Attachments, Part Two

In the past I've made a big point out of getting attached to your guild members. Rather, you need them to get emotionally invested in your cause. When done correctly, your guildmates will stand by you during the toughest times. Still, as the leader you are expected to uphold a high standard of self-respect. It's your responsibility to exercise a degree of control over your own feelings. That means you shouldn't allow for your own vision to be clouded, even when some of your members are vying for your attention. Once your guild becomes popular you may easily be overwhelmed by the admiration members will bestow upon you. Appreciate any gratitude they display but don't get carried away. The worst case scenario would be if you start favouring some members more than others because they suck up to you the most. Your judgement should never be impaired in this way.


There have been instances in the past where guild leaders have lost all sense of reality and fallen in love with their members. It's expected that you become somewhat parental regarding your guild, but there's always one or two folks who take it too far. Remember ages ago when I made a fairly poor analogy about how having the desire to lead is like having schizophrenia? Well the chances are that some of your realm's guild masters are truly insane. A recent WoW.com article has demonstrated this perfectly. In it, an anonymous guild leader is identified as being bloody crazy. No, they're not egotistical or a loot whore - they just demand certain members add her on Facebook and reply to her status updates and wall posts. Constantly.


The idea here is (essentially) a good one. Getting to know members outside of the game through social networking sites is a similar aim that forums try to connote. Unfortunately it seems this can be easily abused if your guild master happens to be attention-deprived. Don't get carried away with interacting with your recruits on a personal level. It's invasive and remember that you're all there for a higher purpose than to establish a glorified dating agency. Of course it's more acceptable for social guilds to do, but raiding progress guilds should opt for a good dungeon run over lovey-dovey time.

In summary:

• Getting members attached to the leader is good.

• Reciprocating that respect is also good, to a point.

• Don't Facebook-stalk your members!

[Image credits go to WoW.com and here.]

Attachments

Recruiting is easy. Provided you follow one of the many recommended techniques in my article and use your own skills effectively, the people that you want to join should come flooding in. It's a simple process and this explains why the shittest guild on your server is still able to get members. The most difficult task you’ll face with new recruits is trying to get them to form an attachment to the guild. When people have a connection to a cause they feel strongly about, or a group of people who are worth caring for, they are more likely to contribute and fight for that particular set of ideas. Attachment has been used as a technique to secure bonds between people for thousands of years, and still applies to family units today – right from birth. One of the key ideas behind a child establishing such a connection with a mother is that the former can provide for the latter during her old age. With the advent of retirement homes, this relationship has really turned into a one-way street, namely with the mother caring for the child during the early years of its life, without any real return later on.


Should you expect some sort of material payback from members once a connection has been established? That’s up to how you feel. Depending on how nice they are, you may receive gifts of gold and a selection of valuable items. Then again, most members will do nothing more to show their appreciation than occasionally speak in guild chat and show up for raids or other events. You must understand that, although you’ll try to create positive feelings between everyone in the guild, all members will react differently. Some people will perceive themselves worth more than they actually are, and consider simply logging on each day to be a privilege to you. Others will see being in the guild as a great pleasure, freely giving up their time and gold at any opportunity to help you out. Usually, if people have not had to go through some sort of application process, they’ll act the first way. Consider that you’ll get stubborn or more willing people no matter where you go. Even if you’re in the strictest and elitist guild on the server, be assured that there’s likely to be a few kind-hearted souls in there, but also some people who will turn up just for raiding. People like to think they’re unique and display behaviour that hopefully make us believe that they are. Despite this, there are still some strategies you can apply to get everyone involved and rooting for the guild.

Not sure what this picture has to do with anything, but I thought LAG needed some more sex.

The first step is getting members to relate to you. When they join, it’s likely they’ll have just been forced into a new community they know nothing about. Their only friends in this brave, new world will either be their referees and friends already in the guild, or you. Building a connection immediately is essential, as it's within the first few days of joining that they’ll build their impression of the guild, and decide if they wish to stay or not. If you are not clear on the goals of your guild when initially recruiting, it is likely that new members will find themselves joining under incorrect perceptions. When finding that they want something from the game that you can’t offer as a guild, they will quit regardless of how deep the connection you build with them is. Prevent this from running by the main points of your guild’s overall plan to any new members.

'Right folks, we attack Durotar from here, here and here.'
'Sir, that's a picture of England and France.'

Don’t be afraid to approach people individually. This attribute will prove it's worth when it comes to actually applying the following steps, but always bear in mind that it’s better to approach people separately, in private, than within full view of everyone else. Not everyone is as confident as yourself and bringing unnecessary attention to people who don’t really like it will annoy them. Discretion is always important. Whether you’re disciplining someone, or giving them praise, there is no reason to make it a huge thing that involves all of guild chat. Certainly, it’s one thing to make an example out of a situation, but it;s another to go through the process every time someone pisses you off, or does the opposite. Embarrassing someone in front of the guild, no matter what the reason, will bring negative results.


