Alacrity of the Commander
An extensive guide to the operative specifics of command…“Problem Members”
Introduction
Dealing with problem members is one of the few truly thankless responsibilities of a leader. Problem members can be not only an annoyance, but a hindrance to the stability and fun of Brotherhood units. This document describes some of the situations which problem members may cause, how to recognize those situations and how to deal with them in a constructive manner.
Dangers of Problem Members
Problem members may be the single largest danger to the Brotherhood as a whole. Even in mild cases, a problem member often inflames or creates tension between members, whether between themselves and a second party or between a second and third party. This happens by virtue of callous and disrespectful remarks or the intent to make everyone's lives as miserable as possible.
At worst, problem members can utterly destroy group cohesion and make activities nearly impossible for other members of the group to participate in due to the sheer volume of negativity – why would anyone want to participate in the Brotherhood if they're subjected to a litany of inappropriate and offensive behavior every time they come online?
Needless to say, the behavior of problem members can be very concerning. It is extremely important that the leader recognize problem members, discover the situations they cause early on and treat a problem member's activities with the utmost importance during the resolution of the conflict.
Causes of Problem Behavior
Leaders often wonder what motivates problem members to act in inappropriate ways. In many ways, it makes very little sense to do so – why act in a way that you know will get you in trouble, with no reward?
Like children acting out in front of their parents, problem members sometimes behave inappropriately for the sake of getting attention. In cases like cheating, the cause is obvious: the member wants to gain standing among the Brotherhood but lacks the skills to do so honestly. Other times, the cause for inappropriate behavior is simply a desire to buck authority, also known as the “rebel without a cause” syndrome. Some believe that problem members don’t know or understand that they are doing wrong. This document, however, is focused on more of the intentional actors than those who are simply negligent in their relationships. A lot can be learned here, either way. Other incidences of problem behavior may have different reasons; the combinations are too numerous to fully explain here.
In the beginning, causes of problem behavior are more important because they often hold ways to prevent such behavior from happening in the future. However, at some point, the causes of problem behavior cease to be an important factor. If a member intentionally acts inappropriately and offensively, the reasons start to matter less and less in favor of simply stopping the actions. Ultimately, the causes of problem behavior are many and ruminating on and solving them is best left for times when there is no impending (or occurring) conflict.
Characteristics of a Problem Member
Many of us think we know how to identify a problem member. However, the leader's perspective on a problem member must be slightly different from that of the regular membership. For the leader's purposes, a problem member:
- intentionally disrupts Brotherhood activities;
- has strained personal relations with a significant number of other members;
- exhibits a profound lack of respect for other members; or,
- lacks contriteness or empathy.
Members who intentionally disrupt Brotherhood activities are striking out against the very reason for the Brotherhood's existence. Members join the Brotherhood for the sake of participating in activities they enjoy. A member who hampers others' participation in these activities is doing the entire Brotherhood a disservice.
Second, some disruptive members may have strained relations with a number of other Brotherhood members. In this case, that number of strained relationships must be big enough to positively prove the difference between a genuine “trouble member” and a member who contributes but has a few personality conflicts. There is a difference can be seen between a few personality conflicts and a systemic behavior problem. It may be necessary to evaluate the conduct of the people the problem member has trouble with to determine whose fault it really is.
Regardless, a member's relationships are a good indicator of whether they are or may become a problem member. Many different relationships, both positive and negative, are formed during a member's time in the Brotherhood. When confronted with a problem member, examine these relationships. Are they primarily positive or negative? Does the member get along well with others, or are they generally antisocial? These are effective ways to determine the likeliness of a problem member becoming a disruption in Brotherhood activities.
The third characteristic of a problem member is a profound lack of respect for other members. This lack of respect must extend beyond personal opinions and into interpersonal conduct; the problem member simply disliking other members is not a profound lack of respect, but maliciously insulting someone in a public forum, implicitly or explicitly is definitely considered disrespectful.
Last, problem members show a definite lack of contriteness. Not only are they unsympathetic to the problems of others, but when their transgressions and the consequences of those transgressions are laid out in front of them, they feel no remorse, pity or guilt. In fact, some are even proud of what they did. All people do wrong occasionally: the good people feel badly, the bad feel nothing or happy.
