Dealing with In-Game Burnout

[Kimiko]

Alright, I'd like to get you all's opinion on this topic, especially those that actively run or manage a LS in-game. In the last few months, I took over the leadership of an established LS as a favor to a couple close friends who had left the game. Ever since, it's been a near constant struggle for me to keep things running smoothly within the shell. While I do have a couple pearlsacks that help organize events in-game, the vast majority of the workload is handled by me alone (attendance, keeping up the LS site, recruiting, bank, dealing with issues, etc...). Frankly, this is causing a lot of undue stress both in-game and RL wise, and it's too a point where I've been tending to disappear for days at a time from the game without much reason.

So my question to you all is this, especially for those who run a LS. How do you all manage under the stress of leadership, and what you do when it becomes more than one can handle?

[Salmijr]

Delegate more. Make those sacks earn their keep.

One handle Dynamis, one handle sky/sea, etc. Don't know exactly what your ls does, but you should never try to do it all yourself. If you use a dkp system, give them each access to it and have them post/track attendance/drops.

[Mazmaz]

Camp more Joyeuse.

[FailureMidgard]

Alright, I'd like to get you all's opinion on this topic, especially those that actively run or manage a LS in-game. In the last few months, I took over the leadership of an established LS as a favor to a couple close friends who had left the game. Ever since, it's been a near constant struggle for me to keep things running smoothly within the shell. While I do have a couple pearlsacks that help organize events in-game, the vast majority of the workload is handled by me alone (attendance, keeping up the LS site, recruiting, bank, dealing with issues, etc...). Frankly, this is causing a lot of undue stress both in-game and RL wise, and it's too a point where I've been tending to disappear for days at a time from the game without much reason.

So my question to you all is this, especially for those who run a LS. How do you all manage under the stress of leadership, and what you do when it becomes more than one can handle?

Take a 1-2 month break for the game, or that's what I ended up doing. ;p

[Alvein]

Honestly, no better way than to quit playing.

[Claim]

Get better pearl sacks, that's what they are there for. If they don't like it clearly they are not sack material.

[Gadritan]

Could just be you're not cut out for it. Some are, some aren't.

I don't mean that in a negative way at all either.

I've led or been a sack for a few. Every LS is so different due to personalities etc, it's almost impossible to give advice.

The best advice I could give you is that if you don't have sacks/members that are competent enough to handle shit without you, it's not going to work. You could be the greatest leader ever, but they'd still tear themselves apart.

[miokomioko]

Don't run raids 7 days a week. The game feels 100 times more fun when you get a day off to not worry about logging in by a certain time and don't need to rush to camp shit or make allies when you do log in.

[Meat]

it's not a job, you dont HAVE to play. it's a game, games are meant to be fun, if it's not fun what's the point

[Panthera]

Delegate more. Make those scaks earn their keep.

One handle Dynamis, one handle sky/sea, etc. Don't know exactly what your ls does, but you should never try to do it all yourself. If you use a dkp system, give them each access to it and have them post/track attendance/drops.

^

In shells i run and have been in run by others, delegation is key. We have one person in charge of a specific EG event, and have that person assign jobs, and give the minor instructions that need to be given as it gets off the ground and goes on. Then, we have someone else handling points. Multitasking is a crock, a fast way to put too much pressure on yourself all at once. Divvy-ing up the task alleviates some of the burden, allowing you to focus on what needs to be done.

And just as in real life, days off are important; everyone needs a weekend. Another way we run this is by having designated sacks being in charge of different days. This way, you can plan on giving yourself a night off.

Best of luck with it Kimiko,

~Panthera

[Mathayus]

This day and age there is too much content for 1 person to handle leading. Members need to step up and take charge of something or you will cease to have a linkshell very quickly.

[Altanass]

I took over the leadership of an established LS as a favor to a couple close friends who had left the game.

You have your answer right there! Pass on lead and quit lol

But yeh.... You can't lead a very active LS if you are disappearing for days at a time. That would cause chaos.

At least scale back events, old content is old, in with the new onry.

[Yugl]

For a second, I thought this was about a certain HNMLS on Diabolos.

[Eldelphia]

Find new sacks or persuade the current ones to step up and take over events. Some are very resistant. Usually easiest to say "I need someone to take over Limbus, who's up for it?" rather than ask them if they'd like to.

I'm not great at delegation but I've learnt I can't do it all. Sometimes my sacks are incredibly resistant but if people want events to happen they have to support you.

Open up an event day to shell members to organise oh and be honest. Say you're going to have to cut down how much is happening in the shell unless you get some help.

