See the Future
From Station
Basic Outline
CO having issues with an underperforming sim, maybe it's 5 months old
- See the Future
- Engage and Develop Others
- Reinvent Continuously
- Value Results and Relationships
- Embody the Values
End with winning Sim of the Month
The Secret: What Great Commanding Officers Know -- And Do
See the Future
When Rich came back from his LOA, Lisa had a lot to report. She shared some of the things she had done to serve her players over the past week. The list included but wasn't limited to: answering a general JP request, proofreading a post and uploading some pics for someone's bio, enrolling Pita in the Academy and starting a JP with him, not to mention listening to two of her players personal problems and suggesting foods to Douglas when he was at a loss for what to put in his kids school lunches.
Lisa: I think I'm beginning to get it.
Rich: Good. How's posting activity coming?
Lisa: No significant improvement. One JP was posted last week.
Rich: Don't worry. Things will pick up soon. Just keep thinking of ways to SERVE your players.
Lisa: Ok. But I'm not sure how this will improve activity, it just seems to make me look like a really nice person.
Rich: Oh it does, make you a nice person. And you're right, this alone won't help you. There's another five things you need to know to be a good CO.
Lisa: *sigh* Ok, hit me. What are they?
Rich: LOL. Going back to the word SERVE, it's also an acronym. Each letter represents one of the five things. So we'll start with the S. It stands for See the Future.
Lisa: ... the future of what?
Rich: Your players, your sim, you. What do you want to achieve with your sim?
Lisa: Regular posting?
Rich: That's more of a goal. How about this, why do you sim?
Lisa: To write. Well, to write with other people. And to meet people.
Rich: So could that be the vision you have for your sim? To make new friends and tell excellent stories together?
Lisa: I guess it is really. I mean it's why I started simming, and I wanted to do that for others when I became a CO. But then you get there and there's reports and minimum requirements and CO Academy and... people complaining. I guess I forgot why I liked simming.
Rich: We all do sometimes. It's not easy leading a sim. So is that a vision you'd like to work towards again?
Lisa: *shrug* It would be nice.
Rich: Well it's something you're going to have to be passionate about. If you're not passionate and raring to sim then chances are your players aren't feeling it either.
Lisa: *sigh*
Rich: Don't be discouraged. It wasn't too long ago that people were only simming on Starfleet sims. I had a friend who wanted something different and so he set up a civilian bounty hunter sim. Most (but not all) of the players were over 30 and had been in Star Trek simming for quite a few years. They wanted something else. They were passionate. The values that drove that sim and the players behaviour were: inclusion, development, quality and fun. Oldies helped the newbies out.
Lisa: Sounds fun.
Rich: It was, still is. Now there's freighter sims, colony sims, alien sims, you name it, it's out there. And it's your job as a CO to think of the future and take your players from where they are now to where they need to go. My mate had a strong vision in his head of what he wanted to accomplish and he made sure that his players knew it too. Envision and communicate.
Lisa: Hmm... I'll have to ponder that one. I mean I can see how it works for a unique sim but not how it would work for mine.
Rich: Every sim should have a vision, even if it's what we said before, To make new friends and tell excellent stories together. It's a start.
Lisa: Ok. So do goals play a part in this as well?
Rich: Absolutely and they take on real meaning when they're in context with your compelling vision.
Lisa: I've never thought about that. I think I've been too focused on thinking about today and hardly at all about the future.
Rich: Exactly. It's hard to find a balance, but you should. The future is just as important and it helps you and your players work towards something. It could be a short term goal like to complete a mission.
Lisa: Yes! Mission planning. That would be looking to the future. But like you said, that's short term. Should I be setting goals for players?
Rich: That's something you need to discuss with your players. You might find that they have their own goals. Sometimes just knowing them can help you with mission planning and future planning. It does help though if you're all moving in roughly the same direction.
Lisa: Like towards our vision?
Rich: Exactly. And involving your players will also help gain their commitment. And don't forget values, they help shape behaviour, they're a big deal as they're the cornerstone to the community you're trying to create on your sim.
Lisa: And your friend who had the civilian sim, his values were: inclusion, development and quality?
Rich: And fun, don't forget the fun! :D
Lisa: Sometimes it doesn't feel like fun
Rich: Ah the burden of command :P
Lisa: Tell me about it!
Rich: Keep looking to the future. Ok I have to go soon. I have homework for you.
Lisa: *groan*
Rich had some questions for Lisa to consider over the next few days. He suggested that she consider talking with her players to get their thoughts and input.
- What is the purpose of your sim and players?
- Where do you want your sim to be in four months?
- How many of your players could tell you what your sim (players) is trying to achieve / become?
- What values do you want to drive the behaviour of your players (and you)?
- How can you communicate your vision of the sim to your players?
Rich told Lisa that these were some of the questions she should be asking herself often as a great CO.