How do you keep a team motivated on a project?

D

Digital

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So, as many of our  @Game Owner can attest towards, it is hard to keep good talent on a team, much less keep that talent moving forward. How have you kept your teams motivated and connected to get your project off the ground?

 
Mythodreas has gone through many many changes...some with owner/control and some with staff.

We are a core group of very dedicated members who love the site and look at it as a labor of love and wish fulfillment.

Keep in mind we have all been volunteer from day one, and most staffers grew up with the site. 

We could definitely be moving faster with more help, programming and art...but we will persevere and the end result will be fantastic.

Keptsoul - Site Caretaker

 
Keeping a team motivated is VERY important. In my opinion, as the game owner/administrator, you are the person who sets the tone of the whole team or various teams. If you are not motivated and excited, it is highly unlikely that your staff will be.

With Celestial Equine, I have experienced many ups and downs from the roller-coaster that goes along with development. From budget issues to unexpected development setbacks, we have experienced it all. Being positive and solution orientated has helped myself and CE's team overcome challenges and stay on-track for our grand opening!

Here's a few tips that have helped keep my teams motivated/active:

  • Delegating game duties + creating teams

    Introducing moderators, writers, artists, and other account levels has not only helped with activity, but as also helped free up additional hours I can spend working on other areas! By offering in-game perks I was able to save time, money, and allow helpful members a chance to pitch-in during development.
  • An admin's biggest mistake is refusing to "loosen the reins" so to speak and try to do everything on their own. This will not work forever. Unless your game is your full-time job, it will be very difficult to manage social media/marketing, manage the community (questions, enforcing rules, etc), develop new ideas, manage various teams (developers, artists, etc), etc. It is better to identify areas you shine as an admin and delegate the rest! You'd be surprised by the talent you may find within your community. I am blown away by the talent I have found within my community!

[*]Regular contact with developers, moderators, and other team members

  • I have daily contact with my team members, especially my developers! This helps everyone stay on the same page and trucking forward

[*]Regular news updates

  • Being in development means we experience bugs/other issues from time to time. I try to post a news update everyday and send an actual email newsletter for a larger update (for example, breeding).
  • This also cuts down on questions if you keep everyone in the loop and provide updates explaining new releases/new features

[*]Contests!

  • Everyone loves an opportunity to win something. Contests are a great way to connect with your community and gain some organically reached new members. A referral contest is easy on a new game's budget and really pumps up your member-base!

[*]Incentives

  • I mentioned in-game perks previously, but I do want to stress how important it is to provide some sort of incentive for people's hard work and dedication! This doesn't have to be something HUGE, but even acknowledgment in a newsletter goes a long way. People who know they are appreciated want to stick around!

 
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