General Leadership Notes
Introduction
As members of the Brotherhood, our immediate goal is to advance as quickly as we can, and it is this goal, in many cases, that brings us to want to lead. Should you choose to apply for a leadership position, then you will be pitting yourself against a number of your peers; places are limited.
This course does not pretend it will teach you how to be the most successful and prosperous leader the DB has ever seen. Experience as a leader is the only real way to become an effective leader. This course aims to instruct you in how to manage your unit (be it a Battleteam, House, or Clan) efficiently.
What You Should Know
First and foremost, a leadership position is one of responsibility. By applying for, and receiving, a leadership position, you make yourself responsible for the unit, all its members, and all its leaders. You take on a personal responsibility for ensuring that your members are having fun all the time, and you put yourself in their service. If you are unable to handle responsibility, then a leadership position is not for you.
Secondly, leadership entails commitment. In recent times, leadership turnover in the DB has been unacceptably high. Although circumstances often conspire against us, you should endeavor to be able to hold your position for an extended period of time - usually the longer the better. If you know you have a major time constraint in real life now or in the near future, then you should think twice about applying for a leadership position.
Thirdly, it is important that you have good communication skills. As a leader, you will be expected to liaise with Dark Council Members, long-standing and new members of your House/Clan, and other House/Clan leaders. You should be able to formulate opinions and give them without causing offense. You should be approachable and able to solve problems, and you should be able to help mediate if necessary.
Summary:
A Leader should be responsible, committed, loyal, and selfless, and should have good communication skills.
What the Job Entails
Before applying for a job, you need to know what it entails. This is a quick breakdown (followed by a more in depth analysis of each section) of your administrative function:
- Activity Tracking
- Weekly Reports
- Monthly Evaluations
- Structure and Appointments
- Awarding/Recommending Medals and Promotions
- Communications
- Competition Organization
- Welcoming New Members
1. Activity Tracking
Activity tracking is a way of keeping an eye on how your group is operating. This is something that should be documented, whether in your reports, or simply for your own information and that of your House/Clan summit members. Why? Because if you don’t keep an eye on what members do over a period of time, you may pass them over for promotions they deserve. If you know you’re not going to remember by the end of the week what people have done, then write it in a text file or Word document so that you have a record of it. Weekly activity tracking sections are a common feature of some leader’s reports, and are a practice that should be encouraged.
The ATR is extremely simple to keep. Just record some basic information on the member whose activity you are tracking, then add the dated activity reports as the month goes on!
Example ATR:
Member: Snathy
E-Mail: EHSnathy@gmail.com
Rank: DA
Last Promotion: 25March07Activity: 2007
04/01 - Awarded Star of Eos (SE)
04/02 - Participated in 25 JA Duels
04/08 - Wrote fiction for Blades of Doom
04/12 - Completed SA Course: History of the Dark Lords - 98%
04/12 - Participated in 6 JA Duels
04/18 - Flew XvT-DB #6, #7, #8
04/25 - Participated in 15 JA Duels
04/29 - Flew TIE-DB #2
Summary:
Activity Tracking Records should be kept for members so that you can keep an accurate view on what members have done. It can be included in your report or simply kept for your own and your Consul’s information. Inclusion in a report is preferred.
2. Weekly Reports
Your weekly report should be sent to all your superiors, including your House and Clan summits and your Order leader (KHP, OHC, or SHW), as well as those you command (Battleteam, House, or Clan members depending on your position). Clan reports, specifically, need to be sent to the Grand Master and Deputy Grand Master as they are your DC liaisons. All reports should be submitted/uploaded to the Dark Brotherhood database.
