One of the first things you can do when you receive a new CSA is check their sponsor and have a look at his or her badges. This helps give you a bit of an idea about how active the sponsor may be. Obviously this is not fool proof by any means because the badges don’t tell you how active someone may be outside of SFI's communication systems.
For instance, a seemingly inactive sponsor may be communicating with their team via social media, personal emails and so on. They may also be logging in and communicating with their team quite regularly through streams, e-cards, emails, newsletters and chat but just not doing their daily actions or participating in games, auctions etc which would give them ‘active’ badges. However, it should nevertheless provide you with some information which will then allow you to work out the best ways to help that CSA without (hopefully) overstepping too many boundaries.
If you can see from their (sponsor's) badges that:
· a CSA appears to have an active or ‘great’ sponsor (some indicators of this would be a SO, EA2 or above, designated diamond, current games badges and so on) or
· you know their sponsor is active (regularly seen in the forum dispensing help and advice, answering Ask SC questions etc)
then it’s probably best, unless you receive information to the contrary, to limit your interaction with that CSA to basic communications. These communications would include:
· a "warm welcome to my team, I'm here to help" e-card when you receive notification that they’ve joined your team,
· stream posts – these may include tips and advice, links to Ask SC answers and Forum topics that may be of interest to them, inspirational quotes, congratulations for wins and achievements etc
· congratulatory e-cards when or if they achieve or win something (the Daily Grand, achieving EA2, BTL etc),
· weekly newsletters - the same ones you send your PSA's,
· a quick chat if you see them online when you are,
· the link to your leadership page where you update your blog regularly with useful information for your team. You'll find your leadership page here: https://www.sfimg.com/Resources/LeadershipManager.
These types of communications, which are the very basics you should be providing for all your team, will let them know you’re there if they need you, that you’re following their progress keenly and are genuinely interested in them. At the same time they are basic enough so as to avoid possible conflict with their sponsor.
You may also like to consider the following if you think it appropriate but these may well come close to overstepping that boundary you speak of if they already have a good sponsor:
· an invitation to join any social media groups you may have set up for your team,
· an invitation to join any co-ops you’ve got going,
What I DON’T recommend you do when your CSA has a good sponsor are things like:
· setting goals for them
· providing rewards and incentives for achieving goals and various other milestones,
· inviting them to join any training groups you have set up,
· providing them with any links to training material you may use for your own PSAs.
An active sponsor should be doing or have these things already in place for them so you do risk overstepping the boundary if you provide it as well.
Obviously it goes without saying that if they do ask for your help then willingly provide it.
less
