Someone asked me last night what it is I do to lead a raid. I figured I'd answer it publicly so everyone gets a sense of what I expect.
First, set up the schedule for the week. Invite everyone, tell them generally what to expect doing on those all on the Calendar. Confirm the roster before 'show time' so people know who's going and who's on standby. I try my best to give everyone a fair shot within the raid requirements. That meaning I always need two tanks and two healers. Meaning that more than usually the main tanks and healers get to go every week and the DPS get shuffled unless there's decently geared and skilled dualspecs/alts in the group.
Second, recruit. If I'm short I find the bodies to fill. If it's on the day of raid, or the day before, I usually scour the game. Contacts, friends, friends of friends, PuGs, doesn't matter to me. But usually start with the friendly contacts first. If it's a consistant shortage that needs active recruitment, then I go advertising.
Three, I study up on the fights. Or at least on the ones that I expect to be doing for that week, if it's a new encounter. Which is why, on really good days when we stomp things, I sometimes find myself not having read strats, because folks did much better than I expected. Knowing what your going into at some rudimentary form is always good for leading I've found. You can go in totally blind, but it takes more time to learn. And while I know people around here don't mind learning, like everyone else they do have a certain threshold for wipeage and aggrevation. So knowing the fights in order to give some direction is always good.
Four, be adjustable. Reading up on the fights is good, but I've also found that being able to find what works for the group in order to get it done is important too. Being able to take other people's sugestions, beign able to formulate new strats on the fly if needed, in order to get it done. Doing this without cheating is big for me. I hate hearing about cheats and doing them. We're there to experience the real encounter, so that's what I aim to do. We don't have a typical group generally. You know, no clothies, etc. So when a strat says "have a deathknight do this and that" I obviously ignore that part of any given strat I read and make it happen anyway with the group we got. I mean I could always kick out one of the four druids and find a priest or whatever I feel I need (which I never feel I need, by the by). But I like that idea "Bring the player, not the class" like whoa. And we do well with that philosophy on our side.
Five, I'm ultimately responsible for what happens during the run. Stuff like keeping the raid focused, keeping the flow smooth and happy, knowing when to keep trying, knowing when to quit. Loot distribution, taking care of disputes between players, taking care of problem raiders whether that's something as simple as they're not DPSing as well as you expect or they have a bad attitude. Dealing with the whispers, which honestly aren't bad in a decent group, but you do get those "Your the leader so I'm telling you my concern because you are" whispers.
In terms of loot, as people know, we are for the most part free roll. But we do have the stipulation that on the rare occasion, we will ask people if they're willing to step aside to give loot better suited to someone else. Most times, the raiders do this for me, however, and I love them all for it, so I rarely have to pull out that card. On occasion I get a person who thinks that maybe the roll isn't fair, to which you gotta be ready to remind them of what you generally expect when folks roll. I do believe we've discussed my expectations in another thread somewhere. I should find it and make sure it's what I actually believe still. Ha.
In terms of problems with raiders. If it's a skill problem, I first tend to see if they learn on their own. I'm big on organic means. Watch their charts, see what they're using. If it's a class I'm unfamiliar with, I'll match it against someone who I know does a good job. If I find they're still struggling after awhile still then I have the talk. And since I've been watchign what they're doing I have a better idea of what it is that's really bothering me and might need fixing. If it's a dispute between players or someone is unhappy for some reason, then I take care of that ASAP. Sometimes it means putting a bandaid on it during the raid just so we can keep moving and then taking care of it IMMEDIATELY after the raid. So yeah, sometimes raid time for da good ol' leader is a little longer than when the raid stops for the day. I've been lucky, it doesn't happen often. But normally when I'm in game an hour or so after, I'm doing more than just getting a heroic done, doing some banking or doing a little herbing. I'm socializing and analyzing and repairing egos for the sake of the raid. =O
Know when to praise and when to punish. Another thing. I don't do that latter very much at all, I hope. And sometimes I feel I should probably do the former more.
That's the gist I think. Big gist. Now I run to work!
_________________ I am not the strong cord. I am not the ropes that bind.
I am what brings them together. I am the knot.
I am a shaman.
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