Reports are crucial because they ensure your unit is kept up to date with events as they happen, and your superiors remain well informed of what you are doing. Your superiors need to see your reports so that they can make sure that everything is running well, assess any problems, and help you fix them before they become an issue. A Clan Report has frequently been little more than an amalgamation of House Reports, with important news picked out and set in a section titled Clan News at the forefront of the Report. With all reports, however, it is often best to be as original as you can. Don’t feel that because your predecessor did things one way you have to do the same. There is no absolute recipe for successful report writing. Over time, every leader develops their own style of report writing. Some people use HTML and Graphics layouts, and others simply use unformatted text. Regardless of how you display the content, your reports should contain the following information:
Sections:
- Dark Brotherhood News
The Dark Brotherhood News section is simply any relevant information relating to the Brotherhood has a whole. Content for this section is commonly found on the DB News Page, in Dark Council Reports, and on the DB Message Boards. - Clan and House News (Summit Reports)
Clan and House News is news that pertains to the entire Clan and House, but not necessarily your Battleteam itself. Examples of content for this section would be the appointment of a new Quaestor in another House within the Clan, the promotion of the Consul, etc. - Battleteam News and Status
The Battleteam News and Status section of your report should contain news specifically relating to your Battleteam. Competitions, updates, and similar items should be listed under this heading. - Competition Section
Recent, current and future competition information is included here. - Activity Reports
The Activity Reports section, is the division of the report your Battleteam Members will anticipate after a fairly active week. This section should list all the activity of your BTMs over since your last report, and comments on that activity always keeps newer members returning for more! - Miscellaneous
The section of your report dedicated to Miscellaneous information is almost purely what you make it. Some leaders choose to dedicate this section to closing comments, while others choose to dedicate this section to news that does not necessarily fall under the DB/Clan/House/Battleteam category. - Roster
The Roster at the end of your report is a standard item that has been included in all reports for years. It should include a copy of your Battleteam Roster from the DB website. It can also be used to track membership over time, as well as list all transfers within the Battleteam.
Example: This report is written in the exact style of the sections listed above. This should be considered the initial template for the most basic of a Weekly Battleteam Report.
The Dark Element Brigade Report #15
GRD Dr. Demento Reporting
From the Sergeant's Desk
Introduction
Dark greetings troopers, and welcome to another Battleteam Report! This week has been a rather exciting one, with Clan Naga Sadow going on to defeat Satal Keto in the Feud that ended just a few days ago (yea us!). CSK put up a good fight, but they just couldn't keep up with us it seems.
On that note, with if you click HERE you can see the final scores for everyone who participated in the event! You'll note that House Primus Goluud, and Dark Element in particular, pretty much owned the Jedi Academy and X-Wing Alliance Divisions of the competition. >:F My congratulations to all of you who earned medals (which was all of you :P) - excellent work!
Now, on to the meat of the report...
DB News
MAA Cuddly Rancor promoted to Dark Side Adept (DA)!
Clan Tarentum defeated Clan Alvaak 529 to 50 in their Feud. :P
The HM has released a course on the History of Dirt
Clan and House News
CNS defeated CSK in the Feud 500 to 450!
CON Stinky the Sock promoted to Krath Pontifex (KPN)! Congratz Stinky!
DJK Rabid Squirrel was promoted to Quaestor of Marka Ragnos
Ludo Kressh QUA, Ahahimja, promoted to Sith Warrior (SW)!
Battleteam News
Dr. Demento (ME!) promoted to Guardian (GRD)!
Snarky promoted to Acolyte (ACO)!
Drunk Skunk awarded the Star of Eos (SE) for his dedication to the House over the last month
Bob Darklighter awarded the Dark Cross (DC)!
Smelly Old Goat awarded Cr-1A
Tsulkang Bah awarded Cr-1A
Ugly Duckling awarded Cr-1E
Swamp Rat awarded CR-1E
DJP Laan awarded Cr-1Q
Activity Reports
GRD Dr. Demento
Activity:
Promoted to GRD
Daily IRC
3 XWA Matches
25 JA Duels
ACO Snarky
Activity Level: Very High
Comments: Excellent work this week, Snarky!
Activity:
Promoted to ACO
Completed SA Sith Phase 2
Completed SA Krath DIE Studies
5 XvT Matches
15 JA Duels
DJM Drunk Skunk
Activity Level: Moderate
Comments:Another good week, Skunky!
Activity:
Awarded SE
IRC
5 JA Duels
PRT Smelly Old Goat
Activity Level: Very High/LoA
Comments: Have fun on your trip!
Activity:
Awarded Cr-1A
Completed SA History of Clan Naga Sadow
2 XvT Matches
20 JA Duels
IRC
JH Ugly Duckling
Activity Level: Low
Comments: Just because we won doesn't mean you get to rest :P
Activity:
Awarded Cr-1E
E-mail
DJK Swamp Rat
Activity Level: Moderate
Comments: Keep it up!
Activity:
Awarded Cr-1E
5 XWA Matches
2 JA Duels
IRC
PRT Bob Darklighter
Activity Level: High
Comments: Another excellent week, Bob!
Activity:
Awarded DC
10 JA Matches
IRC
DA Tsuklang Bah
Activity Level: High
Comments: Great week Tsul!