It is very important to note that a member must possess all four of these traits in order to be considered a true problem member. It is possible to have a member that is standoffish and a hard worker, or a member that is personable but disruptive. Only in combination do these traits justify the label of “bad member” and any strong corrective action. Also important to remember is that the offensive behavior must be intentional; members have unintentionally made horrible conversational gaffes that lead to resentment and disrespect from other members, but a true problem member undertakes their actions specifically to reduce the enjoyment of other Brotherhood members.
Problem members will sometimes have other conduct or traits associated with them in addition to the four points mentioned above. These can include arrogance, self-righteousness, defensiveness, self-destructive behavior, anger management difficulties, constant depression (which is not a problem in itself, simply a factor which influences a member's behavior) and others. It is important to remember that these traits are incidental, however, and that true problem members exhibit the four above.
Recognizing Problem Members
Recognizing potential problem members is relatively simple. However, discerning the true problem members from others is somewhat more difficult. Generally speaking, the four key behaviors described above will be the most obvious and telling signs of a problem member. Disruption of Brotherhood activities, strained personal relationships, profound disrespect for other members and lack of remorse are sure indicators of a problem.
Side effects of this behavior can also be useful indicators: conversations will suddenly stop when the problem member speaks up, other members ask to transfer out of the problem member's unit due to “personality differences”, and uncomplimentary gossip is whispered behind the problem member's back. Sometimes the behavior of the people around the problem member is as informative as those of the problem member themselves.
Finally, members with specific problems (such as cheating, discrimination, sexual harassment or abuse of power) are identified easily enough by indicators of those specific actions. In cases of cheating or abuse of power, these indicators may not be so apparent, but will still be present. Members of the Chamber of Justice are trained in how to spot these offences; as these specific offences are listed in the Dark Covenant as prosecutable, well-founded suspicions should be reported to the Chamber of Justice.
General Principles for Resolving Member Problems
A leader's approach to resolving member problems can make a world of difference in the outcome of the resolution attempt. Oftentimes, leaders with positive, honest and forthcoming attitudes will improve the inappropriate behavior while standoffish leaders will only motivate the problem members to create more problems. The principles of leadership behavior during problem resolution are below.
Maintain an environment of respect
This can be the hardest principle to act on in problem resolution, especially if the leader and the problem member have a history of personal conflict. However, the leader's role in problem resolution is to find a solution which offers the most benefit to both the unit and the problem member. The only way to do that is impartiality (mentioned below), which can only be achieved when the leader has respect for all points of view involved in the conflict.
Remain impartial, regardless of personal feelings
A lack of bias is paramount in problem resolution. While the leader may be sympathetic to one position or another (or one person over another, in cases of conflicts between members), they cannot let their personal feelings influence their judgment. To do so would be a blow to the entire system, and in the worst cases, an abuse of power. Actions should be based only on facts, not on opinions.
Maintain confidentiality
Privacy is important when dealing with member concerns and member conflicts are nobody's business but the members involved. Gossip about “that guy finally getting what he deserves” can spread like wildfire throughout a unit and will only serve to aggravate the situation. A leader may go to other leaders for advice (preferably their superiors or in a different unit altogether), but no part of the problem resolution process should be “leaked” at any time.
Make the right choice, not the most popular choice
Sometimes a decision regarding a problem member will go against popular opinion rather than toward it. Perhaps a member left a Clan and later rejoined, only to be met by heckling from their new (and former) Clan-mates. The returning member may become defensive, which would in turn be reported by the others as a “problem incident” when there was, in fact, no real conflict. In this case, it would be the leader's job to simply let the issue lie rather than reprimanding the returning member, or even to reprimand the hecklers if the abuse becomes disruptive – not the most popular choice, but the right one.
Another example of placing correctness before popularity comes when a popular member and a less popular member get into a conflict with each other. The more popular member will have more support among the membership, almost regardless of the wrong committed. Alternately, the “incident” may be a simple personality conflict, exacerbated when all of the more popular member's friends decide to start “conflicting” with the other member. In these cases, it is once again the leader's responsibility to make their decision based on what actions were taken, not the opinions of the membership. Be especially wary not to judge a situation by who is involved. Sure, a person might be a problem member, but that does not mean they are always in the wrong.
