Does responsibility kill creativity?

[Zambrano the Starweird]

So, I've been wondering this for the past month or so.

As you all can tell, I'm the Primeval faction owner. I inherited this major faction from [member="Anja Aj'Rou"] who made this faction from nothing and essentially carved out a fairly impressive amount of the map for us with compelling and uniquely interesting stories for the past yearish (12/6 is our founding date, our Major birthday in January). They were some pretty huge shoes to fill.

Really huge.

I've slowly transitioned myself into this roll as I gradually became less and less reliant on his guidance (especially after the character died, at that point I was on my own). However, I didn't transition into this alone. I had a staff team of some pretty cool guys, but as time went on... I saw them less and others left. Naturally to resolve this, I figured new blood was what was needed!

I recruited a new member who looked ready to play with the Primeval and do some real good for us! Then I recruited others, some of them more promising than others, and then as soon as I gave them responsibilities, or asked something of them... I rarely saw the results I had expected from their initial enthusiasm.

I've pondered this conundrum for a while now, and this isn't the first time I've seen something like this. Around two years ago (maybe 3?) when I was Emperor of the Sith Empire, I didn't feel capable of taking the reigns on my own as I tried to fill the gargantuan shoes of [member="Ashin Varanin"], so I recruited my closest Sith buddies and some others to help me out both IC and OOC... and although it took longer than it did for the Primeval, inevitably they failed to meet my expectations based on their initial enthusiasm. Now, I'm probably confused by this because for me, I felt that my creativity increased in the Primeval when I was given the responsibility to help it grow and succeed, and this might not be a universal sentiment.

I'm just curious though:

If I see a promising member of my faction, would it be more intelligent to just let them be brilliant and creative on their own rather than to try to recruit them and try to harness it with responsibilities and planning privileges?​

 

[Zambrano the Starweird]

To my staff members who are still actively supporting, thank you. My gripes are more directed towards the members who left, or who did nothing and I had to remove.

I understand that this is a tough part of the year to be role playing or doing much of anything

 

[Corey's OOC]

Depends how obnoxious having the responsibility gets.

 

[Zambrano the Starweird]

I dunno. Maybe this thread was a mistake.

I think I might just be grumpy about something unrelated and bring it out here.


Yet I still feel the way I do, as I didn't believe what I was asking for was all that difficult or time consuming. Just a post here or there in thread x, or y, and make sure the members are greeted, etc.. I wasn't asking them to create their own campaign and do it all by yourself.


I'm just going to blame the whole month of November and call it quits on this conversation.

 

[Lord Ajihad]

[member="Zambrano the Hutt"]

I assume this has to do with me, so I'd just like to apologize about that real quick.

To answer your question, responsibility can kill creativity, but there's no guarantee it will. Some people might get responsibility and panic, unsure what to do with it. Some are scared of screwing up, so they are afraid to take action. Personally, in my case, it gives me a flood of creative ideas. However, this creativity can become overwhelming, and seem extremely complicated and hard to face. Sometimes, our creative juices get flowing a bit too much, and it can screw us up.

In any regard, you are a great faction owner, and you deserve good and capable admins. They're hard to come by, but I'm sure you'll find the right people for the job

 

[thegreatbeyonder]

[member="Zambrano the Hutt"]

I think you're looking at this the wrong way, friend.

If you want people to be actively contributing to the growth, leadership, roleplay of a faction then you need to find people who are dedicated to that faction. If you ask someone to take on responsibilities in a place they don't care about, they're either going to do a very bad job or not do it at all. That's because they'll always prioritize based on what's most important to them. It's probably not even intentional, either.

Sometimes people go, "hey I love what you're doing with this place and I want to help!" Then realize (or maybe they don't) that they lack the drive to achieve what they've been given to do.

Another thing is simply communication. Everyone works differently. Some people can be given a very broad responsibility, and then give themselves tasks to do in regards to that. Others need specific tasks, though--especially if they're not entirely familiar with the faction's culture or lore.