Activity:
Awarded Cr-1A
8 JA Matches
3 XvT Matches
IRC
DJP Laan
Activity Level: Low
Comments: Wake up old man! :P
Activity:
Awarded Cr-1Q
IRC
Closing (Misc.)
It's been an excellent week! Once again, congratulations to everyone on their medals, you did an excellent job! See you on IRC!
The Dark Element of House Primus Goluud
01) GRD Dr. Demento
02) ACO Snarky
03) DJM Drunk Skunk
04) TBA
05) PRT Smelly Old Goat
06) TBA
07) JH Ugly Duckling
08) DJK Swamp Rat
09) TBA
10) PRT Bob Darklighter
11) DA Tsulkang Bah
12) DJP Laan
In Darkness,
BTL/GRD Dr. Demento/The Dark Element/Primus Goluud/Naga Sadow
SE/DC/CR-2D-1R-3A-1S-1E/CF-Rx3/OV {SA-P2:OBELISK-S:ESET-S:ISET}
There are plenty of reports on the database, so read a few from different people if you want to spice up your reports. And be sure to keep your reports short (in terms of both word and file size) and to the point. If you have any question about how you should form your reports, talk with your direct superior.
Summary:
Weekly reports are one of the most basic, but important, aspects of leadership. They are not only a source of external news for your unit, but also a source of news for your superiors. Reports should be informative, yet personalized.
3. Monthly Evaluations
Evaluations are basically your ATRs compiled into a single document and comments added. Note how communication and activity is rated on a High/Moderate/Low Scale. That form is not required. You may use a scale of 1 to 10 or letter grades (A, B, C, etc.), but be sure to note how your scale works if it is not obvious.
Note how recommendations for medals are made on each member's section of the Evaluation (also notice that the BTL does not rate his own activity or make a recommendation for himself). Your Quaestor may prefer that you write a short recommendation for the medal/promotion, rather than simply suggesting it.
This is a framework for your evaluations. A good evaluation contains more details about the unit than this, but in order to create a flexible design that can be easily understood, the deeper details have been left out for this Example. Your Quaestor and Consul will tell you what they expect to be on your Evaluations.
Example:
Monthly Evaluation
Angels of Death Phyle
BTL DA Sludge
Unit Status
Angels of Death currently stands at 5 members, all of whom are actively participating in competitions. All the members prefer different types of competitions range from fiction to Jedi Academy, which sometimes makes competition planning difficult. In the month of April, as proposed to the Quaestor, the BTL of Spirits of the Night and I would look to put our BTMs to the test by engaging in a head-to-head battle between our Phyles! Details have already been submitted for approval by the QUA before submission to the Dark Council.
DA Sludge (db_sludge@gmail.com)
Last Promoted: 03March07
Communication Level: Daily IRC
03/01 - Wrote fiction for “An Untimely End”
03/02 - Completed JA Duels x5
03/02 - Awarded Cr-1A
03/03 - Promoted to Jedi Hunter
03/04 - Awarded Cr-1Q
03/11 - Completed XvT-DB #5
03/11 - Completed XWA-DB #1
03/15 - Completed JA Duels x3
03/16 - Wrote fiction for March Monthly Topic
03/20 - Awarded Cr-1D
03/21 - Completed SA: S:ISET 100%
03/28 - Completed SA: K:DIE 94%
GRD Hairy (db_hairy@hotmail.com)
Last Promoted: 02Feb07
Communication Level: High
Activity Level: High
03/01 - Completed JA Duels x10
03/02 - Completed SA: S:ESET
03/03 - Awarded Cr-1A
03/03 - Awarded SC
03/15 - Flew XvT-DB #9
03/17 - Flew XWA-DC #1
03/19 - Completed JA Duels x15
03/29 - Wrote fiction for "Kill the CON"
03/29 - Wrote fiction for "Slay the GM"
03/29 - Created graphic for "Slay the GM"
Recommendation: Steel Cross
ACO Stinky (jon.smellbad@yahoo.com)
Last Promoted: 18Sept07
Communication Level: Moderate
Activity Level: High
03/03 - Completed JA Duels x10
03/03 - Completed SA: S:TIE
03/03 - Awarded Cr-1Q
03/03 - Awarded DC
03/15 - Completed JA Duels x19
03/25 - Wrote fiction for "Kill the CON"
03/25 - Wrote fiction for "Slay the GM"
03/29 - Completed JA Duels x4
Recommendation: Promotion to Protector
KPN Moo (fatcow@gmail.com)
Last Promoted: 08Aug06
Communication Level: Moderate
Activity Level: Moderate
03/10 - Completed XvT-DB #5
03/15 - Completed XvT-DB #8
03/17 - Wrote Fiction for "MAA's New Clothes"
03/20 - Completed JA Duels x2
Recommendation: Star of Eos
KP Oink (db_piggy@yahoo.com)
Last Promoted: 11Nov06
Activity Level: Low
Communication Level: Low
Activity:
03/25 - Participated in Quick DIE Duel
Recommendation: None
4. Structure and Appointments
As a leader, you will be responsible for running your Battleteam/House/Clan to the best of your ability. There may already be a set structure for your unit and you may choose to follow that. There is generally nothing stopping you changing it however, if you have a better idea. However you must be sure that you ask your leaders and your members before you do so. They may prefer the system the way it is, and in some cases there may actually be circumstances preventing you changing the system.
