-bleep196-
06.05.2012, 19:59
All quotes in this thread are from Z-Hawk, I have put together this selection of quotes from his past posts. It is a lot of content, so you're going to have to be prepared to read it.
Take a serious look at what motivates you to continue to allow this kind of garbage to occur around you. Leadership is not about being popular or nice to everyone or letting everyone do whatever the heck they want to do. It is about holding a vision and moving the group toward it. It is about being Responsible for you own and your Clans actions and inaction's. It is about being Accountable for the outcomes they create. It is about having high personal standards and clarity of purpose and holding others to those same standards for the good of all, EVEN when they don't want to do it. It is about making the hard choice to do the right things when it is unpopular. It is about risking being disliked or being unpopular to forge ahead (alone, if need be) for the greater good of the team. And it must all be done with Dignity, Honor and impeccable Integrity.
Finding suitable folks to join you on that Leadership trail is equally difficult. They need maturity, common sense, a shared dedication to the vision, a willingness to learn from everything they do (the stuff that works and the stuff that doesn't), and an insatiable drive to make it better for all, at any cost.
You HAVE TO be able to talk to these folks in private and KNOW they are hearing you and acting on the vision for the benefit of the vision. You HAVE to KNOW they are not putting themselves first but insisting that they get "paid" (respect, honor, reputation, etc.) only on the results they create for the group.
There must be actual discussion, an actual "meeting of the minds". And it must occur frequently and in great detail in the beginning. You absolutely can not do that in Forum threads and In-Game Text Chat; the parts of them you need to connect with do not exist in those venues.
The BEST is "Face to Face". The next best is "Voice to Voice, phone style". Third is "Voice to Voice, CB style", like TeamSpeak, GSC, etc. (Hence my strong recommendation you find a way to get such on your computer and in your Clan(s)) Fourth is "Serial eMail to eMail" (with a back and forth ongoing discussion). At the VERY bottom of the list is "don't communicate at all" ASSUMING they share your vision and motivation and drive, and will act appropriately on it. BARELY one step above that is "Texting" or "Instant Messenger" of any form. And do not try to substitute Forum posting in place of real communication: because it is done in public view, folks sledom get honest and some tend to play to the audience rather than "get real". And Brother, you desperately need "real". The tool must fit the function it is being used for or the job will not get done.
In case you haven't caught it, let me point out that Nightbreed and Z-HawkOFTEN disagree on low level details, HOWEVER we NEVER disagree on the higher level concepts. That comes from knowing each other as people and as Players, from talking about our shared vision for BOP, our insistence that we hold each other Accountable to our statements, standards and results. And dogged demand that we serve our Clan before we serve ourselves. Find folks you can do that with and you have the resources for Leadership of a truly great Clan. Don't find those folks and you have a recipe for disaster.
Figure those two areas out and you will start having the success you seem to so disparately want. That will become what you are known for and what builds your and your Clan's positive reputation. And that is a whole lot better than what you have now: A rep as a Leader who has no control over the destructive forces in his own Clans.
Properly Run and Lead also involves a tremendously large amount of work behind the scenes for those in charge to ensure they continue to thrive and prosper for the benefit of their Members. It is NOT a task for the faint of heart, thin of skin or large of ego, they will not survive the perils of the journey. BUT the rewards of personal satisfaction and pride in the accomplishments of your "child" make it highly rewarding for many more mature Players.
You cannot be the "Leader" of a one-man show: That's a dictatorship.
Leadership only exists in the context of others...
The "Leader" is the LEAST important factor in the Leadership Team.
There are numerous ways to learn Leadership.
There are numerous ways to demonstrate Leadership.
Few people are natural born Leaders (<~1%). (ain't you or me...)
Some are the Leader chosen by those being lead (~25%).
Most are the designated Leader (~75%).
ALL can benefit from Mentoring and Training.
If you are going after the "title" of Leader, or the control/power over every little thing, you will always fail at being a Leader.
If you are going after the position of Leadership because you have a desire to serve and improve the lot of others, and being in Leadership is the next level to what you are already doing for THEM, you will always find ways to succeed.
Leaders are not made by their preference to be in charge, or aversion to following.They are created and enhanced by their willingness to assume many different roles at different times (including being led, being trained, being mentored, learning about their peers and charges, etc.) so they can learn and practice using the tools and principles of Leadership.