Honestly, the Primeval is a very abstract faction and you're going to find it very difficult to find those who can immediately identify, understand, and get involved with the lore and roleplay style. That doesn't mean it's impossible. In fact, when you do find those kinds of people who can invest in something so unique, usually they'll dedicate themselves 100% to that concept, because it's something they can't get elsewhere.

To quote [member="Lorelei Darke"] , the Primeval was always going to be an uphill battle.

 

[Ellie Mors]

Kill creativity? Not especially.

But time for that creativity to grow? Yep.

Source: factory judge for the last year

 

[Jsc]

...inevitably they failed to meet my expectations based on their initial enthusiasm. Now, I'm probably confused by this because for me, I felt that my creativity increased in the Primeval when I was given the responsibility to help it grow and succeed

I would math. To start.

A. Because: I felt that my creativity increased (when) I was given responsibility

B. I wondered why: They failed my expectations (when) they were given responsibility

C. Thusly: I created a discussion to receive feedback on my musings.

Now. This is good wondering. Worthy of a good musing I do dare say. However. There are some troubling words in there. Words such as "I felt" and "my expectations" and the always dubious "inevitably". Because one should not believe in fate. Indeed, and unfortunately, these troubling words cannot be quantified in any such a way as to produce a solution.

So I must conclude my math with this: "Sir Hutt. Don't sweat the small stuff." ...Because, speaking broadly, it's not something to worry about anyway. Cheers.

 

[Matreya]

[member="Zambrano the Hutt"]

You and I have been interacting for some time, for nigh two plus years. I doubt you remember, but I have had days where I was doing 20-30 posts a day, then also some times where its little more than a post a week. The reason I am saying this isn't to give myself an excuse for not aiding as much in the Prime, but to explain that sometimes it isn't the aspect of responsibility for the group, but real life qualms that drop activity.

I am not sure if you are aware, but a while ago my son was taken from me, my first born, and I was devastated. I came on so frequent it was basically all I did for a while. But it wasn't always that way. Closer in time, I fell off for months on end, before being able to bring myself out of my emotional hell to do anything. Had you asked me during these times? I would have likely been all over it! The over achieving mod!

But with my son back, permanently now, and court etc, there are real things I need to deal with, hence my inactivity. If you look at the entirety of my activity, you will see it isn't just the Prime I am falling back on but everything in general.

But, beside this, is also a complete lack of direction. When you made me a mod, you basically said, your a mod. Fill the shoes. If I am to be useful in this position, I need direction. Point me out to specific threads that need productiveness. Send newcomers my way if they need aid with devs, training, etc. Leave it up to me, and I will have difficulty doing my best as I don't know where to take it!

Basically this ridiculously long sappy stupid post comes down to, yes responsibility does effect productivity, but not always the way you see it. Also that if you give direction, it can be handled better.

[member="Zambrano the Hutt"]

 

[Zambrano the Starweird]

[member="Lord Ajihad"] It was directed to no staff member or range of staff members in particular. It's the entirety of any staff that I run.

I've never been confident in my own staffing capabilities, and have continuously failed to achieve my own goals to lead. I merely do, and find it impossibly difficult to delegate. I am a machine that requires very specific instructions in order to do anything, so when you give me the broad task of creating specific instructions, I myself am incapable of producing instructions that I myself would be capable of following. I have something in my head, and I wish I could transmute it to all of you, but find myself incapable of this task.

I don't blame anyone else for my failures, I have just made the observation time and time again that so far, all that I have done seems to stifle others ability to contribute, and this saddens me. For me, it equates to a poor unproductive leader, which is not the sort of thing one wants to be feeling.

[member="Darth Pikiran"] As I had said with Ajjhad, it was not directed to any of you in particular. These are my feelings on the observations of my management skills in seeing how for these two examples in my career the same problem seems to have developed. I come into a leadership position with high hopes and a team of people waiting for me, I come in blasting with ideas or creativity, and I either over-rely on staff to the point of nothing ever getting decided, or don't use them at all and alienate others with my decisions.