Appointments can be a tricky business. You may choose to advertise a position in the hopes of bringing fresh blood to your group, or you may have someone in mind already. Whichever way it happens, you need to be sure that you are able to work with your chosen appointment, and that that person is able to fulfill the tasks you need from him. If you plan on opening up the position to applications, write down a list of required, desired, and preferred skills each applicant should have. This will not only make selecting someone easier (eliminate everyone who do not have the required skills, which, depending on the position, could be up to half of the applicants), but will also allow you to defend your decision better (people who think they deserve the position but are not selected will inquire as to why they were not chosen). Before you select someone, consult your Clan summit or the DC (depending on the position) as they may have some insight or advice on the various applicants and who would serve best in that position. Remember, your superiors will also be working with your appointee, so heed what they say. When you make your final decision, you will need to contact your Clan summit, your Order leader, and the Master-at-Arms (as well as the Grand Master and Deputy Grand Master for PCON appointments). The MAA will process your request unless someone has an objection (though if you consult your superiors, the request should go through quickly and painlessly).
Summary:
The Structure of your Battleteam, House, and Clan will already be established when you become its leader. You can change the structure if you want, but only do so after consulting everyone involved. As for promotions, write out the required and desired skills applicants should have and consult with your superiors before making your decision. Promotions are often huge steps in a DB’er’s career, so the decisions should not be made lightly.
5. Awarding Medals and Promotions
PROMOTIONS:
- Consul may promote up to Battlemaster/Archpriest
- Proconsul -> Warrior/Priest
- Quaestor -> Dark Jedi Knight
- Aedile -> Jedi Hunter
- Battleteam Leader -> Acolyte
MEDALS:
Medals, like promotions, are a way of rewarding members of the Dark Brotherhood for work well done. There exist medals for almost every level of service, as well as other things. While it is a happy occasion when one is given a medal, it is important that one be familiar with the medals of the Brotherhood and the rules that govern the disbursement of them. What is presented here is a short synopsis of the important points, but for full reference, read the following the information:
- The Awards Chapter of the Dark Side Compendium: Find link to DSC under Group Manuals in menu to the left.
- The Guide to Medals and Competitions of the Dark Brotherhood: HERE
In order to recommend a medal, you must first log into the EH's database. If you have appropriate access you will have the ability to recommend a medal. The option is on the main administration page as well as available in the navigation sidebar. Depending upon your individual access, the type of medals one may recommend varies.
On the recommendation page itself, select the member you want to award from the drop down. Then, from the drop-down box on the screen, select the medal you wish to award, and then type the reason in the text box below “Reason for Recommendation” and when you’re done hit “Submit.” After that, the Master at Arms will review the recommendation and either approve or deny the request.
The list below summarizes recommendation rights for merit medals.
- Grand Master: Golden Lightsaber and below
- Deputy Grand Master: Silver Sash and below
- Dark Council Members: Emerald Dagger and below
- Consuls: Sapphire Blade and below
- Proconsuls: Grand Cross and below
- Quaestors: Steel Cross and below
- Aediles: Steel Cross and below
- Battle Team Leaders: Dark Cross
The list below shows recommendation rights for competition medals:
- Grand Master, Deputy Grand Master, and Master at Arms: All Novas, Crescents, and Clusters of Fire
- Main Dark Council members (MAA and others): All Crescents
- Order Leaders: Ruby Crescent and below
- Consuls and Proconsuls: Amethyst Crescent and below
- Quaestors and Aediles: Sapphire Crescent and below
- Battleteam Leaders: Emerald Crescent and below
Remember, though, that recommending a medal does not guarantee it being awarded. The Master at Arms screens all recommendations and if he deems the recommendation to be unfit, then he will deny it. With that said when you want to award a medal to someone, always consider and take note of the following:
What did they do to earn the medal? Always be specific. Have they been given another award or promotion recently? If so, then you should not recommend another award.