Of the ways you can become Leadership:
Self-evaluation, training/mentoring, smaller steps, and correction is the path that is least damaging to those you would serve in a Leadership role and yourself.
On-The-Job Training is the least successful and most damaging to those you would serve AND yourself.
LAST: Leaders, once they grow themselves into Leaders, find ways to exercise their Leadership in every situation they are put in. They do not wait to find or create a situation where they can be Leadership; they walk through the door AS Leadership, and find situations where their hard-earned tools are needed. They clearly recognize that they (and other Leadership types) can exercise Leadership in a multitude of ways at a multitude of levels that contribute to the greater good: They look for those Leaders in their midst and put their skills to use.
Here is Z-hawks Troika Analogy
A "Troika" makes a perfect analogy in this case: It is a 3-horsed Russian sled where the horses are arranged in a common yoke before the sled. There are 6 "players" in the analogy: The 3 horses, each of whom only sees their agenda and desires, a driver who must control them as a unit to successfully get the cart or sled down the road without the horses running it into the ditches beside the road, and two runners of Responsibility and Accountability upon which the sled rides. If the 3 horses do not pull evenly - disaster. If the driver does not control the horses individually and collectively - disaster. If one of the horses is significantly weaker or stronger than the others - disaster (inspite of the efforts of the driver). If the runners are weak or broken, the sled will "ditch" itself regardless of how strong the horses and Driver may be. All 6 parts must work in concert for the Troika to be successful. The same goes for a Clan (IMO).
In a Clan, the players have particular functions and interconnections like in the Troika metaphor/analogy. For the most part they can be loosely defined as follows:
Horse #1: Communications - The effective methods for all parts of the Clan to communicate with each other. Cell-phone style "text" messaging (like in-Game Chat, xat, Clan-mail, e-Mail or any other purely text based instrument (Forums...)) is unsatisfactory for performing the task. It places undue restrictions on effective communication; encourages the solo soap-box type screaming matches you have already experienced; depends on skills not always present in members from a wide variety of age, educational, maturity and texting skills backgrounds; cuts out the most important part of every communication/discussion: the context and passion behind what is being said, to name a few. Leadership cannot discuss Clan issues properly amongst themselves, can not reach effective decisions ("that "meeting of the minds" so pivotal to success) without massive overhead, cannot delve into major philosophical issues of Clan Governance other than in surfacy, shallow ways, and can not "read" each other well enough to judge important aspects of character like honesty, integrity, devotion to the cause, etc. Members do not get the benefit of seeing leadership being on the same page, speaking with the same voice; do not get the most important part of any Rules or Policies you set in place - the intention behind or context for the Rules or Policies. Members are also short changed during training, recruiting, and anything but static battle methods (""Stack @ 9 o'clock on the Gate, fire on anything that comes through, and do not leave the safety and support of the stack"").
Horse #2 - Clan Vision - The formalized answer to why the Clan exists. It could be a Mission statement, a Vision statement, a statement of principles, or whatever else defines what the Clan will stand for and do to demonstrate what it stands for. It must be clear, concise, broad in it's scope and everything else that a foundational document should be. The Vision is the ultimate "judger of fact" about what a Clan can and cannot do: If it supports the Vision in a concrete way, it is "good to go"; if it goes against the Vision or does not directly support the vision, it is garbage to be thrown away. The Vision IS the fulcrum and pivot point upon which all other Clan Rules, Policies and areas of focus are based. It is the publically shared concept which decides "Go"/"No Go" on everything within the Clan. It is a foundational part of what makes a Clan a Clan, even more important that Rules, Policies and Members since it defines the "functions" the "forms" must serve. A Clan without a Vision is just a loose gang and stands no chance of being anything (long term) other than a constant swirl of turmoil, trouble, and heart break/frustration for all parties involved internally and externally to the Clan.
Horse #3 - Clan Structure - This the functional distribution of jobs/areas of responsibility within the Clan. If powers of control for areas are not distributed or if they are distributed incorrectly, this "horse" will become over-powering or the weak link in the "engine" of the Clan (The 3 Horses together). The structure should include logical areas that can be handled by 1 or 2 people, should have clear purposes that are supportive of each other, and be assignable with clear measures of evaluation.
