24 Apr
How To Effectively Merge 2 Gaming Clans Together
Posted by JohnnyLocke as Articles, Clans | 0 Comments
First of all let me say that I do not agree with merging 2 clans, and it is very rare when it does happen. But if you happen to find yourself in this situation, best of luck! haha!
Merging 2 separate gaming clans together into one organization can be quite the delicate task. After all, they are 2 separate entities probably managed in 2 separate ways. Merging is tricky because everyone always wants to be at the top of the totem pole and no one is going to be willing to sacrifice. Let’s just assume, for complexities sake, that both clans have similar ranking systems. There is no sure fired way to have this run smoothly, but here are some points to remember;
You could merge them together, having all members keep their previous rank. That would be a happy solution to a daunting problem. But, is it realistic? Probably not. When a clans member base doubles, the size of their leadership staff probably does not need to double. Excessive amounts of members with power will almost certainly lead to power abuse. Try to avoid this.
ALWAYS merge the two organizations into the largest one of the two. There is no need for 2 clans to share channels or servers, and hold separate websites, and remain two different entities. By size alone, the larger clan is entitled to keep it’s name, channel, and website, and the smaller clan should be merged into the structure already set by the larger clan.
All ranking decisions should be made by the 2 leaders. There is no civil way to go about it. Some people are going to lose rank to their new members. The 2 leader’s shoudl sit down and discuss how well of a job their current leadership staff’s have been doing.
Make sure you know what you’re getting into. Make absolutely sure of it. A merger could effectively dismantle an entire organization if it’s not done right. Know who you’ll be leading the clan alongside, and know him well. Know how he likes to lead his clan, and make sure his your styles will coincide with each others.
Don’t rush into it. Set a date and try to make the shift as seamlessly as possible. Make sure the dissolving clan leaves its members lots of ways to find out where to locate the new channel/server, and website.
Make your new members feel at home. Offer to play games with them, and most importantly get to know them. There is most certainly going to be an awkward timeframe after the merger where the two sides are getting to know each other, but try to deal with it be forging new friendships, instead of pushing them away.
Sometimes it can be hard to get members from your server/website/channel into your forum to participate in clan discussion. In fact, many of them feel like there is no reason to visit the forum at all. Your job is to curb this feeling, and help members (especially new members) understand that at times the forum is the bread and butter of your organization. A few things I did to populate my clans forum were:
Advertise it on my website
I put a link. I made news posts. I bolded my link. Changed the links color. ANYTHING to get your members to take notice to the forum. It is much easier to spread ideas through a forum and keep them on record than it is to do so through ventrilo or a chat channel.
Invite New Members to Join
When you recruit a new member, always inform him of the forum. Let him know that the forum is where most official decisions are made and where most members interact on a daily basis with one another. Make them feel like joining the forum is required for joining the clan.
Bot Spamming
This mostly applies to BNET/RTS clans, but in your channel make sure that your bot spams your forum link and the importance of joining the forum. Make the bot give the same schpeel as you would to a new recruit.
Encourage Active Posting
No one will post if there is nothing to talk about. Make sure that topics are created daily for new discussion.
Offer Rank for posts
Offer your clan members an upgrade in rank for so many posts. I realize it’s not conventional, but it has helped me in the past.
14 Apr
As A Clan Leader: Keeping It Professional
Posted by JohnnyLocke as Articles, Clan Managment | 0 Comments
No one wants to join a clan run by a 13 year old. If you want to attract new mature members, you have to act that way yourself, so my advice to you is to keep it professional. I’m not saying to throw all personality traits aside and not be friendly with your members, just try to conduct yourself in a professional manner when the matter is serious.
Too many times I have seen nerdy 25 year olds running immature clans full of pre-teens, acting as if they were the same age as their members. Remember, the way you conduct yourself will more than likely determine the type of members you attract. When making a forum or news post on a serious subject, try to use correct grammar and spelling. Act leader-like. You have to let your members know that you are indeed the right man for the job.
When some official happens or changes, always make a forum and news post about it on your clan website. Keep your members informed on your clan’s ever-changing policies and decisions. When the topic at hand isn’t so serious it’s fine to joke around and show your members your personal side, a leader of any organization always needs to be level headed.
Try to explain to your members why you made the decision you did. Present them with the negative and positive of any decision and explain to them why you reached the conclusion you did. People like to have things spelled out for them, and this makes them more likely to see your perspective on any subject. Run your clan as if it were a small business. (Which it is, you should be able to generate enough money to pay for the clans essential costs such as webservers, gaming servers, and website maintanence.)
02 Apr
Benefits Of Democracy in Gaming Clans
Posted by JohnnyLocke as Articles, Clan Managment | 0 Comments
The Benefits of Democracy
Running a democratic clan may be to your benefit. One of the hardest tasks in running an efficient clan is keeping your members happy. Often members will become disgruntled for one reason or another, and with any pull, will be able to persuade other members to leave and start their own clan.
To keep members happy, I’ve always thought it was best to set up a democracy of sorts, or at least a republic, with elected officials who call the shots. My favorite arrangement for this was to set up a “Council” who is elected every so often (be it every 3 months, 4 months, or 6 months) by the members of the clan in a clan election. Council members would then vote on all changes and future decisions for the clan.
This way, each game will probably have at least 1 reprsentative seated ont he council, to help further their game. It also gives your council members experience in leadership and decision making, in case you ever needed a replacement or someone to help you run your clan. The Council can be used as a tool, bridging the gap between clan leadership and its members. Oftentimes, these two sects may not have much to do with each other, but if a member feels he has 8 or 9 people he can approach with inquiries or ideas and suggestions, he may be more inclined to offer his feedback.
Remember, a clan is only as strong as its link between its leadership and members, and how happy its members are.
By JohnnyLocke
Clan-Man Staff Member