Do not be stingy or liberal with medals. Award appropriately, but not to excess or infrequently. Medals are a way of showing members you care about them and their work.
If you wish to award someone a medal higher than what you can normally recommend, e-mail the Master at Arms and your House and Clan Summits with a recommendation for the medal. Remember, the higher the medal, the more detailed the recommendation must be, as well as the scope and length of the member’s activity.
Competition medals may only be awarded for competitions, and merit medals may not be given for any kind of competition. Competitions must also be approved by the Deputy Grand Master and a link to the details of the competition must be within the medal recommendation.
A final important point is that if you have any questions about the medal system, ask the Master at Arms. He’s there to help you!
Be aware of the difference between medals and promotions:
Medals are generally awarded for pieces of exceptional work, or for winning competitions. Promotions are generally for sustained activity over a period of time. As your members increase in rank, you may find it more sensible or easier to award medals in return for prolonged service, as most of the lower ranks can be given away fairly easily, but the higher ranks generally cannot. You should endeavor to maintain a graded scale that makes achieving a promotion harder as the member increases in rank. The Master at Arms’ guidelines on promotion are a good place to start.
These guidelines state:
- The relevant Order Leader must be copied on any promotion request email, and a summary of the member’s activity must be included with the request (this is where activity tracking becomes useful).
- Your promotion request should follow the guidelines listed in the Dark Side Compendium.
- You should not promote a member who has served in their current rank for less than one month except in exceptional circumstances.
Summary:
Promotions should reward sustained activity, whereas medals can be awarded for one-off pieces of work and competition victories, and in some cases for prolonged work where a member is above the rank of Archpriest/Battlemaster. If you don’t know whether to award a medal or request a rank promotion, ask the MAA or or superiors for advice.
6. Communications
As a leader, you should keep all lines of communication well and truly open. There are several ways you can do this.
E-mail:
Ideally, you should respond to all emails within 24 hours. You may have a House/Clan (or even a Battleteam) email list, and you should try to keep that list active and up-to-date. It’s also a good idea to email every couple of days, just to keep in contact. You’ll find that the more active you are, the more active your members will be.
News:
House and Clan news should be available in several places. It should be sent to your House/ Clan mailing list(s), posted onto your House / Clan websites, and may be made available to the whole DB, if you choose, on message boards, etc. Battleteam news should be posted to the House website and emailed to all members of the Battlteam.
Message Boards:
Try and maintain an active presence on Message Boards - the main DB board, Order boards and Clan/House boards. It’s a great way to encourage, help and advise your colleagues, provide feedback for DC members, and help out new members. It can be a good way to recruit members, too.
Websites:
Your House/Clan website is very important. Firstly, a good, well-maintained site gives your members pride in their House/Clan. Secondly, a prospective member will often use a website as a gauge of a House/Clan’s activity. An out-of-date site isn’t going to convince anyone to join you. Website audits are conducted regularly and you should be prepared for them. Some Battleteams have their own websites, but these are, in general, not as useful as House/Clan websites. If you feel, however, that your Battleteam should have, go ahead and create one. Some teams use them as much as House/Clan websites.
Chat:
Internet Relay Chat (IRC), AOL Instant Messenger (AIM), MSN and ICQ are all good ways to maintain contact with your members. Most Clans have their own IRC channel (usually #Clanname, like #csk and #arcona); these are great for online meetings, important announcements, and casual chatting. All chat programs are good for keeping in touch with your members as well as recruit new ones.
Summary:
Communication should be established through as many lines as possible. Email is the standard, but there are plenty of other ways to communicate. The more contact you have with your members, the more you will get out of them. Besides, chatting is fun and is where friendships are made.