The Driver - Leadership Team - These are the people guiding the "engine". If they are not on the same page, they will not give the "engine" clear direction. If one feels more important than others there will be mixed signals given which will be acted on to the destruction of the Troika. The central "head" of the Driver is the Leader - the keeper of the vision and the deciding "vote" in all discussions amongst the team. His right-hand men (the Advisory council) each have a different area of responsibility and answer directly to the Leader for the quality of their performance. They are his advisors, but do not set overall Clan vision or policy on their own. They are part of an overall tier of leadership levels within the Clan, who together select the direction and focus of the Clan over time. Those whom the Leader cannot trust implicitly with their individual part of the Clan Vision mechanics have no business on the leadership team.
The Responsibility Runner - This represents the defined jobs within the Clan. At the lowest level, Members have a responsibility to learn and grow in their understanding of how the Clan acts to support it's purpose. Trainers and Mentors (as an example) have a higher responsibility for clarity and effectiveness in conveying that Clan story to the Members. Further up the "chain" comes more need for clarity of purpose and conduct as you approach the level of the leadership team. And the leadership team has the highest level of responsibility for bringing the Clan to "life" through their actions and counsel.
The Accountability Runner - This represents the need for constant evaluation and re-evaluation of the jobs being done: Folks being required to account for their actions and their results (being able to show the cause and effect relationship between what they did and what it produced). Each level in the Clan is accountable to every other level for their part in the overall scheme of things. As an example, the leadership team is accountable to the Members for their results: the number of times the avoid going to war, the quality of the training they provide, the kinds of mentoring they offer, the overall quality of the Members experience of being part of the Clan.
Lastly, each of these 6 players must change mildly over time as the Clan grows. What works well for a small Clan of close knit, kindred spirits will self-destruct under the weight of a large Clan made of (initially) non-kindred spirits. It is (like the Game itself) an ongoing Balancing act under constant refinement. Seriously, your "job" is never done...
As another example here is Z-hawks Navy Metaphor
This is troubling because of the lack of "Command Structure" from a Clan basing itself on a highly structured and efficient model: The Navy:
Command:
Speaks for, Decides, controls, etc the "Unit". IS the ultimate authority for all things internal and external to the Unit.
Consists of The Commanding Officer (CO, aka Leader) and The Executive Officer (XO) (His right hand man and laison to the crew)
CO is responsible and accountable for everything at all times, whether he is present or not.
XO can act on behalf of the CO in the CO's absence. Doing so does not relieve the CO of responsibility and accountability for all actions done in his name. XO's power is strictly limited to following the CO's direction and wishes.
ONLY the CO & XO can commit the Unit to internal or external action.
ONLY the CO & XO have the authority to speak on behalf of the Unit UNLESS they designate (publically) that another may do so under certain circumstances.
Department Heads:
Control functional sub parts of the Unit.
Report to Command. Have only that authority given to them by Command within their area of responsibility.
Weapons, Engineering, Supply, etc are the real life ones.
Diplomacy, War, Membership, Training could be Clan equivalents.
These very few folks would be the Advisory Council with the XO being the "chairman" of that council.
Provide information to Command about the state of their area of responsibility and needs they have that could affect the Unit. They make decisions ONLY within their area of responsibility (i.e. Weaps does not tell The Eng. how to turn the prop or generate power for his weapon systems.)
Division Officers:
Control and Guide sub areas of a Department under the guidance and authority of the Department Head.
Division Senior Enlisted (Chiefs):
Handle the day to day stuff for a Division under the authority and guidance of the Division Officer.
The Crew: (Other Enlisted)
Do the work, receive the training, fire the guns, operate the radar, drive the ship, etc.
Do so under the guidance and control of the Division Chiefs and Division Officers.
May have special duties under special circumstances.
Invoking the Navy model brings with it an assumption that you are as well organized and structured as a Navy is. Assuming that is so, assuming others in the Clan understand the structure, etc. has not been working for you as near as I can tell. Especially the part where your Ship has absolutely no "Sound-Powered Phones" installed so folks can talk with each other... Almost as debilitating as forgetting to load bullets before going to war, don't cha think....
The Final extract is from several threads giving advice about recruiting.
Your Clan has been established for less than 2 days. That is no where near enough time to develop a reputation in the Game that would attract other Players.