Be open and honest
As a leader, your opinion is valuable, but only if you give a full, fair and accurate depiction of it. You must be open and honest with everyone involved in the conflict. Sunlight is the best disinfectant. Make sure your honest opinion is known.
Steps To Take in Dealing With a Problem Member
Once a problem member has been identified, a five-step resolution process can be put into place, hopefully preventing any future conflicts:
- Talk to the member.
- Warn the member.
- Reprimand the member, once.
- Remove the member from the forum of conflict.
- Refer the member to the Chamber of Justice.
These steps have been created to form a moderate, effective approach to solving unit problems. Generally speaking, no conflict will be carried beyond Step 3; problem members often only need reminders that inappropriate behavior is neither welcome nor tolerated within the Brotherhood.
It is extremely important to apply the principles described in the previous section when following these steps. The principles will act as a safeguard against any kind of unfair or unjust evaluation.
Step One: Talk to the member
At this stage of dealing with a problem member, a leader shouldn't be a stern voice or a heavy hand so much as a facilitator. Oftentimes, the beginnings of severe problems with a member will come from a series of small conflicts that snowball into a larger one. Talking with the potential problem member will help to forestall those circumstances. This first step also helps illustrate differences between a temporary conflict (disagreeing over a particular issue) and a long-term one, or a friendly ribbing and a malicious insult. Gathering information through this step will be crucial to detecting and forestalling potential problems in the future.
For example, say a suspected problem member gets into a public argument with another member. There is no need for the leader to step in immediately; wait and see if the problem escalates, and take action to prevent problems if it does. After the argument subsides, speak to the suspected problem member. Ask something like, “I noticed that you and X were having a disagreement. What happened?” Your tone should not be accusatory, nor should you try to make any pronouncements. Even the phrase “tell me your side of the story” implies that there is more than one side of the story to tell, which may lead the suspected problem member to become defensive.
Once the suspected problem member explains their situation, simply say, “Okay, thank you for telling me. I was just curious.” No opinions or pronouncements are needed at this point – there shouldn't be a conflict for the leader to make pronouncements about. However, feel free to engage in discussion with the problem member if the topic seems interesting. Keep your tone respectful to minimize the risks of conflict.
Step Two: Warn the member
The second step is to actually warn the member regarding the conduct. An important point to keep in mind when framing a warning to a member is to be very specific about exactly what you're warning them against. As mentioned before, warnings should never be focused on the leader, but rather on public interests - “you might offend someone” is a much different warning than “you might offend me”.
By the time the leader has reached the point of warning a member, the leader should have a distinct impression that the member is becoming a problem. A warning should not automatically be granted after the talking step has been completed. Rather, the information gained through the talking step should be collected and analyzed. If it appears that the member's confrontations are repeated and intended to reduce the quality of other members' experience (or at least disrespectful of the intent to maintain the quality of their experience), a warning should be issued.
Warning a member should begin in much the same way as talking to a member; indeed, up until the closing statements, they should be identical. After the leader thanks the member for explaining, the leader should follow up by notifying the member of their inappropriate behavior in a non-threatening way and requesting a change. In this case, “non-threatening” means phrasing the warning in such a way that the potential problem member won't be put on the defensive. Be especially careful to avoid any implication of “you might get in trouble”, lest you be seen as heavy-handed and inflame the situation.
An example of a non-threatening warning might be, “By the way, I noticed that you and X seem to have argued a few times in the past week. Next time, would you mind keeping that argument to private messages? I'm sure you have valid points to make between yourselves, but I wouldn't want you to offend anyone else with your private conversation.” This accomplishes the goal of informing the suspected problem member that their behavior is inappropriate without aggravating the situation.
