/officerchat

I’m sorry sir, but we’ve all taken a vote and have come to the conclusion that you are no longer in charge of this guild.  We are prepared to offer you a handful of options to ease this transition:

1. Promote a member of our choice to GM and play under his/her rule.
   
2. Simply quit the guild and leave it to us.
3. We’ll all quit out from under you and create a new guild (bringing all your members in the process)

We know you’ve worked hard on your guild, and we appreciate that.  Things simply are not working out to our liking, as we enjoy having things go our way.  Simply put, you aren’t in charge anymore.  We are.

Mutiny!

I’ve recently had a nice conversation with a friendly guild master who’s going through just this.  She has spent months building a guild from the ground up, and finally developed a stable raiding team with considerate people.  Soon enough, however, a bad seed was recruited who did not care much for authority, and had a track record of breaking apart guilds.

Upon being let into this guild’s raiding scene, he promptly took control of what he “allowed” to happen.  Through means of degrading members, whispering behind management’s ears, and creating rumors & doubts, this member created the cracks in which he hoped would cause the dam to burst.  What is a GM to do once these motions have been set in place?  How can she win back her guild before this hooligan destroys all she has built?

• Remove the problem
• Assert Authority
• Take Control

Throughout leading a guild, we’ve seen players of all shapes and styles.  There have been great players, and horrible ones.  Those who we wish we could hang out with and enjoy a few beers, and some which we would like to kick in the teeth.  As a guild leader, your concern lies with what is best for your guild.  It’s easy to notice that the asshole disrupting your chat isn’t a good fit, but it takes a skilled leader to wipe away a tear and remove that e-best friend who is just horrible at everything.  It is you who is in control and responsible for managing your guild.  Never let someone steal a foothold into this domain.

Players who refuse to recognize authority and/or scheme mischievous activities can cause serious harm to a guild.  One needs to lay down the iron fist in the face of opposition.  There are hundreds of other guilds, this one is yours.  Your way or the highway.  When players can not adapt to your rules and regulations, there’s a simple answer:  Leave or be kicked.  If the next two words out of your mouth are not “Good Bye”, my trigger-finger is clicking the GTFO button.  How you choose to word such is a matter of preference, but the intentions are the same.

Get problem players out, confirm that you are in charge with the rest of the guild, and make sure it remains that way.  Leaders who can not manage this will find civil unrest in their communities.  Members will whisper when you’re away.  Alliances and co-operations will be formed to take new control.  Guilds NEED authority, and if you can not provide it, someone will surely step up and try to take it.  You are not always a “friend” or “mentor”, so never be afraid to crack a few eggs in order to save the farm.

If not, you may as well have a “For Sale” sign on your guild.