The solution is really simple (conceptually) while being very hard (to implement):
(1) Continue getting your ducks in a row internally as if you were a 30 Member Clan - You need policies, Rules, Areas of responsibility defined and such available so folks of different experience levels can "plug in" to your Clan. By planning as if you have 30 Members, you will be ready when those Members show up.
(2) Show your face in the System Maps. If you want folks needing help to advance, be helpful. If you want some senior Players to fill key ranks (recruiting, training, etc), ask questions of folks you respect in these areas. The "word" will get around that you are what you are based on how you act and those wanting that will seek you out.
(3) Continue interacting with folks you know or respect who help run good Clans. Pick their brains for ideas and information. They really good ones see part of their mission to be helping others run solid, stable Clans.
(4) "Give Peace a Chance!" It does not happen over night; it will be frustrating in the beginning; you will make mistakes (learn from them); and continue to refine your vision. Clan leadership is one of the most difficult things you can undertake in the Game. AND one of the most rewarding...
Welcome aboard, leader! You are embarking on one of the most frustratingly enjoyable parts of the Game (if you are wired that way...).
And please, please, please, please, PLEASE incorporate Voice Comms (GSC, TeamSpeak, etc) in your plan from the Git Go. No other single act will make your job easier than to be able to talk with folks voice to voice to train, battle, evaluate, learn from, coordinate, etc, -AND- (perhaps most important) avert problems. You can't know them and they can't know you if all they get is cell phone texting. Do you really want to pick your Game Friends that way, with JUST text...???
If all you got is text, all you gonna get is trouble. Kiddiez Klans PROVE that on a daily basis all over the Game...
Your focus determines your results 95% of the time.
While it might SEEM that "getting Members" is the key, nothing is further from the truth. Your focus needs to be on creating a place (the Clan) where Players wouldwant to be.
Yes you can recruit like crazy, but all you will get is folks who are there because of the promises they "heard" you give. Promises you may not have even known you were making... People bring their expectations to the conversation and "hear" what they want to hear.
If you focus on getting your Clan structure right and making it work in fun ways, folks will hear about it from other Players and flock to your door... It will just take time to build a solid Clan on a solid (non-sand) foundation.
Welcome to the "World of Greed" as the supreme motivator for most low level Players. (Low Level from the stand point that they want everything they get to be paid for by someone else. It is NOT unique to DarkOrbit.)
Your options are relatively straight forward -
(1) Pay their price (and all future demands they make to stay with you) and have Members who will continue to look for another place or way they can get their expenses paid for. (Basic description of a Clan Jumper or Mercenary)
(2) Recognize this as "dating" the classic way - You gotta ask 10 times before you get a single "yes". And she might also prove to be a "no" in the long haul.
Consider this your first level of screening out the duds, kiddiez, dunderheads and Trauma & Drama Queens.
By now, ASSUMING you have a clear vision of your Clan, you should know:
(1) What kinds of Players will find your Clan appealing.
(2) What kind of Players you WANT in your Clan.
(3) Clear indicators to look for to qualify or disqualify prospective Members.
(4) What things you can legitimately offer to encourage folks to join. (And huge signing bonuses, free Goli's or Vengie's, Uridium, whatever ARE NOT IT.)
(5) That the most important Player in your Clan who MUST have his ducks in a row is YOU and your leadership team.
(6) That you are going to get tons of nibbles and folks kicking the tires before you get anyone worth investing your time in.
• "Just say "No!"" after they have joined the Clan is not a working choice for a Clan that wants to become strong and stable.
• A Clan "charges" 50,000 Credits -AND- 0-5% of a Members Credits per day for Membership.
• A Member SHOULD expect some "value" from that daily investment in the Clan.
• WHAT that "value" looks like is a Clan Leadership issue to settle/decide BEFORE the Member is in the Clan.
• Most Players will accept the Clan Tax as a reasonable "price" to pay for having folks they can depend on and fly with in the Game.
• SOME Players are all about the "money" and getting "paid" for consuming other peoples air. (I call them "Oxygen Thieves" - Stealing Oxygen from perfectly good human beings. They are aka "Clan Jumpers" and "Credit Hogs".)
• Strong, stable Clans increase the "value" for their Members by creating relationships with other strong, stable Clans (Pacts) giving their Members even more folks they can depend on and fly with.
• Strong, stable Clans invest their Clan Treasury in helping build up loyal Members Ships in some form.