[Hyan]

I wouldn't even start leading a shell if I didn't have anyone backing me up. It's like asking for a burnout at some point.

There should be at least 2 subleaders IMO, if for nothing else but giving another perspective to problems and such and taking over when you cba to lead (which you seem to have already).

But really, your friends shouldn't have asked you to handle things for them. Sure would be nice to see your LS continue existing even when you're gone but you can't expect people to stay if you do that. You should have just politely disagreed, or started another LS fit for your schedule and the activities you like to do, with rules as lax or strict as you want.

[Dazusu]

If your existing sacks aren't stepping up to do things and need prompting - then you probably need better sacks, people with good self motivation are a must.

that being said, people like that are incredibly hard to find. Unless your linkshell offers perks to sackholders ofcourse.

The easiest way to do it, is as others have said. Give specific sacks the role of leading specific events (this includes all attendance recording for said event, aswell as alliances, strats, etc)

I've not took a break since I started my ls back in 2008, and I think i've burned out several times, but just keep pushing forward for the sake of the shell.

[Byrthnoth]

Delegate to whatever sack wants to do the event the most.

Someone is hellbent on completing Twashtar? Give them Abyssea.
Someone is working on a relic? Give them Dynamis.
Someone still cares about Homam? Give them Limbus.
Someone wants an E.body? Give them Einherjar.

Whatever personally-motivated abuses those people perpetrate on their event will be countered by the fact that the event actually happens. If they run it too poorly then people will stop showing up, and anyone with half a brain knows that.

Also.... Shells still seem to need an omnipresent leader. If you're willing to admit that events happening depends on you and also that you skip out for days, your shell is pretty much doomed.

PPS. Drop Limbus from your schedule to make time.

[Asmoranomar]

I'll second(third?fourth?whatever..) the Delegate move.

I love running Dynamis, so I usually end up running all of our dynamis events. This includes objectives, pulls, loot control and all the after action management (attendance, etc) afterwords.

One of our other members runs limbus, he dictates which area and controls our objectives, picks which chests to open, loot control. He sends the after action to me if I'm not there to collect it myself.

Another member handles einherjar. He controls roles (assists, pullers), strategy on bosses, and loot control. He sends the after action if I'm not there to collect.

etc etc etc.

Even then, I can understand a bit of burn out. Some of it stems for different reasons though. Personally I'm burned out because we don't do enough. I want more Abyssea farming runs, but everyone wants to make it a once a week thing - and cant even show up with a full 120 mins when we do it!(/RAGE). I want more Sea/Sky runs (JoL anyone?). I want more Dynamis (down to once a week). I want more VNMs, KS99's, WoE, etc, etc, etc. If we aren't continuously active - THAT burns me out.

[Neosutra]

Delegate to whatever sack wants to do the event the most.

Someone is hellbent on completing Twashtar? Give them Abyssea.
Someone is working on a relic? Give them Dynamis.
Someone still cares about Homam? Give them Limbus.
Someone wants an E.body? Give them Einherjar.

Whatever personally-motivated abuses those people perpetrate on their event will be countered by the fact that the event actually happens. If they run it too poorly then people will stop showing up, and anyone with half a brain knows that.

Also.... Shells still seem to need an omnipresent leader. If you're willing to admit that events happening depends on you and also that you skip out for days, your shell is pretty much doomed.

PPS. Drop Limbus from your schedule to make time.

I'd be a bit careful on this. Giving people control over events that want the items from that event the most have potential for some serious drama. I usually try to get leaders for events that can use items from event, but arent "ZOMG I REALLY NEED XXX AND NOTHING ELSE MATTERS". Finding quality skilled leaders that will dedicate themselves and help you is a struggle sometimes, because 99% of people are willing to sit back and let you do all the work (and not lift a finger to help).

Assign some good leaders, if people aren't willing to help lead, that tells me your shell doesnt really want to do that event. If they dont want to do that event, no reason to stress over leading it.

Also, would like to echo: Dont run events every day for 5 hours lol. Have an off day or 2. Even a couple days where someone else leads and you just kinda oversee takes LOADS off your back.

That or just break a few pearls a day.

[Yoky]

Like stated previously either you're not cut for it or you just need to stop playing for a while. This is why I've never wanted the sack position, I rather be a sack w/o the actual sack. Alot less undue stress when you hold that sack. I've been offered and even pushed to become a sack in my shell and I just didnt want the headaches. I know all the sack stuff that goes down though but I don't have to deal with the headaches.

But again the best thing to do is just step away....turn off the game for a month or so and just do something else for a change. Its honestly the best thing to do if yo uare feeling burnt out.