Ask Random Questions, Give Random Answers, and Share Your Wisdom

[Retreater]

Maybe this thread can be viewed as a slightly more serious-toned cousin to this one: The "I Didn't Comment in Another Thread" Thread.
Here's my thought. As gamers, we often put ourselves in make believe situations and use our imaginations to solve problems in those worlds. Applying those skills to real life could be useful to some of us on these boards.
Many of you seem able to answer a question about "how should a duke respond to his trusted advisor revealing himself as a dragon at his 40th birthday party when the royal wedding planner got inebriated." My guess is that some of us have questions that can benefit from the personalities and life experiences of our fellow board members.
Anyways, I think this can be helpful and appropriate for this board as long as we keep questions (and answers) within the realm of good taste.

 

[Retreater]

I'll start. I've recently been promoted to a managerial position. The department had been neglected for a long time and feels unimportant to the rest of the institution. Any advice for lifting them up while motivating them to do the work that will earn us the respect of the other departments?

 

[Scribe]

I'll start. I've recently been promoted to a managerial position. The department had been neglected for a long time and feels unimportant to the rest of the institution. Any advice for lifting them up while motivating them to do the work that will earn us the respect of the other departments?

Look at the problems your team needs to solve, look at who wants to solve them within the team, and when they solve those problems, provide them with the recognition throughout the organization.

Assuming you have a direct manager, make sure you pump up your team to that person and get the word out that work is being done.

 

[Blue]

I'll start. I've recently been promoted to a managerial position. The department had been neglected for a long time and feels unimportant to the rest of the institution. Any advice for lifting them up while motivating them to do the work that will earn us the respect of the other departments?

There's a few parts of this than can go hand-in-hand. First is why are they neglected? If they providing a legacy service that will eventually be phased out that's a lot harder to make relevant and motivating than if they are underutilized because they aren't well known.

I'd talk to my boss and peers to find out more. Including have a frank discussion: "look, are their pain points from my team getting more utilized"?

Generically, as a manager your job is to manage upwards and outwards towards the rest of the company and your own superiors, to hold an umbrella over your team when it's raining poo, to give credit to your employees when they do good, to praise in public and correct in private, and to make sure your people are mentored and have opportunities. And to get everyone up to speed, or out of the department if they can't get up to speed -- it's often more efficient to get roadblocks out of the way of several competent people then put the same amount of time into someone already given a chance and unable or unwilling to take it.

However, don't make change just for the sake of change. Understand why something is being done some way before changing it. It could be inertia, but it could also be because other things were tried and didn't work.

 

[Blue]

Question: A young friend who is an artist wants to get into doing character commissions. But she's had little luck attracting a following on social media. How would you recommend she attracts customers?

Please be as specific as you can.

 

[R_J_K75]

I guess this doesn't pertain to a message board timewise. but Ive heard In an in-person conversation the topic of conversation changes every 7 minutes. Has anyone else ever heard this?

 

[R_J_K75]

I'll start. I've recently been promoted to a managerial position. The department had been neglected for a long time and feels unimportant to the rest of the institution. Any advice for lifting them up while motivating them to do the work that will earn us the respect of the other departments?

Looks like you already got good advice, there is nothing I can add. You'll figure things out. Have a beer think it over. Things will work out,

 

[MarkB]

Question: A young friend who is an artist wants to get into doing character commissions. But she's had little luck attracting a following on social media. How would you recommend she attracts customers?

Please be as specific as you can.

Maybe reach out to some RPG streaming groups and ask if they're interested in commissioning some character art for their PCs and/or NPCs. Most of them will probably already have someone, but if you can get your artwork featured on a stream or Youtube video, that's getting it out in front of their audience, plus you can then link to those videos as an example of previous satisfied customers.

 

[Blue]

I guess this doesn't pertain to a message board timewise. but Ive heard In an in-person conversation the topic of conversation changes every 7 minutes. Has anyone else ever heard this?

I heard that there's a natural pause in conversation every 7 minutes. No idea if it's related.

 

[Ryujin]

Question: A young friend who is an artist wants to get into doing character commissions. But she's had little luck attracting a following on social media. How would you recommend she attracts customers?

Please be as specific as you can.

Step one would be getting an online portfolio set up. This could be as simple as a Facebook or Instagram page, with some pre-made character sketches. Be sure that they are watermarked and not huge images, as people think that everything on the internet is "free" (tm). Once the portfolio is in place there is something to show prospective clients. Not many people are going to be willing to shell out money for art, with no idea of the potential quality.