My role can change, depending on each particular situation. At times, I am the Yard Duty Teacher, blowing my whistle, telling our members not to run down the halls. Other times, I'm a referee, throwing in the flag, and signaling a foul. And then, in those unfortunate circumstances, I am a Cyborg Assassin, sent on a mission of termination.
There are a couple of things we've put in place to help communicate member expectations and maintain civility. In addition to our TOS (Terms of Service), we have also developed some Community Guidelines. Obviously, new members are required to read both of these documents, and agree to them before signing up (Yeah, right!)
In order to further reinforce the importance & meaning of our Community Guidelines, I have been consistently posting a series of articles on our network that explains the purpose and practical application of each guideline. I've been doing this for about a year now, and I'm almost done. Repetition is the beauty of retention!
A few suggestions from experience:
Your members need to know that their network is a safe, enjoyable place for them to play. Implementing and enforcing the TOS and Community Guidelines will help to ensure your members have a consistent positive experience, and keep them from wandering off to other platforms.
- Clearly define the consequences for violating a community guideline.
- Consistently carry out those consequences firmly.
- Understand the difference between an innocent mistake and a blatant, willful offense.
- Always be willing to extend grace and forbearance. We've all made stupid mistakes before.
- The punishment should fit the crime.
- As the One Mintue Manager recommends, find people doing things right. Take time to recognize and reward good behavior.