1. Being an officer is a job, not a perk. I don’t know how many times I’ve had to roll my eyes about this one. It’s rather funny how some people react to the idea. Y-you mean, you expect me to work? I thought I was just here to feel important!
2. Officers should be more open to performance criticisms, especially as it pertains to their level of skill in game. I didn’t hear about this at the time, but our resident number cruncher told me that one of the officers who recently left refused to hear his advice on how to improve their play style because he couldn’t talk to them like that. Officers do not take advice from peons. I beg your lolwut.
3. Officers lead by example. It’s not acceptable to tell everyone else in the guild that you expect them to hold to a certain standard and then clearly and obviously make yourself the exemption from that rule. If you don’t want to be held to a standard, then stop trying to lead anyone else. That seriously garners no fucking respect.
4. Be a grown up. Seriously. No one wants to follow a child. Tantrums and whining aren’t attractive or inspiring.
5. Work to earn respect. There’s a lot of people out there who aren’t dumb enough to be impressed by a title, no matter whether it’s in a game or out of it. Don’t think an arbitrary title is going to be enough for someone else to want to listen to what you have to say. Make an effort to listen more than you talk – and when you do speak, make an effort to apply some logic to your words instead of just speaking from your gut. I mean, yuck.
And now a word from Brother Grimmtooth the Profound(ly Blotto):
My bretheren, we are gathered here today to hear Sister Alas as she preaches it.
Preach it, sister.
Amen and Amen.
/em Grimmtooth The Profound(ly Blotto) Passes Out
Haha! No fair stealing the spotlight with your funny, but I’m glad you liked it!
“I beg your lolwut.”
Totally stealing that.
Awesome! I’ve always wanted to be quotable!
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I lurve this so very much!
I’m currently trying to convince my fellow officers and GM of said truths.
Just the other day I was cautiously asking my GM if maybe we shouldn’t give each officer a “job” at which he sort of laughed at me and said he didn’t think they wanted jobs. I said that they’re officers so they kinda should…
This came about after I was asked to be in charge of recruitment.. this after I feel like I’m trying to do everything else too.. so I was a little bit disgruntled.
Not to mention I keep saying.. let’s put a preliminary start date on raiding.. I mean we can be vague like.. say January.. at which I’m told that our official stand point is that we will start raiding “when we’re ready”.. /facepalm
Ok ok, I’m sorry.. I’m making my guild out to be worse than it is.. it’s just.. I’m a very administrative/planning kind of person.. and this whole “when we’re ready” and officers being officers and well.. nothing to it.. just a name.. grates against my very being.
Can I like.. shove their faces into this post and tell them I’m not the only person in the world who thinks the way I do..
/takes a deep breath and tries not to sound so aggressive and violent
Anyway yeah.. great stuff! I (obviously) agree :P
You remind me of me back before I took over as GM and started imposing my will on the rest of the leadership. I know what a frustrating place you are in right now and I’m bummed for you. :( I do hope that you can make some sort of change in your leadership culture take place, but it is a hard road, even if you should be come the GM!
I do wonder if it might be worth it for you to consider taking a big step back from trying to lead. It’s possible that if you’re not handling things it might come as a wake up call for those who ought to be helping. (I tried that once and it didn’t really work out for me, but the break was great in and of itself!)
It seems like very little has been happening on our guild forums since Cata dropped. Maybe that is a good thing, since people are spending their time in-game.
I think I am going to jump over there and start harassing people…
I do love that about new content. Everyone is around and playing nice. I think boredom is one of the biggest causes of drama in many guilds – people start stirring the pot just for something to do.
Ah!
I’ve read lots and lots and lots of leadership training materials, been to seminars, seen videos, and personally avoided the entire position my whole life, and I think you could be my new guru.
Speak! For I will listen. Head humbly ducked, eyes meekly adoring, hands plaintively raised to gather whatever goodness Her Awesome, the Alas of All Time, Supreme Being of Warm&Toasty Bread may, in Her graciousness, deign to sprinkle me with. I will kiss Her pinkie toe for an eternity.
Hmm.
This was intended to be kudos on leadership principles well said, but now it sounds like I’m poking fun. Which I’m not. But maybe I am? Because I like the way it came out?
Let me know how you take it, so I can know how I meant it?
And, btw, ” Brother Grimmtooth the Profound(ly Blotto)”?!
Best name EVER!!!! I kiss your pinkie toe, too. And you like it.
I am going to take this as kudos and possibly fueled by tequila.
Speaking of tequila, you should come over and help us finish off that fancy bottle you gave us (after lending us your truck that we might toss loads of garbage in various campus dumpsters, hah!)
@Zel — wot, no Officer Krupke? I’m very upset. =P