7. Competition Organization
Competitions are the lifeblood of the DB. Without regular competition, and the chance to excel, the DB would stagnate and be crippled. There are several things you should bear in mind when organizing a competition:
What are you going to run, what are the rules, and how long will it last? You need to inform your members of topics, titles, format (story or poem, battles, levels, etc), location, due date and acceptable submission types (.doc, .txt, .tfr, .jpg, etc) on the date you start the competition. And as with life, variety is the spice of competitions. Be creative when designing your competitions as people would rather try something new than participate in a competition they’ve done many times before.
Who will be involved? If your competition includes more people than just your own members, you need to liaise with other leaders to ensure your proposed dates are suitable for them.
Is anything else happening or likely to happen in the near future? What medals should you award for competition winners? You may well have to fit your competition around other people’s dates. Always check with your superiors (including your Clan summit, Order leader, and the Deputy Grand Master) to see if any major competitions will soon be coming up. Check with the Chancellor to see what medals you should award for competition winners.
ALWAYS submit your competition for approval by the Deputy Grand Master, and NEVER start your competition until the DGM has approved it. The Chancellor will not award medals for your competition if it is not approved. You can run competitions without getting approval from the DGM, though you will not be able to award medals for these competitions.
Don’t forget, in the midst of all this planning, however, that a competition should be fun. Bear in mind whether this is the kind of competition that you would enjoy as a member as you create it, and make sure you ask your members frequently what kind of competitions they would enjoy participating in the most. Your function is to help them enjoy their time in the Brotherhood - to serve, not to self-serve - and that responsibility should always be at the forefront of your mind when planning activities.
Summary:
Competitions are what makes the Dark Brotherhood go, so you should always be working on one (planning, executing, or grading the last one). Competitions of all sizes have many details to work out in advance, which makes planning crucial to the success of your competition. If you want to award medals, then you will need to have your competition approved by the Deputy Grand Master. And remember, competitions are for your members, not for you, so make them fun.
8. Welcoming New Members
Whether your new members are fresh out of the Shadow Academy, or have been in the Brotherhood longer than you have, they’re going to be entering your House/Clan. It’s always a good thing to email every new member separately, make them welcome, and open your door for any queries they may have. Many leaders have a Welcome to our House/Clan! - type email that introduces new members to the House/Clan, lists the rules and regulations, and describes activities that new members can do right away (like completing their character history). It may take them some time to figure out their way around, and they may not have many ideas as to how to be active to begin with (a problem with younger members especially). It is your job to shepherd these new members through their first few days/weeks in your House/Clan, and to make sure that they settle in well. First impressions are extremely important as many new members will float off into space if they feel helpless, or worse, unwanted.
Battleteam leaders should welcome incoming members, though members must be at least Acolyte in Order to join a Battleteam. If a House has multiple Battleteams that engage in friendly recruiting wars within the House, being friendly never hurt one’s chances at bolstering their Battleteam’s roster.
Summary:
New members fuel the development of Battleteams, Houses, and Clans. Whether a person is a five-year veteran of the DB or a five-day newbie, always take time to introduce them to your House/Clan and answer any question they may have.
How to Apply
You’re finally ready to apply for a leadership position. So how do you apply? What should you include and what happens next?
Standard Inclusions:
- Include your ID line. An application is no use to anyone, no matter how good it is, if the people selecting the final candidate don’t know who you are.
- Include your relevant experience. So what if you’re a Dark Side Adept? The selectors need to know, whatever your rank, what sort of leadership experience you have. List anything from the DB itself or from other Subgroups, giving dates and position held. Even real life jobs can be listed if they are applicable (being a database programmer, for example, could be listed by a Seneshal applicant).
- Plans for the future. This is possibly the most important part. You may have no leadership experience whatsoever, but your ideas and plans may yet get you noticed. You should be able to demonstrate how you intend to improve activity, keep morale high, and win competitions. Don’t worry if your email extends over several pages - quite often the longer the better.
- References. If references are required for your application (and it’s always best to check with the selectors themselves), the best way to handle them is to ask your leaders and ex-leaders if they would be agreeable to recommending you to a post. If they say no, don’t hassle them - they may feel they don’t want the liability. If they say yes, then list their name and email address in your application email. If the selectors are interested in references, they will contact your referees. Don’t ask the Order Leaders - to maintain a policy of impartiality they will refuse. And don’t include references if the selectors do not want them.
Additional:
- Useful experience. Experience in other Subgroups is especially relevant here, as is time spent in Orders other than your current Order.
- Programming skills, especially web programming. More and more, leaders are being asked to provide a website for their unit, particularly House and Clan leaders. Besides, this is a web-based club, and if you can program for the web, you are a very useful commodity.
