Things I've learnt about being a GM

Hey Everyone,

It's approaching a year now since the Acta non Verba guild was formed. In the last 12 months or so there has been a whole host of issues to deal with, plenty of drama and a good pinch of progress as well!

So what have I learnt from all of this? I'd like to take a few minutes to share a top five list of lessons I consider valuable and essential to running a successful guild:

1) Set the example

This is a quality any leader must possess, if you're hoping for other people to fall in line then you need to raise the bar on your own approach to the guild.

It may come as a surprise to some (it did to me) that people will 'look up to you' in some form and may even imitate the way you handle things. It is therefore an absolute must that you dicipline yourself when you take on a leadership role. If you're late to a raid how can you expect others to be on time? If you get involved in guild drama then who will remain objective and sort out the mess?

Nobody should expect you to be perfect, we're all human after all, but having an awareness of your responsibilty will set you up to be a decent guild leader.

2) Choose your officers wisely

When I took on this guild I had this 'ideal' that everyone would be equal in the guild. Part of me still really dislikes things such as 'officer chat' but when you look at these things closely you realise how important it is to get these things right.

Your officers will help you run the guild, keeping things in check and chipping in to pick up things that you might not be able to handle. I know I can't be online all the time but the officers in Acta will be about to act on my behalf. If these people aren't put in place then you risk alienating the people that want to help, which in Acta would be a huge mistake! I'm overwhelmed by how many people volunteer their time and effort to help keep the guild (in various forms such as the website, raids etc.) running and I owe them a huge debt of thanks.

3) Everyone makes mistakes

Or as we like to say in Acta 's*** happens!'

It's never fun to get into an instance and wipe over and over, nor is it fun when you've almost killed a boss and your main tank disconnects or that Greater Heal just failed to land in time.

These things happen, if they didn't then imagine how easy and tedious the game would become! So don't beat yourself up, or those around you, over these things. If you do then you bring about a bad atmosphere, people don't like feeling as though they've been picked on or unfairly criticised. If you persist with a grumpy attitude then people will lose their enthusiasm to raid and find excuses to not turn up or play another character nobody knows about!

When the chips are down you need to be up there cheering the guys on. Point out how well they did at something rather than how 'X' fell apart. Nurture a positive attitude and you'll build a focus that brings progress.

4) Set aside the time you need to manage your guild

I'll have to admit here that this is something I struggle to maintain. When you take on a guild you do take on a 'job'. It's up to you to make a final call on something, it's up to you who the guild should recruit or where you should raid.

Your officers will help of course, but they're looking to you for some guidence or advice and if you don't give it to them then who is really in control? If you're not then eight, nine or ten different voices are vying for control and you'll instill chaos!

So make the time you need to sort these things out. That might mean you're looking at the forums rather than playing the game. It may mean you're updating spreadsheets, looking at recruitment posts or any variety of odd jobs that a GM gets. It's crazy how much time you could spend tweaking so many little things!

Someone has to do it though and if you want the job then you need to make the time to do them!

5) Don't disappear

Ok I might be clutching at straws a bit here for my last point (hey I'm new to this stuff) but point five does have some valid issues.

You can't expect to run a guild successfully if you're not around, especially if you're not playing the game. Equally though you can't hide behind an alt character and expect the guild to manage itself.

We're coming full circle now when I remind you that you set the example, people look to you and how you act. If you're not a well known (and arguably liked) character then your guild will be kind of faceless. It's up to you to instill the personality and character your guild needs to be an enjoyable place to hang out, so be there to do that!

I'm going to draw this to a conclusion now.

If you want to take on managing a guild then think hard before you do so. There is a lot more to it than what first occurs to you and if you want it to succeed you need to give a lot to make it happen.

When it works it's awesome. I have an absolute privelige to head up the Acta guild, the community we've developed is second to none and is the reason I still play the game.

Thanks for indulging this train of thought!

Catch you in game.

Mike (aka Melkejal)