Another important facet of Step Two is the keeping of records. The very fact that Step Two has been initiated generally indicates a noticeable pattern of disruptive or disrespectful behavior on the part of the problem member, but once warnings enter the picture, specific record-keeping is extremely useful. Establishing a pattern or tendency in behavior will be important if further action is taken must be taken against the member. When recording a warning, include specifics about the circumstances leading up to the warning: the date of the warning, who was involved, and if available, a general overview of events. Telegram logs, Discord logs, IRC logs or copies of e-mails or message board posts will be useful, especially if taken directly by the leader rather than from a third party. Records of warnings can be kept in the member's activity tracking file (see the Tracking Subordinates' Activity leadership manual for more details) or in a separate “problem file” of sorts. However, others (and especially the potential problem member) should not know that this file is being kept.
A complaint about a problem member from outside that member's unit will generally escalate the member's situation to Step 2. Of course, this complaint must be supported by some kind of evidence. Eyewitness accounts are generally not acceptable; an IRC log, message board threat or copy of e-mail messages is much preferable, especially if the evidence can be provided by an impartial third party.
Once this evidence has been brought to light, the problem member should be asked for their version of events without seeing the evidence against them. If the member's depiction of events is realistic (rather than simply plausible), they may be “let off” with a warning at the leader's discretion. However, bear in mind that inappropriate behavior which spills over into other units' venues can have a serious effect on the problem member's unit's interactions. A complaint about a second out-of-unit incident should be escalated to Step 3.
Step Three: Reprimand the member, once
By the time a problem member reaches Step Three, they will have a documented history of conflicts with other members – the problem member should have been warned enough times to establish a clear pattern of behavior, generally at least three times. Make sure that this documentation is in place before proceeding with the reprimand. Should other authorities question the reprimand later, the leader will have a clear, definite set of supporting evidence.
Once the decision to give a reprimand has been made, several steps should be taken. The reprimand should be given concurrently with a warning, to avoid the “out of nowhere” feeling. In order to preserve a respectful tone, the reprimand should be given in private. Reprimands should always be given by e-mail and CCed to the next higher level of authority (Clan Summits for Quaestors, House Summits for Battle-Team Leaders). Clan Summits are exempt from this requirement but must ensure that their records are meticulously kept. Like warnings, reprimands should be recorded with the date, specifics of the offence and other members involved (if any).
The reprimand itself should contain a clear statement of exactly what the member has done to deserve the reprimand. Generally this will take the form of a sentence explaining the circumstances, such as “repeated public disrespect for other members” or “consistently interfering in Brotherhood activities”. The member's pattern of behavior should also be mentioned, to emphasize that the incidents mentioned took place over a period of time. Include that the member has previously been warned to indicate that the member undertook their actions knowingly. Finally, state that should the inappropriate behavior continue, more severe measures will be taken. Include a copy of the text of the reprimand in a member's activity or disciplinary record.
An example reprimand may look like this:
- “Dark Jedi Knight Example, it has been noted by members of your House Summit that you have repeatedly engaged in IRC and mailing list conversations in which you openly and intentionally insulted other members of your House. This type of behavior is not acceptable within the ranks of the Dark Jedi Brotherhood. I ask that you cease these actions at once and reconsider your attitude toward your fellow members. If you continue your inappropriate action, more severe measures will be taken.”
An official reprimand, while often a corrective measure in itself, is also valuable as a deterrent. Step three can be likened to a wild animal “showing teeth” to ward off a potential aggressor – it is a sign that if the member continues behaving inappropriately, further action will be taken, to the point where it may be less hassle for the member to simply start behaving in an appropriate manner. Open support from superiors reinforces this message by reducing the possibility of perceiving the reprimand as a personal vendetta.
Step Four: Remove the member from the forum of conflict
Step Four is only to be used in very severe cases of inappropriate behavior, and usually immediately precedes referral to the Chamber of Justice (Step Five). When a member has repeatedly proven that they cannot conduct themselves in an appropriate manner in a public forum (for example, continuing to act inappropriately after a reprimand has been given), the leader may ban the problem member from participating in that public forum, often a message board or e-mail list. (IRC channel bans are handled slightly differently; by the time the problem member has acted inappropriately enough to warrant a reprimand, they have usually already been banned from any applicable IRC channels.) If necessary, bans from Brotherhood-wide events may be requested of the applicable managing staff, although this extreme ban is usually only undertaken in cases of cheating.
When banning a member from a specific forum, e-mail the member and the next highest level of authority, as well as any other Brotherhood personnel who may be involved in enforcing the ban. In the body of the e-mail, include specifically why the member is being banned from that particular forum (usually by noting the member's past reprimands).