- Communication skills. If your application has misspellings, horrible grammar, and simply looks bad, you might as well forget about the position. Have a friend proofread your application before you send it in. And don’t forget to run that spellchecker!
- Interview. A good interview can be the difference between being unemployed and being filthy rich, both in real life and in the EH. Ask the selector to chat with you about the position if an interview isn’t scheduled. Be prepared to answer any and all questions that may get thrown at you. And remember to act professionally and mature during the interview, even if you are friends with your interviewer.
Summary:
Do not think of your application as a lottery ticket, or a name to be pulled out of a hat: no matter what you put on it, the selection is random. Your application is more like an athlete in a professional sports draft: the more skills you show and the better you look compared to everyone else, the more likely you will be selected. Take your time and work on your application and you will be rewarded for your efforts.
So, you're a new leader
Holy Potato Peel, Batman! I Got the Job! Now What?
Sometimes, the enormity of a job won’t hit you until it’s yours and you’re expected to know what to do. You may feel that you’ve been thrown into a pool of sharks to sink or swim. This is a guide for your first few weeks in office.
First and foremost, don’t panic - everyone who has been or is a leader in the Brotherhood has had to go through this same thing, and has probably felt overwhelmed at times. Remember that you’re not alone - you’re more than welcome to ask other leaders questions and ask for solutions to problems.
Second, be active. There’s a lot to do in your first few days as a newly appointed leader. Plus, your members are watching you closely right now because even if you’re a long-time member of the group, your members may not know your leadership style and will want to feel you out. The best impression is that of a person who is confident, competent, and capable, and the best way to seem like such a person (even if you aren’t) is to be active in your first few days.
Now, what to do?
The first thing you should do is email everyone who you are now responsible for. Introduce yourself, give a little background information, and open the door for any possible queries your members may have. Also take the time to outline a few key points such as how you intend to handle promotions, competitions, activity, etc. As a Clan leader, you should also email your House leaders separately, asking how things have been done before you arrived on the scene, making clear what you would like done, and hopefully reaching a workable compromise by asking for their input and suggestions. Don’t forget that it’s now your job to serve them, as well as theirs to serve you. Iron-fisted rule is not the best way to go!
You should email relevant members of the DC — most usually these will be your Order Leader(s). Introduce yourself and ask if there’s anything in particular you should be aware of other than is detailed in the DSC and this course; don’t forget that as a Leader you are even more of a team member than ever before.
Make sure your weekly report is in on time. Perhaps pick a day of the week that is fairly clear and draft your report on that day; start as you mean to go on! Also spend your first week in office planning some form of competition.
You should take the time to construct a new website, or at least update the old one. If you don’t know web design, then find someone to do it for you. Don’t forget that all websites are regularly audited, and are one of the best ways of attracting new recruits.
Be sure to handle major changes carefully; consult with members before making final decisions and keep their concerns in mind. Don’t forget that it is your members who will make or break your plans, so remember to include them and not to override their wishes. Also, answer any and all questions your members have as quickly as you can.
Summary:
Don’t panic and be active. The sharks may bite hard, but remember, you’re the one with the lightsaber!
Handling Rejection
It’s never an easy thing to handle, whether in real life or over the Internet, but rejection is part of both spheres of your life. There will always be something you don’t get, for some reason or another, and this is frequently difficult to handle well. Don’t forget, however, that there will always be other positions available, and that how you deal with rejection may well help you next time around. No selector will choose a spoiled brat for the job, so your best course of action when dealing with rejection is to increase your efforts and channel any frustration you may feel into other areas.
Respectfully ask the selectors if there were any areas in your application on which you might improve. Most likely you need more experience, or your rival candidate had better ideas for the future. It might even be that your application simply wasn’t very well written and so the selectors didn’t understand your ideas fully. Other reasons may include length of service in the DB, attitudes, behavior on IRC and comments from leaders and/or DC members. Once you know why your application was turned down, you will know where to concentrate your efforts so that you might be more successful next time around.
Summary:
Rejection can sometimes be good; don’t think that you’re worthless because you didn’t get this particular position. Inquire as to why you were rejected and see if there’s anything you can do to improve your application. Keep trying and your persistence will be rewarded.
Self evaluation
I’ve Been Doing This a While: Am I Doing a Good Job?