Making large gestures of love to all new guildies may seem like a good idea, but sometimes a more subtle approach is needed. Try some of the following strategies and see how they work out for you.

1. Send them gifts.

When someone is performing well in a guild, or simply seems to have settled down well, it's good to send them gifts. Don't shower them like they're the son of God, but sometimes an appropriate, charming item in the mail will really cheer them up. Yeah, they can probably use the guild bank to draw something out at their convenience, but giving them something directly with no need for any implied repayment helps reach out and connect with good members.

2. Cut down on ‘grats’ spam.

Initially, wishing someone congratulations when they level or gain an achievement will seem like a great way to promote positivity. Too much can cause the opposite effect, however. Some people don't like to be embarrassed by people commenting on every little thing they achieve and others may find it annoying that someone is praised for reaching level 10 on their alt. You may not totally condemn such behaviour, but I'd definitely promote cutting down on it.

3. Don’t be afraid to make nicknames.

Avoid patronising nicknames, like calling someone of a low-level 'n00bie' or 'lower' or something. For your officers, maybe even branch out into calling them based off their playing style, personality and class. 'Snake' would fit really well with someone who is sly and manipulative, or just likes Metal Gear Solid. 'Lion' for a natural leader who displays loyalty to the guild, or they may even just have bushy hair. You can read as far into this as you wish. In the end, giving nicknames make you seem playful and helps your members simply like you more. Just draw a line if people start calling each other negative names with no real explanation.

Remember that the ultimate goal of all this is to build up an open, community atmosphere from the word 'go', without having to reduce yourselves to team-building activities (a la Severance). I encourage you to try all of the techniques listed, but sometimes a member will simply not catch on and invest themselves back into the guild. I guess the best you can hope for in this situation, is that they eventually change their minds over time and fall in love with the guild naturally. Just bare in mind Eleanor Roosevelt's famous line, 'Don't spend major time with minor people'. Learn to judge if people can be bribed into being committed to your guild and leave them alone if they can't.


The final tip in this section is about what you should be feeling. Although a good guild leader will go to just about any lengths to get their members friendly with one another, it is important he or she never becomes too attached to one particular individual. Think of this mindset as the 'Nursing Home Manager' complex. Pretend you're actually running a centre for the very elderly or terminally ill. Yes, make their time as thoroughly enjoyable and comfortable as possible, but always remember that they can be taken away at any moment, either through their own choice or powers beyond their control. You should always mourn the passing of an officer or active member (and even ask them why they left), but learn to simply not worry if a randomer leaves and refuses to comment on exactly why. Sometimes people are just arseholes. Do worry if people begin leaving in their droves. You should actively seek out the problem and find a solution immediately if this occurs.

Never react in a way that could potentially harm the reputation of your guild further. If you take some time to gather your thoughts and approach the leaver with respect and compassion, its worth the delay. However, if your blood just boils in the time between them leaving and you questioning them, then I encourage you to make any post-guild conversation as brief as possible, or don't have one at all. Sometimes it's better to simply let go than to satisfy your curiosity. Don't sweat the petty things, and don't pet the sweaty things.

To summarise:

• Creating some sort of relationship with all guild members is essential if your guild hopes to survive in the long run.

• Approaching people to get them involved on a personal level is more effective than constantly broadcasting the need to communicate with each other in guild chat.

• Shitty gifts are better than no gifts!

• Shitty nicknames are not better than no nicknames!

• Pointless 'grats' spam is not really that productive.

• Have your members be attached to you, but remember the 'Nursing Home Complex'; they could be taken away at any time.

• As we've seen in the 'Professionalism' article, being indifferent is better than being a flaming ball of rage.

[Now for where I got my madd pixx from. Here, here, here, here and here.]

Recruiting

Despite what you may have believed in the past, recruiting is easy. Recall that this blog is about managing a guild, not about getting people to join up. Keeping members in line is a hundred times harder than actually recruiting them. As a leader, you must be a master of social dynamics and the systems that make people tick. As a recruiter, all you have to do is publicise your guild, approach people directly and throw in some abstract adjectives to help sway their minds. There's not a lot to it once you've mastered the basics and you'll soon find recruiting to be a necessary chore, rather than something to dread outright.

The first thing to consider is what strategy you wish to apply. Recruiting en masse when starting up may seem like a good idea but it really comes down to the type of guild you're running. PVP generally doesn't require a huge amount of active, dedicated members. Usually a few, decently geared folks who can take orders and sign on every few days does the trick. With the advent of Wintergrasp, honour and rewards are common as mud. Still, you and your guildies can always bond over the love of slaughtering the other faction, right?