Again, be sure to record any and all bans enforced in the problem member's activity or disciplinary record.
Step Five: Refer the member to the Chamber of Justice
As an absolute last resort, an utterly incorrigible problem member may be referred to the Chamber of Justice. The Chamber of Justice is the 'nuclear' option: even though you sometimes have no other choice, the ramifications of sending someone to the Chamber of Justice extend far beyond your member leaving your unit (voluntarily or otherwise). Other members may leave in silent protest of your move or because they fear you. More than a few reputations have been 'earned' through this seemingly-simple act. More information on these proceedings can be found in Article VIII: Justice of the Dark Covenant. Possible charges levied against a problem member during Chamber of Justice proceedings regarding general inappropriate behavior are Crude Behavior, Verbal Abuse and Disreputable Behavior.
At this time, a request may be made by a Consul to remove the disruptive member from their Clan. The procedure for this is explained in the document “Dismissing Disruptive Members from your Clan” on the Dark Brotherhood Policies page. Should this occur, the detailed record of the problem member's activities will need to be presented to the Justicar and Grand Master.
While it may seem superfluous to do so, even a referral to the Chamber of Justice should be noted in the problem member's activity or disciplinary record.
The five-step resolution process does not “reset” itself after a member is referred to the Chamber of Justice. Should a member continue to be disruptive after being referred to the Chamber of Justice, the leader should continue to record the member's actions and, if necessary, bring them to the attention of the Chamber of Justice for a second time. By this point, it is highly unlikely that the problem member will continue to be a member of the Brotherhood, whether by their own decision or the decree of the Justicar and Grand Master.
That said, good behavior at any step of the process can offset the penalties that disruptive behavior brings. In some cases, mild to moderate inappropriate behavior by problem members is outweighed by appropriate and helpful actions in other areas, or the inappropriate behavior is lessened or even abandoned. Ideally, the former problem member will become a functional member of Brotherhood society, leaving only laughs and a few scattered notes on an activity record to tell of their previous problems.
Resolving Specific Member Problems
Sometimes inappropriate behavior will manifest itself in more specific ways than general disrespect and disruptiveness. These behaviors are often listed in Article VIII of the Dark Covenant as “specific articles of conduct and reprimand”. In these cases, it is a specific behavior or set of behaviors which form the inappropriate action, rather than a general trend of behaviors over a period of time. Please refer to the Dark Covenant, Article VII, Section 8.06, subsections a-l for descriptions of specific offences. Details of possible circumstances surrounding specific offences are given below.
Discrimination
Discrimination will often come as part of generally inappropriate behavior, with specific references to a person's gender, race, creed, sexual orientation, nationality or other trait or traits common to a specific, identifiable group of people. This is completely and explicitly forbidden in the Brotherhood. The Brotherhood does not condone discrimination in any way, shape, or form.
Sexual Harassment
The Dark Covenant's definition of sexual harassment is more closely related to the common understanding of solicitation of or payment for sexual encounters/services rather than the traditional definition of sexual harassment, which is regulated under the articles referring to Crude Behavior and Discrimination. This is also completely and explicitly forbidden in the Brotherhood.
Dereliction of Duty
Charges of dereliction of duty apply only to those people who hold positions of authority (Battle-Team Leader or higher). The easiest way to track suspected dereliction of duty is by checking the subordinate leader's activity record. If the activities described are insufficient or even entirely absent, the subordinate leader is a likely candidate for dereliction of duty.
Abuse of Power
The Brotherhood's usage of the term “abuse of power” is more specifically described as “favoritism”. Needless to say, like Dereliction of Duty, charges of Abuse of Power can only be levied against those who have the power to potentially abuse (Battle-Team Leaders and above). One of the most effective ways to check for potential abuse of power is to check the activity records of the members who are suspected to be favored – if the amount of work they've done seems to be minimal proportionate to the awards they've received, there may be a chance of favoritism. Any medal or promotion awarded when the member has not met the Brotherhood and/or Clan-specific requirements for such an award is a very strong indicator of possible favoritism.
