Positions Guide

Positions represent the service roles members can sign up for at your Zendo. This guide covers position types, assignments, and management.

In this guide:

  1. Position types
  2. Open vs. assigned positions
  3. Qualification levels
  4. Creating positions
  5. Assigning members
  6. Position attachments
  7. Ad-hoc positions

Position Types

ZenServe organizes positions into three categories:

Common Positions

Frequently used positions that show by default when creating events.

Examples: Doan, Jikido, Tenken

Specialized Positions

Less frequently used positions that are hidden by default but can be shown when needed.

Examples: Shuso (Head Student), Tanto (Head of Practice)

Ad-hoc Positions

One-time positions created for a specific event only.

Examples: Retreat check-in, Special ceremony role

When creating a position, check "Commonly Used" to make it appear by default on event forms. Uncheck it for specialized positions.

Open vs. Assigned Positions

Assigned Positions

Only members who have been assigned to the position can sign up.

Use when:

  • Position requires training
  • Position requires specific skills
  • You want to control who serves

Open Positions

Any active member can sign up without being pre-assigned.

Use when:

  • No special training needed
  • Anyone can help
  • Examples: Greeter, Kitchen Helper, Setup

Open positions are marked with an "Open to all" badge. The training workflow doesn't apply to open positions.

Qualification Levels

When assigning members to positions, you set their qualification level:

Level Capabilities
Trainee
  • Can sign up for training slots (if event allows)
  • Cannot sign up for regular serving
  • Limited to one training signup per event
Qualified
  • Can sign up for regular serving
  • Counts against position capacity
  • Full access to position

See the Training guide for details on the training workflow.

Creating Positions

To create a new position (Administrators only):

  1. Go to Positions
  2. Click "New Position"
  3. Fill in the details:
    • Name - The position title
    • Description - What the role involves
    • Capacity - How many people can serve per event
    • Open to all - Whether anyone can sign up
    • Commonly Used - Shows by default on event forms
    • Essential by default - Pre-marks this position as essential when added to events
  4. Click Create Position

Assigning Members to Positions

There are two ways to assign members:

From the Position

  1. Go to Positions and click on the position
  2. Click "Manage Assignments"
  3. Check members and set their qualification levels
  4. Click Save

From the Member

  1. Go to Members and click on a member
  2. Click "Manage Position Assignments"
  3. Check positions and set qualification levels
  4. Click Save

Position Attachments

You can attach files to positions for training materials, guidelines, or reference documents.

  • Upload files (PDF, Word, images, up to 10MB)
  • Link external files (Google Drive, Dropbox, etc.)

Control who can see attachments with visibility settings:

  • All members - Everyone can see
  • Assigned members - Only those assigned to the position
  • Coordinators & Admins - Leadership only
  • Admins only - Administrators only

Ad-hoc Positions

Sometimes you need a position for just one event. Instead of creating a permanent position, you can create an ad-hoc position:

  1. When creating or editing an event, click "Add one-time position for this event"
  2. Enter the position name and settings
  3. The position will only appear for that specific event

Ad-hoc positions are marked with "(This event only)" and don't appear in the main Positions list.

Tip: If you find yourself needing an ad-hoc position regularly, you can promote it to a regular position using the "Make available for all events" option.

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