Oh look! The Horde has the WSG flag! What's new?

PVE guilds require people with high levels of natural talent and ability. Grabbing players right off the streets of Dalaran may not be the best way to ensure you get decent people. You'll generally find that unguilded people on your server are the ones with the least intelligence.

This is exactly the problem RP guilds have with drawing people in on a large scale. You don't want someone who can barely type English turning up to prestigious events filled with the great Stormwind cliques. Roleplayers are a culture built around literacy. Inviting people who can't keep up to the high standards expected of them is a fine way to get a bad reputation.

No comment.

Traditionally, I've formed 'event' guilds: We dabble in all sorts of business, from venturing into Naxxramas, to killing leaders of the Horde and jumping off the Twin Colossus in Feralas. The nature of my guilds allows just about anyone who has their head screwed on properly to join. That doesn't mean you should apply such a lax attitude when drawing in your own members, however. As always, diligence and patience are necessities when screening new folks, but that doesn't mean you can't attract interest on a wide scale.

Let's go through some basic methods of getting people interested:

1. Message people off the street.

Do you know how those ridiculously crap guilds get so many members? Because their recruiters are brilliant. These people have absolutely no shame. They just whisper whoever is around and unguilded, and ask them to join up. They'll tell you that they get rejected most of the time, but they get a buzz from when someone does say yes. There are various ways of directly approaching people, from inviting them straight-up, to striking up a light conversation beforehand. Obviously the latter technique takes up more time, but has a far better success rate. In order to increase your chances, try going out and picking up people with a wingman. Hell, make a game out of getting more recruits than your mate. Just be warned that dragging in randomers means that they'll not hesitate to flake on you if they don't like the guild and even if they stick around there's a chance they'll be shit.

2. Advertise on the realm forums.

This is something all new guilds should do, regardless of the playerbase they wish to attract. Create a short, concise post about the kind of players you need, what you do and what type of people are already in your guild. Then either forward people to your website or forum if they need to fill in an application, tell them to post on the thread if they're interested, or ask them to contact you in-game. You may feel that only a small percentage of the server's population reads the stuff on the realm forum, but be assured that these are probably the best and most well-connected players around.

3. Send random people gifts with nice messages.

When farming for gold, or building up profession skills, you'll end up with a load of junk that you can't sell on the Auction House, even if you try to move it for exceptionally low prices. Instead of destroying this sort of stuff, /who low level players and send it off to them in the mail. Tell them you're the great spirit guide of Azeroth or something and the forty Solid Stone you just lumped them with will become vital in their future quest for glory. Then directly plug your guild or its website. A lot of people will take this in good humour, and may ask to join your guild. Even if you don't get a reply from any of the folks you send the 'gifts' to, be assured that you're helping build a fine, altruistic reputation for your guild.

4. Create a trailer.

While I recommend commissioning a decent machinima studio to create one for you if you have the money, even videos that look like appalling AS Media projects can still be effective. Just be a little more novel than making a video of yourself PVPing with a trial of Fraps and before slapping the name of your guild on a title card at the end. Try to make your video seem as epic and professional as possible. Even if it turns out to be really corny, this technique is still better than not having any sort of video at all.

5. Join a fairly successful guild, stage a coup and get the decent players to join a new guild - under your command.

I will never approve of purposely sabotaging other guilds just because you want to create your own, but sometimes this can happen naturally. If you ever find yourself in a fairly successful guild with great members but appalling leadership and think you can do better, then take a chance and speak your mind. It's likely that if you're not satisfied, then a few others won't be either. Identify and talk with these sorts of people. Make a judgement and decide if they're really willing to come with you to start a new, better establishment. When you have certified their loyalty, then pop out discreetly (wish the people who remain behind the best of luck; no need to be bitter/arrogant) and send the leader of the guild you leave a link to this website.

Lol.

Sometimes just doing stuff and attaining positive publicity will cause players to come to you in a steady stream even if you're not actively recruiting. When this begins to happen, shift your focus away from attracting quantities of people to building on quality members. What's the point in having 300 characters in your guild if only 10 are online at a time and 5 actually participate in activities? Having some sort of screening process in place is important, whether it's simply an in-game interview, one on TeamSpeak, or an application on your website. Having potential new members jump through even the simplest of hoops makes sure they're ready to comply with your greater requests and are able to naturally motivate themselves.

To summarise:

• Recruiting is easy. Approach people with open arms and an open mind and they'll return the favour.

• There are many ways to advertise your guild. Experiment with which is the right one for you.

• While drawing in the numbers is important at first, try to phase out the idiots over time.

[Image credits in no particular order: 1, 2, 3, 4]

If any of you need any macros or forum posts proof-reading, then feel free to e-mail me with them. Remember to leave your thoughts in the comments, people!