Cheating
The reason for outlawing cheating should be self-explanatory. Cheating is considered an extremely serious offence in the Brotherhood. Any evidence of possible cheating should be submitted to the Chamber of Justice immediately.
Cloning
With the removal of Order-related restrictions on activities, there should be no reason to possess more than one “identity” in the Dark Brotherhood, especially given that the original identity often claims the “new recruit” for the sake of receiving a Scroll of Indoctrination. Any suspicions of cloning should be reported to the Chamber of Justice.
Plagiarism
Plagiarism is considered even more severe than cheating in the Brotherhood due to the possible involvement of copyright law. If you have reason to suspect that a member has plagiarized, contact the Chamber of Justice immediately.
The process for reporting and confronting specific incidences of inappropriate behavior is somewhat different than general inappropriate behavior. Because of the specific definitions of these activities and their explicit mention in the Dark Covenant, it is often possible (and in cases like cheating or plagiarism, preferred) that the evidence be submitted to the Chamber of Justice immediately rather than waiting to establish a pattern of behavior. At the very least, you must alert your Consul (or, if your Consul is the member in question, the Grand Master and his Deputy). In these cases, simply note the Chamber of Justice referral on the member's activity or disciplinary record.
Confronting Member Problems Outside Your Own Unit
It is more difficult for a member to confront incidents of inappropriate behavior that occur outside their own unit. Generally speaking, a leader shouldn't even bother with these incidents unless they are particularly disruptive or repetitive and in a public forum where the leader has some kind of authority and responsibility; one example of this would be the Gaming Tribune in #dbgaming.
Inappropriate behavior by any member of the Brotherhood should be dealt with in the following manner: make notes of the inappropriate behavior and refer the problem to the member's immediate superior. If the leader is the moderator of a message board or e-mail group or an operator in an IRC channel, they may use their discretion and remove or ban the member if they feel it is necessary. Beyond that, any action should be left to the problem member's direct superiors. A leader can also inform the person that s/he is no longer welcome in their unit's areas (IRC, message boards, etc.).
The only times a non-direct subordinate should be referred to the Chamber of Justice are in cases of cheating or plagiarism, or if the leader has suffered some kind of personal attack from the problem member. In these cases, it is the leader's responsibility to present the evidence they have to the event organizer (if part of a competition) and the Chamber of Justice.
When referring a problem to another member's leader, it is important to include several different types of information. Generally speaking, this includes the member's name (preferably including their PIN), the venue in which the incident took place, a general description of the incident and any relevant proof. As noted above, a simple eyewitness account will generally not suffice as evidence; IRC logs, screen captures, forwarded e-mails or message board threads are much more compelling evidence.
As in all other matters involving problem members, the tone of the complaint should be respectful – slinging accusations of “you let your members do this” or “you <insert unit name here> people are all the same” are extremely counterproductive. Instead, an e-mail beginning with “I was approached by one of my members and felt you should know about this” will be more likely to foster cooperation with the other leaders involved. Send the complaint to both the offending member's leader and your own superiors.
Conflicts with outside members will often include some form of involvement by members of the leader's own unit. The outside member's leader will likely want some form of assurance that the internal member will be disciplined. Offer these assurances and follow through, to avoid any accusations of favoritism.
Other Members and the Resolution Process
If a problem member (especially one who is unpopular with many other members) is faced with some kind of disciplinary action, word may spread among the membership that the problem member has been reprimanded by one of their superiors. Some members may even approach the leader, looking for gossip. In cases such as these, it is sometimes difficult to resist the barrage of questions from the membership, especially if the problem member is a person that the leader isn't particularly fond of.
However, it is imperative to remember the duties of a leader described above. In order to maintain a respectful environment it is vital that the privacy of the problem member is respected, lest the problems are aggravated by the problem member feeling put upon or that “everyone is out to get them”. The rule regarding other members is simple: If the other members were not directly involved in the incident which triggered the disciplinary action, they have no need to know the details of the action in question.
Conclusion
With the right amount of time and effort, leaders can dispel most problems before they get out of hand. This is a process that involves recognizing problem members and dealing with them early and often. Should a leader be proactive and follow the advice outlined here, a much more cohesive and successful Brotherhood experience can be obtained.