I cannot bring myself to provide a direction because in my actual life, I feel as if I have nothing ahead of me. A big empty void.

EDIT: PS, you were actually the only productive mod to recent memory, lol

[member="Arian Lenar"], you're last part struck with me in quite an amusing manner. That is exactly who I am. I am that one dedicated RPer that can't get RP like this, that has since dedicated 100% of his time to this one abstract idea. I always knew managing the Primeval would be an uphill battle, but I figured it would last a little longer after having been established for so many months. Then again, it should have been expected since we've been historically a faction of alts.

 

[Ellie Mors]

If I see a promising member of my faction, would it be more intelligent to just let them be brilliant and creative on their own rather than to try to recruit them and try to harness it with responsibilities and planning privileges?

Why not do both? You can let them play out their own thing first, and as they continue to show that they are willing and able to continue with what they've set themselves up for and see it through, you can invite them to your planning group thing and have them help there. I think what you might be doing, though, is putting too much pressure on yourself for these kind of things - it is a good idea to set goals and be involved with planning faction directions as FAs, but it is even better to promote that members within the faction start up their own thing and have others cooperate and join their threads that are centered, if loosely, on the Primeval and their character, which gives them something to relate to and a reason to keep seeing it through beyond the notion of job security.

 

[Tefka]

[member="Zambrano the Hutt"]

It depends on the person. You will find people who can balance creativity and responsibility, but you'll find more who can't.

And there's nothing wrong with either.

 

[Kei Amadis]

[member="Tefka"]
Yep! 100%

I'll go a step further too, depends on the muse of the character - if you give Kei muse responsibility he loves it, as its a big draw of the muse.

If you give another muse of mine responsibility, say natoline she struggles with it, hates the limitations she feels it ties her down to.

Kylath again, is crying out almost emo-style, for that responsibility, Kelon would throw it all away in a sabacc game, Sera would build statues everywhere with it, Niaana would light it on fire, Taiden would sit there contemplating the weight of decisions. You get the idea . Some muses of mine it isn't going to fit on their shoulders, some its going to drive.

 

[Julius Sedaire]

It's entirely situational, as Tefka pointed out. Some writers do well with the balancing. Others do terribly. Yet others do well pending the character the IC duties are placed on, or pending if it is wholly OOC or not. And on and on. There is no unequivocal and universal answer really. The reality of it is, you have to ask the person/offer it to them, and then let it happen. You'll find out in the resulting days and weeks and months how it ends up really.

 

[Kei Amadis]

[member="Zambrano the Hutt"] Its a tough one, and don't think I don't respect you for stepping up to lead, as I do. Had a few minutes now i'm home and rested to think, maybe come up with something helpful.

Look at it like their creativity and expectations, not yours, harder to be disappointed or not meet them as it'll be balanced. What do they expect or want from being where you put them? If you know that you get an inside perspective as to how or if it'll work out well. Listen to your guy there above, you got some great insight into what he looks for and his own situation, right here just by asking, heart goes out to you mate for your own personal struggle. [member="Darth Pikiran"]

I heard something once that made a lot of sense to me. That it isn't the guy or girl who leads that is the real linch pin of something, its the first guy or girl to support or follow him/her, that's what makes something gel or work, or move beyond one person (however committed) trying to do something solo to a group effort, it breaks the ice, leads the way. Often unsung heroes who badly need their praise singing, the OS awards as well as nice bling for the sigs, and a friendly way to strengthen positive feeling OOC, are a way to show others that it was about a group effort. - This kind of stuff is gold, I was beginning to do it for missions way back when myself for the same reasons.

That team around you will carry or make or break the faction like you are seeing. So maybe do something to reinforce your core members, if it becomes a bit of a clique at the top, good. Really yes good, people you can rely on but people that still treat new members well and help them is everything. Couple of writers I could name here for doing just that but I'll stay off names, hopefully they know who they are (from a few factions), as they go out of their way to help new folk either in their intro threads or training or giving them their starts.