Exclusive to Galactic Holofeed Channel Zeta OMicron Gamma 111, Major Snarl is online with Command Decisions, a weekly column that looks at guild management, and the perils and rewards within. We resume the transmission after its three-hour tour…

TORwarriors, this session, we’re going to jump right into what some–if I’m any judge of Vik’s quarters–consider to be a very ugly word (and process):  Organization. Please, please, reseat yourselves! I’m not talking about organizing your cargo hold or docking bay. What I’m asking you to consider and commit to record will save considerable time and effort for you and your command crew, both short and long terms and regardless of your guild’s age.

I’ve mentioned in previous columns about having a vision for your guild. Let’s revisit that, and how it differs from your guild’s mission.

Han was embarrassed once he realized he had no vision for his guild…or at all, really.

Vision vs. Mission
Your vision is where or what you want your guild to be; always looking to the future, this one is! It communicates your purpose and answers the question, “Why are we here?” Think of the vision as a feeling: How do you want your guild members to feel when they log in and while they’re playing the game with the guild tag underneath their character’s name?

Your mission is what you have to do to be who you are, focusing on the here and now. It defines your purpose, answering the question, “What do we do?” The mission should be present in everything done to promote the vision, in-game or otherwise.

Like your Advanced Class choice at level 10, once set your guild’s vision will likely not change. It defines what the guild represents to you, your leadership team and your membership. However it can change especially with older guilds; for example, a casual guild can find itself becoming a hardcore raiding guild, or vice versa.

Your guild’s mission may change once goals are achieved–much like bonus missions in SWTOR have multiple stages. At that point, you re-evaluate, keeping in mind that the vision drives the mission.

You may be thinking, “Those both sound pretty broad. What about the nuts and bolts, the setup that addresses the day to day workings?” Astute observation and fair question, gentlebeing! Those nuts and bolts are the mission’s objectives.

Nuts and bolts? We have plenty of those!

Lolly, Lolly, Lolly–Get Objectives Here
Your vision should be a simple statement, something that people can easily rally behind. Your mission, while also broad, will have more details so that your members will know what they have to do to follow the vision.

Your mission objectives will be even more specific. While the vision and mission reside at the “big picture” level, objectives deal with the nitty-gritty of how to make the mission–and thus the vision–happen. Objectives encompass elements such as the leadership team’s command structure, policies and procedures (also known as rules and regulations, or even bylaws, depending on your origin planet), as well as activities and recruiting.

Consider these examples:
1)  The vision for your guild is to have the best PvP guild on your server. Your mission, then, is to set up an environment that attracts and retains the best PvP players in order to achieve that vision. Your mission’s objectives would be items like but not limited to:
a) Advertising and recruiting through various channels (ingame, on fansite and the official forums);
b) Hosting world pvp events;
c) Planning warzone premades;
d) Defining the command structure, policies and procedures that reflect the vision.

2) The vision for your guild is to be THE destination for your server’s LGBT community. Your mission is to provide an environment of tolerance and acceptance within all aspects of the game. Your objectives would be items like but not limited to:
a) Advertising and recruiting through various channels;
b) Hosting world events like +10 datacron runs or pod-racing;
c) Acting as advocates for the LGBT community, be it on the forums, in the Group Finder or ingame on the Fleet.
d) Defining the command structure, policies and procedures that reflect the vision.

Notice that these two different visions have similar missions in that they both aim to provide a proper environment. The mission’s objectives are also similar, but oriented to achieving that particular vision.

Before we close this session, here’s a practical exercise. This will play out and pay off in the coming weeks whether you are starting your own guild just now, or are taking over as GM or an officer of an established guild. Your assignment–should you choose to accept it–is by next week, write down the following three things (either in the Comments section below or just for yourself):

1) The vision for your guild;
2) Your guild’s mission;
3) The objectives required to achieve your mission.

Remember–keep the vision looking to the future, the mission in the here and now. Be broad in the vision, a bit more detailed in the mission; if you find that either require more than a single statement, whittle down the parts until there are at most four components for either the vision or mission. Be as specific as you need to with the objectives, and no limit to how many of them you have.

As always:
Semper Havoc!

Your feedback is welcome and encouraged. If you have a comment about this or any other Command Decisions article, or have a question about guild management for Major Snarl, send him a wave at majorsnarl [at] gmail [dot] com, or post it in the Comments section below!