• And some Clans have no need for Taxes at all since their Members are already FE and completely self supporting for Credits.
Take a serious look at what motivates you to continue to allow this kind of garbage to occur around you. Leadership is not about being popular or nice to everyone or letting everyone do whatever the heck they want to do. It is about holding a vision and moving the group toward it. It is about being Responsible for you own and your Clans actions and inaction's. It is about being Accountable for the outcomes they create. It is about having high personal standards and clarity of purpose and holding others to those same standards for the good of all, EVEN when they don't want to do it. It is about making the hard choice to do the right things when it is unpopular. It is about risking being disliked or being unpopular to forge ahead (alone, if need be) for the greater good of the team. And it must all be done with Dignity, Honor and impeccable Integrity.
Finding suitable folks to join you on that Leadership trail is equally difficult. They need maturity, common sense, a shared dedication to the vision, a willingness to learn from everything they do (the stuff that works and the stuff that doesn't), and an insatiable drive to make it better for all, at any cost.
You HAVE TO be able to talk to these folks in private and KNOW they are hearing you and acting on the vision for the benefit of the vision. You HAVE to KNOW they are not putting themselves first but insisting that they get "paid" (respect, honor, reputation, etc.) only on the results they create for the group.
There must be actual discussion, an actual "meeting of the minds". And it must occur frequently and in great detail in the beginning. You absolutely can not do that in Forum threads and In-Game Text Chat; the parts of them you need to connect with do not exist in those venues.
The BEST is "Face to Face". The next best is "Voice to Voice, phone style". Third is "Voice to Voice, CB style", like TeamSpeak, GSC, etc. (Hence my strong recommendation you find a way to get such on your computer and in your Clan(s)) Fourth is "Serial eMail to eMail" (with a back and forth ongoing discussion). At the VERY bottom of the list is "don't communicate at all" ASSUMING they share your vision and motivation and drive, and will act appropriately on it. BARELY one step above that is "Texting" or "Instant Messenger" of any form. And do not try to substitute Forum posting in place of real communication: because it is done in public view, folks sledom get honest and some tend to play to the audience rather than "get real". And Brother, you desperately need "real". The tool must fit the function it is being used for or the job will not get done.
In case you haven't caught it, let me point out that Nightbreed and Z-HawkOFTEN disagree on low level details, HOWEVER we NEVER disagree on the higher level concepts. That comes from knowing each other as people and as Players, from talking about our shared vision for BOP, our insistence that we hold each other Accountable to our statements, standards and results. And dogged demand that we serve our Clan before we serve ourselves. Find folks you can do that with and you have the resources for Leadership of a truly great Clan. Don't find those folks and you have a recipe for disaster.
Figure those two areas out and you will start having the success you seem to so disparately want. That will become what you are known for and what builds your and your Clan's positive reputation. And that is a whole lot better than what you have now: A rep as a Leader who has no control over the destructive forces in his own Clans.
Properly Run and Lead also involves a tremendously large amount of work behind the scenes for those in charge to ensure they continue to thrive and prosper for the benefit of their Members. It is NOT a task for the faint of heart, thin of skin or large of ego, they will not survive the perils of the journey. BUT the rewards of personal satisfaction and pride in the accomplishments of your "child" make it highly rewarding for many more mature Players.
You cannot be the "Leader" of a one-man show: That's a dictatorship.
Leadership only exists in the context of others...
The "Leader" is the LEAST important factor in the Leadership Team.
There are numerous ways to learn Leadership.
There are numerous ways to demonstrate Leadership.
Few people are natural born Leaders (<~1%). (ain't you or me...)
Some are the Leader chosen by those being lead (~25%).
Most are the designated Leader (~75%).
ALL can benefit from Mentoring and Training.
If you are going after the "title" of Leader, or the control/power over every little thing, you will always fail at being a Leader.
If you are going after the position of Leadership because you have a desire to serve and improve the lot of others, and being in Leadership is the next level to what you are already doing for THEM, you will always find ways to succeed.
Leaders are not made by their preference to be in charge, or aversion to following.They are created and enhanced by their willingness to assume many different roles at different times (including being led, being trained, being mentored, learning about their peers and charges, etc.) so they can learn and practice using the tools and principles of Leadership.
