| Phase Two : Managing your staff Phase Two is highly important, and dals with staffer structure. Essentially, A Mux is a hydra, a many headed beast. One head is dominant, but does not have complete control, and the other heads as a whole are a very powerful force as well. The body, which represents the playerbase, cannot move without all the heads of the hydra working in concert, as each head must agree on where the body is to go, or the hydra may stumble and fall. This is something a MOGM must keep in mind. Staff function as a unit, and need a central 'vision' or 'idea' to follow. While each staffer has a differing view on this central vision, the idea is basically the same, and all follow it in one way or another. This way, no head works against the other. Another important aspect is 'pecking order'. Rank is often assigned, officially or not. Humans are herd or pack animals, and the phrase "Alpha Male/Female" is not without its merit. The leader of the pack should be made clear from the outset, also, the leader should have a hand in all decisions regarding the pack as a whole, and many of the leader's leuitenants will be expected to need the leaders approval on many things before they do them. As such, the leader needs to put in a substantial amount of time managing their staff and the mux in general, if a leader does not lead, another will emerge, and this may cause conflict in both staff and player ranks. Appointing a hierachy can work well. Appointing someone as "Senior Staffer", while giving them no real authoritative powers over other staff can be a good way of both motivating (see Phase three) the individual staffer, and keeping the MUX moving if the leader is not currently available. While the Senior Staff should not make any MUX changing decisions without the leader's approval, more minor things that may need the leader's approval can be given out by a proxy Senior Staffer, who loks over the proposal or idea and gives it the nod. Policy, however, should never be created by Senior Staff without consultation to the MOGM or Leader. Minor things include some plotline approvals, custom gear, and the like. Senior Staffers should be picked for their ability, their rule-familiararity, and their like-mindedness to the MOGM or Leader's goals for the MUX. |