Lance Leader’s Guide
Quick Guide
- Any member of M^F or B-C can lead a lance!
- Lance Leadership is your first step towards promotion!
- Be Prepared!
- Know the venue
- Have UOAM loaded
- Set the example for others to follow!
- Stick with your group – never leave anyone behind
- Respect other hunters!
- Never be afraid to ask for help
- If there’s a problem in your lance – correct it!
- Evaluate candidates fairly and honestly.
- Provide detailed reports
Detailed Lance Leading Guide
Who can Lance Lead?
Any member of M^F or B-C can be a Lance Leader! This is where people get a chance to try out a leadership role, and learn the ins and outs of hunt administration – i.e. interviews, leadership, handling candidates, and responsibility for a group.
Lance Leadership is your first step towards promotion!
The leadership skills learned as a lance leader build the foundation you will need to take on larger roles. It’s for this reason that at least five lance leads are required before you can become a Senior Member. Note! Just because you led five lances does NOT mean you are guaranteed a promotion, it merely allows you to be considered when we look at who to move up within the group.
Be Prepared!
If you plan on volunteering to lead a lance – make sure you’re ready for the responsibility! You should have UO Automap up and running and connected to the Guild server. You should make sure you are completely prepared for the hunt, including reviewing any information on the venues and it’s inhabitants. Make sure the character you bring is one you’re comfortable with, and that you are ready to commit the time needed for post hunt interviews, etc.
Set the example.
The habits our members and candidates develop are largely influenced by the leaders they follow. Setting a bad example with rude behavior and disregard for our hunting and guild rules not only discredits yourself, but it also teaches bad habits to those under you. A Lance Leader should ensure they are completely familiar with our rules and our culture, and set forth to provide the best possible example to those they lead.
Stick with your group!
Just as the members have to stick to their lances, the Lance Leader cannot dash out ahead. If someone’s lagging, make sure you don’t ditch them. If they lose conn, do your best to ensure their safety. If their connection is unreliable, then you may have to make the call of sending them home.
Respect other Hunters!
This one should be self explanatory. Don’t jump spawns. If someone comes up, see if they want to take turns. And this also includes other M^F members on your hunt. We’re all on the same team, and we expect everyone to share and behave in a professional manner.
Never be afraid to ask for help!
Eventually something is going to go south and your lance is going to get in trouble. There is no dishonor in asking for help – that’s why we use UOAM. Better to get help at the first signs of trouble than to wait until your entire lance is dead. If in doubt – call on your guildmates to help you out.
If there’s a problem in your lance – Correct it (regardless of rank)!
Issues are going to happen. People will break rules or not listen to a Lance Leader. If you see a rule being broken, or have a member or candidate who’s not following direction, then correct it on the spot – and do so professionally. The rank of the person being corrected is irrelevant. If an HC member or DG member is messing up – I fully expect our newest member to correct them if they’re in a LL role – period.
If there’s a dispute, then call in the Hunt Leader. It’s their job to help you out when these things happen. If the HL is not able to help resolve the issue, then do not hesitate to ICQ myself or another HC member to come in and get things squared away. That’s our job.
Finally – NEVER feel guilty about trying to fix an issue. If issues are allowed to go unchecked, then things just get worse. But through early correction and full utilization of the chain of command – we can nip issues in the bud before they get out of control.
Evaluate Candidates fairly and honestly.
One of your jobs as a Lance Leader is to evaluate the performance of the candidates under your command – and our expectation is that this is done honestly and fairly.
Your goal here is not to help the candidate make it into the guild regardless of performance – it’s to ensure that errant behavior is corrected, and clear and constructive feedback is provided. In other words – if the candidate did a lousy job, don’t fluff their report to make them look good. Be direct and be honest. Identify areas for improvement – and give the candidate direction on how they can improve.
Do not assume they will ‘get better in time’. Without proper direction, they will not. And by pushing people through the system when they’re clearly not ready, you do a grave disservice to the guild and to the candidate.
Provide detailed reports.
A report saying ‘Joe did great!’ – does not cut it. We need detailed examples – both good and bad. Because the people reviewing these reports later on need to be able to formulate a clear and accurate picture of a candidate’s performance over time – to see what is being improved, and what is slipping. The more detail the better! And back up your assessment with facts.
Some things to note are behavior with the group (courtesy, etc.) ability to work in the lance (crosshealing, staying close, etc.) and any other comments on the candidate’s performance, fit, and ability to work with the group. Do not be afraid to mention if the candidate did not do well. If they are to improve, they need to know what they did wrong.