It’s often hard to tell how well you as a leader are performing unless people tell you; it is quite common, however, for people to only start commenting when you’re doing a bad job. Often, however, people will complain about your leadership ability even when times are good. And there’s always self-imposed stress that many leaders place on their own shoulders. To be able to evaluate your own performance objectively, you need to look at several things:
- Percentage performance in House/Clan and DB/Order Competitions - do people seem interested in them? Are they participating?
- Weekly Activity Tracking - are the results generally high or low?
- General communications - are you getting lots of emails or barely a trickle? (Be aware in this case that email is not the be all and end all! There are many more factors involved in activity than just email!)
If you’re wondering why you need to know if you’re doing a good job or not, then the answer is simple. Your job is to promote and encourage activity by making the Brotherhood fun for your members to be in. Low activity can be an indication of you doing a bad job. The more aware you are of activity in your unit, then the more likely you are to catch drops in activity before they become too serious and members of the DC start sniffing around wondering what’s happening. Self-evaluation is part of that process.
Also, swallow your pride and ask people how you are doing if you are really worried about your performance. Ask not only your subordinates, but also your superiors. Don’t be afraid to ask everyone because your superiors would rather have you be concerned with the job you do, and your subordinates might have some useful knowledge as to why things aren’t going as planned. If you are doing something wrong, you should find out as soon as possible and fix it quickly before it gets worse. Knowing what is wrong will only help improve your unit.
Summary:
Evaluating your performance is neither fun nor ego-boosting, but it must be done. The goal is to be objective, and that can be accomplished by using quantitative means such as competition participation and weekly activity tracking. Self-evaluation is very important in this process, but don’t forget to solicit the opinions of others as they may have insights that you didn’t see before.
Motivating your minions
My Group is Inactive. What Do I Do?
Don’t delude yourself: your unit will go inactive at some point. Even the best Battleteams, Houses, and Clans go dormant every once in a while. Good leaders panic, great leaders accept, change their strategy, and tackle the problem head on.
First, you will need to provide plenty of activities for your remaining members to get their teeth into, and you will need to keep in close contact with them to ensure that they’re happy with the activities you’re providing. Keep tabs for yourself on what seems to be popular and, if necessary, be prepared to ask Dark Council members and other leaders for advice on a regular basis until your unit makes a marked improvement. A marked improvement should be considered as at least 50% of your members being averagely active over a sustained period - typically 5-8 weeks. It should not be considered a sudden rise in activity that is followed by an equally sudden lapse. Until activity can be shown to be sustained, then you should not consider your group to be out of the danger zone.
Make sure to encourage and support your members ten times as much. Impress on them how well they’re doing against all the odds. Increased communication, especially via chat programs, is crucial during down times. Members need to know that you’re still around for them. If nothing else, load up IRC and idle in your Clan’s channel all day.
Many times an AWOL check is needed. Clear out the dead wood and start over again. Contact your Order Leader(s) and the Headmaster to see if you can have any unassigned Shadow Academy graduates assigned to your House / Clan. Check the Rogue list for any likely looking prospects and email them. You may not receive a reply, but there’s an outside chance someone is thinking of coming back to the DB. Email Apprentices and offer help in getting through the SA. Those apprentices may join your House / Clan on graduation. Warning: Do NOT use these tactics as soon as times get slow and do NOT use this frequently. If you feel as though your group cannot be motivated by any other means except force, then perhaps you need to think seriously on your leadership skills. Turning the roster over is a desperate move and should not be undertaken lightly.
Don’t feel tempted to hand out cheap promotions and medals. It won’t encourage loyalty or the hard-work ethos. Handing out promotions and medals easily may well provide a cheap fix in the short term, but in the long term it is nothing but damaging to the DB, and your leadership, as a whole. People will remember how easily you awarded them during the funk and will expect that from you forever.
Summary:
Inactivity is like the common cold: we all get sick sometimes, what matters is how we deal with the illness. Promote activities of all kinds, be as communicative as possible, and if that doesn’t work, more extreme measures may be necessary.
Conclusion
In Summation
We hope this course has prepared you for the steps of your journey into the wonderful, often confusing and frustrating, but ultimately rewarding world that is being a leader in the Dark Brotherhood. There is much more that we could have covered in this course, but as we said at the beginning, experience is the only true way of learning how to be a leader. Becoming a leader is a huge step in your DB career, so being a little worried is to be expected. Don't ever become too proud to ask for advice from your predecessors or superiors and remember, the Force will be with you. Always.