contribute effectively, there are the following causes and support measures:
Skill Issues:
- Providing training and study sessions
- Support for acquiring necessary technical knowledge and skills
Environmental Issues:
- Considering flexible participation formats
- Accommodating time constraints and physical limitations
Communication Issues:
- Increasing one-on-one dialogue opportunities
- Improving relationships and information sharing within the team
Role Issues:
- Reassigning work that matches your aptitude
- Redefining roles
Organizational Monitoring
The chair team currently monitors whether each organizing member is able to contribute effectively, watching over the entire organization with interest:
Early Detection System:
- Activity status tracking: Regular checking of participation and contribution levels
- Problem indicators: Early detection of motivation decline or isolation
- Communication patterns: Changes in frequency and content of Slack messages
Intervention and Support:
- Direct dialogue: Individual approaches from the chair or leaders
- Environmental adjustments: Reviewing team assignments or redefining roles
- Additional support: Providing mentoring or pair work opportunities
For Leaders and Sub-leaders
You are the key to the multi-layered delegation system. You play an important role in connecting people to people, teams to teams, and supporting people’s activities.
Your Role and Expectations
Basic Role: As mentioned in previous articles, leaders and sub-leaders serve as “contact persons” and can be rotated. However, what’s important here is that while you don’t need to be hands-on workers yourselves, you should connect people to people, teams to teams, and support people’s activities.
What We Hope to Expect:
- “Pull away” work from the chair and distribute it appropriately within teams
- Understand member characteristics and assign suitable work to each
- Prevent organizational stagnation and promote team self-direction
Responsibilities in Multi-layered Delegation System
Stage 1: Receiving Delegation from Chair:
- Proactively taking on work that the chair has made visible
- Breaking down and redistributing work within the team
- Appropriately assigning work based on member characteristics
Stage 2: Delegating to Team Members: For situation-responsive members (60%):
- Clear instructions: Specifically communicating what, when, and how to do something
- Appropriate sizing: Breaking down tasks to match member skill levels
- Support systems: Creating an environment where members can consult when in trouble
Stage 3: Providing Individual Support: For cautious members (20%):
- One-on-one dialogue: Understanding individual situations and challenges
- Gradual participation: Starting with small success experiences
- Pair work: Providing opportunities for collaboration with experienced members
Member Support Points
Supporting Proactive Members (20%):
- Assign significant responsibilities and provide growth opportunities
- Promote delegation to avoid the “it’s faster if I do it myself” temptation
- Support Working Out Loud practices
Supporting Situation-Responsive Members (60%):
- Provide clear instructions and appropriate support
- Regular progress checks and feedback
- Create opportunities for gradual demonstration of initiative
Supporting Cautious Members (20%):
- Provide individual dialogue and gradual participation opportunities
- Support building small success experiences
- Create contribution opportunities in areas of expertise or interest
Required Skills and Support Systems
Required Skills:
- Delegation techniques: Appropriate task breakdown and explanation
- Member understanding: Grasping individual characteristics and situations
- Communication: Skills in instruction, consultation, and feedback
- Problem-solving: Early detection and response to issues
Support Systems:
- Regular meetings: Information sharing between chair and leaders
- Experience sharing: Accumulating success and failure cases
- Continuous learning: Opportunities to improve leadership skills
Decision-Making Differentiation
For efficient decision-making under time constraints, please use the following differentiation:
Quick Decision Type:
- Technical implementation methods
- Daily operational judgments
- Matters requiring emergency response
Full Consensus Type:
- Important decisions related to branding (such as logo design)
- Policies that significantly impact participant experience
- Judgments related to organizational values
Case Study: Logo Decision Process: In the recent logo decision, time was taken for discussions that went beyond the responsible team:
- Broad opinion collection: Gathering perspectives from multiple teams
- Sufficient consideration time: Not rushing, emphasizing high-quality discussion
- Consensus-building process: Aiming for conclusions that everyone can accept
Organizational Stagnation Prevention Responsibilities
Addressing “Don’t Know, So Don’t Do Anything” Situations: When everyone says “I don’t know what to do, so I won’t do anything,” volunteer organizations cannot create good events.
Your Responsibilities: When temporarily unable to function adequately:
- Securing alternatives: Actively seeking people who can take responsibility
- Sharing situations: Early communication of concerning situations to the chair team and team members
- Maintaining transparency: Consulting openly rather than keeping problems to themselves
Escalation Judgment
Importance of Early Consultation:
- Consult with the chair team early for problems difficult to resolve within the team
- Actively seek support to prevent “don’t know, so don’t do anything” situations
- When temporarily unable to function, ensure alternative arrangements and situation sharing
- 1on1 meetings with the chair are also recommended for difficult situations
Escalation Process:
- Team level: Situation assessment by leaders and sub-leaders
- Chair team level: Regular confirmation of team situations
- Emergency response: Immediate construction of support systems when needed
Direct Support from Chair Team: When there are no proactive members available:
- Chair intervention: The chair directly engages in team management when necessary
- Dispatching supporters: Experienced members from the chair team provide support to help teams function
- Temporary structural changes: Reviewing team composition and role assignments
Conclusion
While the idealistic model of “having work taken away” is important, real organizational management requires a staged approach that recognizes member diversity.
Based on the 2-6-2 rule, I believe creating an environment where each member can demonstrate their maximum potential is an important responsibility as chair. While there’s no perfect system, we aim to build an organization where everyone can thrive through continuous improvement.
To all organizing members, each of your contributions supports PyCon JP 2025. Regardless of your position, if you have any troubles, please don’t hesitate to consult with us. We will fully support your activities.
Update History
- 2025-07-05: Initial publication