Ensure your moderators work as a team

To ensure the success of your online community, it is important to have moderators who can manage its growth. As your community develops, it may require more than one moderator. It is crucial that your moderators work well together as a team and maintain a harmonious relationship. Anything less than that could harm the effectiveness of your moderators and the reputation of your online community.

"Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much."

Why you need to maintain team spirit among your moderators

The way your moderators behave is a direct reflection of you and your online community. If there are personal conflicts between moderators, it will negatively impact the professionalism and credibility of your moderating team. This, in turn, will harm your online community.

Once the credibility of your moderators is lost, your members will lose respect for the team, even if some of them continue to act professionally. It's important to remember that a team is only as strong as its weakest member.

I have seen this happening recently on a forum that I will not name - but most will know which one I'm talking about. After a mass exodus in the staff team. It indicates something is wrong such as poor management - and members see it too. It's wrong to deny it and it's even worse to say they are inaccurate.

How to ensure team harmony

When selecting your moderators, it's important to consider their personality and maturity level. Only recruit those who you're confident can handle the responsibilities of the role and work well within a team. Avoid individuals who don't seem to thrive in a team environment. It's crucial to prevent such people from becoming moderators. I have too made mistakes in hiring staff that was not capable of being staff. There's no shame in failure. It's only shame if you don't learn from your mistakes.

Clearly define the roles and responsibilities of your moderators. Ambiguity can often lead to conflicts between team members. If one person feels another is making a mistake, it can cause discord between them. Make it clear from the outset that all moderators are expected to work as a team. Emphasize the importance of their role as representatives of the community both on and off-duty. Ensure your moderators understand that any public disagreements or lack of team spirit won't be tolerated.

Be available to your staff and encourage them to speak to you about any issues or concerns. By addressing potential conflicts early on, you can prevent them from escalating.

Treat all moderators equally and avoid showing favoritism. Treat your staff with the same respect you show your members. If there are signs of disharmony in your moderating team, take immediate action to address the situation.

Maintaining a respectful and professional attitude

As a staff member, it's crucial to maintain a respectful and professional attitude when communicating with members. Advising them to leave if they don't like the forum is never a suitable response, and it can leave a negative impression of the community. Staff members should be trained to deal with complaints and criticisms in a constructive manner, providing helpful solutions to members' concerns.

To represent the community effectively, it's necessary to set up clear communication guidelines for staff members. This ensures that they convey the community's message and values while maintaining a positive relationship with members. When staff members are responsive, understanding, and offer helpful solutions, it fosters a supportive and welcoming environment for members to engage with one another.

What steps have you taken to ensure team harmony among your moderators? Have you experienced any failures in team working? Share your thoughts and experiences in the comments below.

 

[Reverie]

What steps have you taken to ensure team harmony among your moderators? Have you experienced any failures in team working? Share your thoughts and experiences in the comments below.

Also I do wonder, when hiring a staff, perhaps asking them their strengths and weaknesses would be good. Being able to see maybe they may mesh well with the team or they may not. It is important the staff is harmonic together. I've had where a team member perhaps disagreed with another and there was a small falling out, and that was difficult, but after a discussion it was mostly handled and they were amicable towards each other.

I would have difficulty hiring anyone who frequently gets in arguments with other members already, so looking at their posting habits would also possibly help when deciding on who should be on the staff team.

 

[Arantor]

And if they don't work as a team, time to bang some heads together... 🤣

 

[Cedric]

I just want to post a little follow up:
As a staff member, it's crucial to maintain a respectful and professional attitude when communicating with members. Advising them to leave if they don't like the forum is never a suitable response, and it can leave a negative impression of the community. Staff members should be trained to deal with complaints and criticisms in a constructive manner, providing helpful solutions to members' concerns.

To represent the community effectively, it's necessary to set up clear communication guidelines for staff members. This ensures that they convey the community's message and values while maintaining a positive relationship with members. When staff members are responsive, understanding, and offer helpful solutions, it fosters a supportive and welcoming environment for members to engage with one another.

I'm seeing this happening on a forum as we speak and I'm just amazed that they let staff get away with this.