wiki_ghostguild/content/curriculum/PS Guides/8-self-evaluation-pathways.md

8: Self-Evaluation and Pathways

What happens in session

The final session. Studios do a personal self-assessment (private) and a studio self-assessment (collective, shared with Baby Ghosts). The studio assessment rates seven areas on a 1-5 scale (from "Considering/Reflecting" to "First Draft of Documentation"): values/purpose/alignment, governance, decision-making/meetings, equitable economics, conflict/repair, program reflection, and what's next. The session covers post-program supports (Ghost Guild, workshops, PS recruitment, incorporation resources) and closes with a collaborative zine activity and group celebration.

:::info This is a closing session. Your role is less about facilitating new content and more about helping your studio reflect honestly and plan for what comes next. The assessments are the core deliverable.

:::

👀 Your role during session

• Observe how your studio approaches the assessments — honest and reflective, or rushing through?
• During the studio assessment, note whether they're aligned on their ratings or if there's disagreement about where they actually are
• Watch for emotional responses during the closing — this program has been intense, and endings can surface unexpected feelings
• Participate in the zine activity and closing — you're part of this community

👆 Your role after session

• Make sure both assessments get completed (personal assessment individually, studio assessment together)
• Schedule a final PS meeting for this week to help them complete assessments and talk about next steps
• Make sure they understand Ghost Guild and post-program supports

:::tip Your weekly PS sessions end after this week, but you're still part of the community. Many studios appreciate knowing you're available for occasional check-ins as they hit milestones or challenges.

:::

This week's Studio Support Meeting: Assessments and What's Next

📚 Materials

• Personal self-assessment form (each member should have their own copy)
• Studio self-assessment template (on studio Miro board)
• Community Rule draft from Session 5
• Any notes or documents the studio has created during the program

🗺️ Context

This is your last formal PS meeting with this studio. The goal is to help them complete their assessments with honesty and specificity, and to set them up for continuing this work without you. Resist the urge to sugarcoat or wrap things up neatly. The most useful thing you can do is help them see clearly where they are — strengths and gaps alike.

👆 Before the session

• Review your notes from the full program — what patterns have you noticed? What's shifted? What's stayed stuck?
• Review the studio's Community Rule draft, values map, and any other documents they've produced
• Prepare your own honest assessment of where the studio is — you'll use this to calibrate if their self-assessment seems off
• Think about what you want to say to this studio at the close. This matters.

🌊 Session flow

Check-in (5 min)

"How are you feeling about the program ending? What's sitting with you?"

Let this be genuine. Some people will be relieved, some sad, some anxious about what comes next. All of those are valid.

Personal self-assessment (10-15 min)

If they haven't completed the personal assessment yet, give them quiet time to work on it now.

This is private — you don't need to see it or discuss it. But you can offer:

• "Take your time with this. Be honest with yourself."
• "Where have you grown? Where do you still feel uncertain?"
• "What do you need from your collaborators that you haven't asked for yet?"

If they've already completed it, ask: "Was anything surprising when you reflected? Anything you want to share?"

Studio self-assessment (20-25 min)

Work through the seven areas together. For each, the studio rates themselves 1-5:

1. Considering/Reflecting — Thought about individually, not discussed as a team
2. Discussing Collectively — Talking together but no decisions
3. Brainstorming — Actively generating ideas and exploring options
4. Sifting/Sorting — Narrowing down, making choices, working toward alignment
5. First Draft of Documentation — Something written down — a policy, process, or shared agreement

Go through each area:

1. Values, purpose & alignment

• "Can each person name your studio's core values? Do those match?"
• "Do you have a documented values statement or Why/What/How?"

2. Governance

• "Where is your Community Rule draft? What's documented vs. still informal?"
• "Do you have a membership/removal process, even a rough one?"

3. Decision-making & meetings

• "Are you using a named framework? Rotating meeting roles?"
• "What decisions still happen by default?"

4. Equitable economics

• "Have you had the money conversations? Compensation, transparency, IP?"
• "What's decided vs. what's still avoided?"

5. Conflict & repair

• "Do you have a conflict process — even informal? Have you used it?"
• "What tension have you named? What's still unnamed?"

6. Program reflection

• "What worked about this program for you? What didn't?"
• "What do you wish had been different?"

7. What's next

• "What's your plan for revisiting governance and values after the program ends?"
• "Who's responsible for scheduling that?"

Your role during this:

If a rating seems inflated — gently push:

• "You rated governance a 4, but last week you hadn't discussed membership or removal. What's your thinking?"

If a rating seems deflated — acknowledge progress:

• "You rated conflict a 2, but you named and addressed a real tension two weeks ago. That's meaningful progress."

If there's disagreement on a rating — that's data:

• "You see yourselves differently on this one. That's worth exploring. What does each of you see?"

Capture the assessment on the Miro board.

What's next (10-15 min)

Help them make concrete plans:

• "When is your next governance review? Put it on the calendar right now."
• "Who's going to be your accountability partner for keeping up these practices?"
• "What's the first thing that will slip? How will you catch it?"

Talk about Ghost Guild and post-program supports. Make sure they know what's available.

If anyone is interested in becoming a PS for a future cohort, encourage them to talk to the program team.

Close (5-10 min)

This is your moment. Share what you've observed over the program — what you're proud of, what you're hopeful about, where you think they'll need to stay vigilant.

Be specific. "You've grown" is less useful than "In Session 2, no one would say what they actually needed financially. By Session 6, you had that conversation and it was hard but you did it."

Then let each studio member share something too:

• "What's something you're proud of from the program?"
• "What conversation did you have that you wouldn't have had otherwise?"

End with care. This matters.

⭐ Tips

If they rush through the assessment:

• "This is the last structured reflection you'll do with support. Take the time — it's worth it."

If they rate everything high:

• "I'm glad you feel good about your progress. Can I push on a couple of these? I want to make sure the assessment is useful to you going forward."

If they rate everything low:

• "You've done more than you think. Let me reflect back what I've seen over these weeks."

If they're anxious about the program ending:

• "The structures you've built are real. The tools don't disappear. And the Ghost Guild community is there for you."

If emotions come up:

• Let them. This is appropriate. Don't rush past it.

🏁 After the session

• Ensure the studio assessment is submitted (goes to Baby Ghosts)
• Ensure each person has completed or will complete their personal assessment
• Share your own PS observations with the program team — what this studio needs going forward, what to watch for, where they're strong
• Thank the studio. Mean it.

🚩 Red flags to watch for

• A studio that can't complete the assessment because they disagree on where they are — this reveals deeper alignment issues
• Rushing through to "get it done" — avoidance of reflection
• Ratings that don't match what you've observed — denial or lack of self-awareness
• No plan for continuing governance practices after the program — high risk of drift
• One person taking responsibility for everything post-program — that's not a coop
• Signs that the program surfaced issues the studio hasn't resolved — make sure the program team knows