Of the ways you can become Leadership:
Self-evaluation, training/mentoring, smaller steps, and correction is the path that is least damaging to those you would serve in a Leadership role and yourself.
On-The-Job Training is the least successful and most damaging to those you would serve AND yourself.
LAST: Leaders, once they grow themselves into Leaders, find ways to exercise their Leadership in every situation they are put in. They do not wait to find or create a situation where they can be Leadership; they walk through the door AS Leadership, and find situations where their hard-earned tools are needed. They clearly recognize that they (and other Leadership types) can exercise Leadership in a multitude of ways at a multitude of levels that contribute to the greater good: They look for those Leaders in their midst and put their skills to use.
Here is Z-hawks Troika Analogy
A "Troika" makes a perfect analogy in this case: It is a 3-horsed Russian sled where the horses are arranged in a common yoke before the sled. There are 6 "players" in the analogy: The 3 horses, each of whom only sees their agenda and desires, a driver who must control them as a unit to successfully get the cart or sled down the road without the horses running it into the ditches beside the road, and two runners of Responsibility and Accountability upon which the sled rides. If the 3 horses do not pull evenly - disaster. If the driver does not control the horses individually and collectively - disaster. If one of the horses is significantly weaker or stronger than the others - disaster (inspite of the efforts of the driver). If the runners are weak or broken, the sled will "ditch" itself regardless of how strong the horses and Driver may be. All 6 parts must work in concert for the Troika to be successful. The same goes for a Clan (IMO).
In a Clan, the players have particular functions and interconnections like in the Troika metaphor/analogy. For the most part they can be loosely defined as follows:
Horse #1: Communications - The effective methods for all parts of the Clan to communicate with each other. Cell-phone style "text" messaging (like in-Game Chat, xat, Clan-mail, e-Mail or any other purely text based instrument (Forums...)) is unsatisfactory for performing the task. It places undue restrictions on effective communication; encourages the solo soap-box type screaming matches you have already experienced; depends on skills not always present in members from a wide variety of age, educational, maturity and texting skills backgrounds; cuts out the most important part of every communication/discussion: the context and passion behind what is being said, to name a few. Leadership cannot discuss Clan issues properly amongst themselves, can not reach effective decisions ("that "meeting of the minds" so pivotal to success) without massive overhead, cannot delve into major philosophical issues of Clan Governance other than in surfacy, shallow ways, and can not "read" each other well enough to judge important aspects of character like honesty, integrity, devotion to the cause, etc. Members do not get the benefit of seeing leadership being on the same page, speaking with the same voice; do not get the most important part of any Rules or Policies you set in place - the intention behind or context for the Rules or Policies. Members are also short changed during training, recruiting, and anything but static battle methods (""Stack @ 9 o'clock on the Gate, fire on anything that comes through, and do not leave the safety and support of the stack"").
Horse #2 - Clan Vision - The formalized answer to why the Clan exists. It could be a Mission statement, a Vision statement, a statement of principles, or whatever else defines what the Clan will stand for and do to demonstrate what it stands for. It must be clear, concise, broad in it's scope and everything else that a foundational document should be. The Vision is the ultimate "judger of fact" about what a Clan can and cannot do: If it supports the Vision in a concrete way, it is "good to go"; if it goes against the Vision or does not directly support the vision, it is garbage to be thrown away. The Vision IS the fulcrum and pivot point upon which all other Clan Rules, Policies and areas of focus are based. It is the publically shared concept which decides "Go"/"No Go" on everything within the Clan. It is a foundational part of what makes a Clan a Clan, even more important that Rules, Policies and Members since it defines the "functions" the "forms" must serve. A Clan without a Vision is just a loose gang and stands no chance of being anything (long term) other than a constant swirl of turmoil, trouble, and heart break/frustration for all parties involved internally and externally to the Clan.
Horse #3 - Clan Structure - This the functional distribution of jobs/areas of responsibility within the Clan. If powers of control for areas are not distributed or if they are distributed incorrectly, this "horse" will become over-powering or the weak link in the "engine" of the Clan (The 3 Horses together). The structure should include logical areas that can be handled by 1 or 2 people, should have clear purposes that are supportive of each other, and be assignable with clear measures of evaluation.
