Open with this
“Can we separate the available budget, the work 2027 requires, and what realistically fits inside each funded role?”
Ask these five questions
- Is this money approved, committed, or still aspirational?
- What problem and outcomes do you want my role to own?
- What decisions would I have final authority over?
- What time and festival-week availability are you assuming?
- If the budget cannot cover the full scope, what work or events come out?
Clarify ownership
- What does Erin own?
- What do I own?
- What stays with Ana?
- Who owns host readiness and cross-team coordination?
- Is an Operations / Host Readiness role funded?
- Who approves late additions?
My evidence anchor
2026 funded role: $10,000 at $70/hour for approximately 143 hours.
Conservatively documented additional work: another 39–50 equivalent hours.
“The 2026 role showed that the clean job description and the actual operating need were different. I want the 2027 scope based on the real work pattern.”
If the number is low
“At that budget level, which responsibilities should come out?”
“That could support a bounded version of the role, but not the full leadership, systems, production, and festival-week scope we’re describing.”
If they say “everyone pitches in”
“Absolutely. I expect flexibility during festival week. I don’t want recurring core work to depend on unbudgeted flexibility again.”
Protect these boundaries
- Written scope and exclusions
- Decision rights
- Expected hours and availability
- Event and venue cap
- Contingency budget
- Change process for late additions
- Capacity checkpoint before the budget is exhausted
Do not do this in the room
- Do not volunteer unpaid hours.
- Do not solve a small budget by becoming the catch-all.
- Do not negotiate only the title.
- Do not accept responsibility without authority.
- Do not commit before seeing scope, time, and compensation together.
Close with this
“Let me reflect this back: the budget assumption is ___, my portfolio is ___, Erin’s is ___, these areas remain unfunded or unassigned: ___, and the next draft will come from ___ by ___.”
If needed:
“I’d like to respond after I can review the written scope and budget together.”