Policies

To volunteer with Enactus George Brown, each member has to commit a specific number of hours depending on the position. Everything you do for the team or a project counts towards the volunteer hours: conducting research, attending weekly team meetings, communicating with stakeholders, etc.

• - General Team Member: 5-10 hrs/week

• - Specified Team Member/Junior Project Manager: 10-15 hrs/week

• - Project Manager/Coordinator: 15-20 hrs/week

• - President/Vice President: 25 hrs/week

• Make sure to continuously calculate your hours as:

• You are able to use the Enactus volunteer hours towards your business elective course (yes – fewer classes to take!)

• Based on the total number of hours, you may be eligible to be entered into Community Service Leadership Recognition Program by Enactus Canada and receive a volunteer badge, which you can add to your Linkedin profile

• You may do your co-op with Enactus (you should notify the President or Vice President about the request, which will be reviewed by Faculty Advisors)

• Failure to commit a minimum number of hours will lead to warnings Enactus GBC Code of Conduct

Communication has always been one of the most important skills to all teams and projects alike. It is no different here at Enactus; superb communication skills will be key for your success in the team! We value the healthy team environment we have created amongst ourselves. One way we have done so is to ensure we have open communication within our team. You may ask, what communication entails and why it is so important?

Communication is

- The act of sending or receiving information
- An exchange of information

Why is it important?

Effective communication can:

- Promote team building
- Lead innovation
- Foster growth
- Build a positive workplace culture

Channels of communication: The team will utilize various virtual communication channels including:

- WhatsApp – Enactus GBC and project specific group chats; other project members may reach out via this channel as well
- MS Teams – Project specific group chat where documents can be shared. Also, teams can utilize this channel for video conferencing for weekly meetings
- Email: Formal communication line and sharing documents
- Zoom: Video conference for weekly meetings
- Google Meets: Video conference for weekly meetings
- Project specific channel – in accordance to the preference and needs of your project manager, you may be required to use other modes of communication.

Standard Communication:

With understanding of how important communication is to the team, let’s talk about the standards the team has set for all members to follow.

You are required to respond within 24 hours to messages you have received. An “I will get back to you later” is a better response than none.

In the instance of no-replies, warnings will be issued and progressive discipline will be followed. This includes verbal and written warning, suspension and termination. For more information on the code of conduct required by Enactus, be sure to check out the link below.

Enactus Canada Code of Conduct

To avoid such consequences, please be sure to reply even if the reply is that you’ll be getting back to them. Take a look at the following message samples to understand what is expected of your messages.

Sample 1: What not to do

PM: Hi Robert, I hope you are doing well! I am looking for the final PowerPoint for the presentation this friday? (8:55 PM)

Me:


Sample 2: When you do not have the answer

PM: Hi Robert, I hope you are doing well! I am looking for the final PowerPoint for the presentation this friday? (8:55 AM)

Me: Hi Kyle! I’m still working on them but I’ll be sure to check in the next day or so. (9:00 AM)


Sample 3: When you have the answer

PM: Hi Robert, I hope you are doing well! I am looking for the final PowerPoint for the presentation this friday? (8:55 AM)

Me: Hi Kyle! I’ve emailed you Powerpoint to your GBC email. Let me know what time works best for us to run through the presentation.(9:05 AM)


Tips to keep in mind:


Tip #1: Although greetings are important, please be sure to include your main message/question within the first message. This makes sure the communication remains efficient. Let’s take a look at the conversation between Kle and Robert to illustrate:

Sample 1: What not to do


PM: Hi Robert! How is it going?

Me: Hi Kyle! I am great. Having a good week so far, how is your week?

PM: It is good Robert! Getting ready for exams. I had a question for you

Me: Oh sure, how can I help?


Although it is always important to greet each other and invest time into our communication with one another, this is an inefficient time to use our time.

Sample 2: How to do it


PM: Hi Robert, How are you doing? I hope you had a great week so far! I am looking for the final PowerPoint for the presentation this friday? (8:55 AM)

Me: Hi Kyle! Thanks for checking in – I am doing well though! Great week and preparing for the midterms. As far as the Powerpoint goes, I’ve emailed it to you via your GBC email. Let me know what time tomorrow works best for us to run through the presentation.(9:05 AM)

This is an efficient use of time! Not only are you sharing your pleasantries, but you are also effectively communicating the needs of the project in a timely manner.


Tip #2: Value everyone’s time. Keep in mind the timezones in which people live in, and be sure to only message during appropriate times.
Tip #3: Embrace Technology. Be adaptable with the needs of the project and the project manager’s leadership. Be open to utilizing new virtual tools that potentially make life easier.