The Driver - Leadership Team - These are the people guiding the "engine". If they are not on the same page, they will not give the "engine" clear direction. If one feels more important than others there will be mixed signals given which will be acted on to the destruction of the Troika. The central "head" of the Driver is the Leader - the keeper of the vision and the deciding "vote" in all discussions amongst the team. His right-hand men (the Advisory council) each have a different area of responsibility and answer directly to the Leader for the quality of their performance. They are his advisors, but do not set overall Clan vision or policy on their own. They are part of an overall tier of leadership levels within the Clan, who together select the direction and focus of the Clan over time. Those whom the Leader cannot trust implicitly with their individual part of the Clan Vision mechanics have no business on the leadership team.
The Responsibility Runner - This represents the defined jobs within the Clan. At the lowest level, Members have a responsibility to learn and grow in their understanding of how the Clan acts to support it's purpose. Trainers and Mentors (as an example) have a higher responsibility for clarity and effectiveness in conveying that Clan story to the Members. Further up the "chain" comes more need for clarity of purpose and conduct as you approach the level of the leadership team. And the leadership team has the highest level of responsibility for bringing the Clan to "life" through their actions and counsel.
The Accountability Runner - This represents the need for constant evaluation and re-evaluation of the jobs being done: Folks being required to account for their actions and their results (being able to show the cause and effect relationship between what they did and what it produced). Each level in the Clan is accountable to every other level for their part in the overall scheme of things. As an example, the leadership team is accountable to the Members for their results: the number of times the avoid going to war, the quality of the training they provide, the kinds of mentoring they offer, the overall quality of the Members experience of being part of the Clan.
Lastly, each of these 6 players must change mildly over time as the Clan grows. What works well for a small Clan of close knit, kindred spirits will self-destruct under the weight of a large Clan made of (initially) non-kindred spirits. It is (like the Game itself) an ongoing Balancing act under constant refinement. Seriously, your "job" is never done...
As another example here is Z-hawks Navy Metaphor
This is troubling because of the lack of "Command Structure" from a Clan basing itself on a highly structured and efficient model: The Navy:
Command:
Speaks for, Decides, controls, etc the "Unit". IS the ultimate authority for all things internal and external to the Unit.
Consists of The Commanding Officer (CO, aka Leader) and The Executive Officer (XO) (His right hand man and laison to the crew)
CO is responsible and accountable for everything at all times, whether he is present or not.
XO can act on behalf of the CO in the CO's absence. Doing so does not relieve the CO of responsibility and accountability for all actions done in his name. XO's power is strictly limited to following the CO's direction and wishes.
ONLY the CO & XO can commit the Unit to internal or external action.
ONLY the CO & XO have the authority to speak on behalf of the Unit UNLESS they designate (publically) that another may do so under certain circumstances.
Department Heads:
Control functional sub parts of the Unit.
Report to Command. Have only that authority given to them by Command within their area of responsibility.
Weapons, Engineering, Supply, etc are the real life ones.
Diplomacy, War, Membership, Training could be Clan equivalents.
These very few folks would be the Advisory Council with the XO being the "chairman" of that council.
Provide information to Command about the state of their area of responsibility and needs they have that could affect the Unit. They make decisions ONLY within their area of responsibility (i.e. Weaps does not tell The Eng. how to turn the prop or generate power for his weapon systems.)
Division Officers:
Control and Guide sub areas of a Department under the guidance and authority of the Department Head.
Division Senior Enlisted (Chiefs):
Handle the day to day stuff for a Division under the authority and guidance of the Division Officer.
The Crew: (Other Enlisted)
Do the work, receive the training, fire the guns, operate the radar, drive the ship, etc.
Do so under the guidance and control of the Division Chiefs and Division Officers.
May have special duties under special circumstances.
Invoking the Navy model brings with it an assumption that you are as well organized and structured as a Navy is. Assuming that is so, assuming others in the Clan understand the structure, etc. has not been working for you as near as I can tell. Especially the part where your Ship has absolutely no "Sound-Powered Phones" installed so folks can talk with each other... Almost as debilitating as forgetting to load bullets before going to war, don't cha think....
The Final extract is from several threads giving advice about recruiting.
Your Clan has been established for less than 2 days. That is no where near enough time to develop a reputation in the Game that would attract other Players.
The solution is really simple (conceptually) while being very hard (to implement):
(1) Continue getting your ducks in a row internally as if you were a 30 Member Clan - You need policies, Rules, Areas of responsibility defined and such available so folks of different experience levels can "plug in" to your Clan. By planning as if you have 30 Members, you will be ready when those Members show up.
(2) Show your face in the System Maps. If you want folks needing help to advance, be helpful. If you want some senior Players to fill key ranks (recruiting, training, etc), ask questions of folks you respect in these areas. The "word" will get around that you are what you are based on how you act and those wanting that will seek you out.
(3) Continue interacting with folks you know or respect who help run good Clans. Pick their brains for ideas and information. They really good ones see part of their mission to be helping others run solid, stable Clans.
(4) "Give Peace a Chance!" It does not happen over night; it will be frustrating in the beginning; you will make mistakes (learn from them); and continue to refine your vision. Clan leadership is one of the most difficult things you can undertake in the Game. AND one of the most rewarding...
Welcome aboard, leader! You are embarking on one of the most frustratingly enjoyable parts of the Game (if you are wired that way...).
And please, please, please, please, PLEASE incorporate Voice Comms (GSC, TeamSpeak, etc) in your plan from the Git Go. No other single act will make your job easier than to be able to talk with folks voice to voice to train, battle, evaluate, learn from, coordinate, etc, -AND- (perhaps most important) avert problems. You can't know them and they can't know you if all they get is cell phone texting. Do you really want to pick your Game Friends that way, with JUST text...???
If all you got is text, all you gonna get is trouble. Kiddiez Klans PROVE that on a daily basis all over the Game...
Your focus determines your results 95% of the time.
While it might SEEM that "getting Members" is the key, nothing is further from the truth. Your focus needs to be on creating a place (the Clan) where Players wouldwant to be.
Yes you can recruit like crazy, but all you will get is folks who are there because of the promises they "heard" you give. Promises you may not have even known you were making... People bring their expectations to the conversation and "hear" what they want to hear.
If you focus on getting your Clan structure right and making it work in fun ways, folks will hear about it from other Players and flock to your door... It will just take time to build a solid Clan on a solid (non-sand) foundation.
Welcome to the "World of Greed" as the supreme motivator for most low level Players. (Low Level from the stand point that they want everything they get to be paid for by someone else. It is NOT unique to DarkOrbit.)
Your options are relatively straight forward -
(1) Pay their price (and all future demands they make to stay with you) and have Members who will continue to look for another place or way they can get their expenses paid for. (Basic description of a Clan Jumper or Mercenary)
(2) Recognize this as "dating" the classic way - You gotta ask 10 times before you get a single "yes". And she might also prove to be a "no" in the long haul.
Consider this your first level of screening out the duds, kiddiez, dunderheads and Trauma & Drama Queens.
By now, ASSUMING you have a clear vision of your Clan, you should know:
(1) What kinds of Players will find your Clan appealing.
(2) What kind of Players you WANT in your Clan.
(3) Clear indicators to look for to qualify or disqualify prospective Members.
(4) What things you can legitimately offer to encourage folks to join. (And huge signing bonuses, free Goli's or Vengie's, Uridium, whatever ARE NOT IT.)
(5) That the most important Player in your Clan who MUST have his ducks in a row is YOU and your leadership team.
(6) That you are going to get tons of nibbles and folks kicking the tires before you get anyone worth investing your time in.
• "Just say "No!"" after they have joined the Clan is not a working choice for a Clan that wants to become strong and stable.
• A Clan "charges" 50,000 Credits -AND- 0-5% of a Members Credits per day for Membership.
• A Member SHOULD expect some "value" from that daily investment in the Clan.
• WHAT that "value" looks like is a Clan Leadership issue to settle/decide BEFORE the Member is in the Clan.
• Most Players will accept the Clan Tax as a reasonable "price" to pay for having folks they can depend on and fly with in the Game.
• SOME Players are all about the "money" and getting "paid" for consuming other peoples air. (I call them "Oxygen Thieves" - Stealing Oxygen from perfectly good human beings. They are aka "Clan Jumpers" and "Credit Hogs".)
• Strong, stable Clans increase the "value" for their Members by creating relationships with other strong, stable Clans (Pacts) giving their Members even more folks they can depend on and fly with.
• Strong, stable Clans invest their Clan Treasury in helping build up loyal Members Ships in some form.
• And some Clans have no need for Taxes at all since their Members are already FE and completely self supporting for Credits.