I have noticed a lot of similarities between work and WoW. I guess it’s because it is a collection of individuals united to achieve the same goals. Maybe it’s just the cultural norm, so we readily accept the similarities.
Take overs
When guilds merge, there are often layoffs. While the concept is usually to strengthen and enlarge the roster, the end result is often overpopulation of certain classes and roles.
Jobs for the boys
Theoretically the best toon gets the spot, but we all know of stories where gets the gig over best choice.
Overtime
You only need to raid A x B hours per week, but you are required officially and unofficially to play x more hours per week for gear, cash, consumables and appearances. Yes you need to be seen “at work” to catch your managers attention and approval.
Performance assessments
WWS or other tools are analyzed after each session to determine performance. Your performance may decide guild rank, raid spot and rewards.
38 hour week
There is an expectation that a player will put in their full WoW week. Unexplained absences are not acceptable, sick leave only with a doctors certificate and progression nights can only be skipped with evidence of the death of a immediate relative (in-laws not accepted).
Guild Leader/Raid Leader overtime
The leaders are also only “paid” for their 38 hours, bit the reality is they put in much, much more often without either recognition or appreciation.
Technical abilities are less relevant, the ability to assist with in game and real life dramas, organize and coordinate and met out discipline are more important.
Leader bonuses/end of contract
Some leaders are selfless.
Others will extract their (typo and spellchecker gave me: thief, which is kind of appropriate for this point) payment from the guildbank or master looter whether it’s appropriate or not.
WoW over real life
Similar to the workplace work-life balance is the mantra, but the emphasis is on the work.
You can have a real life on non-raid nights…. or not.
Rewards
Put in the hard work and you will be thrown the occasional morsel, maybe even be given access to the guild bank for repairs. You must work for them, full attendance to all raid nights, lowbie leveling and trade skill items are required.
Then you just have to pray that there is no pugger (or underperformer, mate, offspec or Huntard) in the group with their heart set on the same reward.
Appropriate Work dress
You will always were appropriate dress to all encounters. No Spirit frocks, PvP panties or Halloween kaftans allowed.
If your Tier gear is at the dry cleaners, then at least wear a tuxedo.
Culture vs. Equipment and experience
Recruitment to the good guilds is based upon fit to guild culture rather than high performance experience or gear. These things are important, but if you can’t handle the “Dad” jokes, stay out of the guild chat.
Enjoyment and challenge as time goes bye:
Like work, it starts out all fresh and new, but soon develops into a grind.
– releases
- Original WoW was a new and exciting world, which developed into a boring grind.
- Just in time the promotion to Burning Crusade appeared, and all was fresh and new, until Terrokar forest, where the grind started to settle in.
- Along came WoLK and once again installed a new sense of joy and wonder, but soon the buttons became the same.
– Button pushing and skill development
Before long the process worker in you comes to the fore. 11122312323111
The skills are new and exciting, then stale and all the same.
Occasionally the company (Blizzard) changes the way things are done around here, but before top long it’s just 11122312323111
Daily grind
- Kill, loot, kill, loot, kill, loot, drink
- Kill, loot, kill, loot, kill, loot, drink
- Sell and repair
Greener pastures
- Maybe the other zone is better…
- Maybe the other class is better…
- Maybe the other instance is better…
- Maybe the other guild is better…
- Maybe the other game is better…
- Can I come back, the grass is no greener.
Poaching and guild recruitment
Grab the top performers from the other guild.
Leave your guild and take your high (and low) performing mates with you.
Put ads in /trade, remember to mention the health program (guildbank repairs) and snazzy uniform (tabbard).
Casual vs fulltime workforce
Both are needed.
The full time are worked into the ground.
The casual ignored for promotions, skipped for fulltimers or expected to just work a few more hours.
Climbing the corporate ladder
Some people will suck up to the raid leader for promotions, others will grab the new skills (gear etc) and jump ship to the next best guild.
Slackers, team players and heroes
- A percentage don’t give a damn, only turning up to AFK.
- Many will sacrifice their own enjoyment for the joy off the heroes and to make up for the slackers.
- Some are, well they are the best, and if not for them you would be nothing, so you better appreciate them!
The bosses are prettier than real life
But, generally, the bosses are prettier in WoW, if not physically, they at least have a differnt level of dress sense than Armani, and come in so many more colors!
Gnomer and Out!
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http://gnomeaggedon.net/2009/03/05/is-wow-work-with-prettier-bosses/
You won me with “no PVP Panties”—well done, Gnome, well done.
I am waiting for the new season gear… I am expecting a bit of:
Brutal Boardshorts
Battlemaster’s bikinis
Savage Sarongs
psychopath’s surfboards
Fun reading! Actually I think it’s pretty unavaidable that raiding guilds wil have to build structures looking pretty much like the ones you encounter at work. No direction = no boss kill.
The smiliarities are probably a lot less for the guildless people who take the day as it comes, jumping into whatever activity they feel like for the moment.
Or should we call them free enterprises?
Hey Larisa, of course you are right… but I guess I just found it surprising the number of practices that are considered unhealthy in worklife, yet are acceptable between strangers in a game.
As for freebooters… I doubt much is different for them… Think of them of the contractors of the game world.. Sure they can play by their own rules… to some extent, but they still get assessed, possibly more harshly due to the lack of reputation
I actually think that small businesses are a very good model for analyzing raiding guilds. Much better than using political models. As well, it’s useful for guild leaders because there’s a lot of books and literature on business management.
I wrote a post about it called Guild Governance.
Hey Rohan,
it’ got to be a great day when my #1 & #2 (Larisa) referrers drop by and leave a comment!
I totally agree, I think Larisa was talking the other day about a week long team building course she went on… I have done a fair bit of management training (both at Uni and on the job) as well as managing in a small business environment, and there is not doubt that the skills used in the work world are easily transferred to WoW.
I dare say that is someone set out to do the social experiment, get 25 people together & run it as a small business, that those 25 people would be 80 and clearing the raids in a very short time, previous WoW experience or not.
If the “staff” (raiders) didn’t have the requisite skills, then the “management” (Guild & Raid Leaders) would call in “consultants” (bloggers, successful raiders etc) to educate.
I dare say there are groups that do that sort of thing. That PvP guild that decided that they were going to go PvE raiding and a week later had cleared the game… Obviously a well run organisation, that applied itself to a new role.
Ahhh, anyway, I think I am taking this all a bit more seriously than I originally intended… but then you folks have got the brain ticking over.
I have long since referred to WoW as a job I don’t get paid for. lol. When I was raiding, I was class leader, 2IC in the guild by the end of it, and there was just so much extra work and stress that in the end it just wasn’t worth it.. especially when an expansion pack would come along and make everything you worked for useless again. lol.
Btw, I’ve seen your blog around a bit, and it looks pretty cool. I was wondering if you might be interested in a link exchange? Let me know if you’re keen 🙂
Ithiel
WoWFailBlog.com
@Ithiel: When I was a guild leader I found I was working silly hours on Guild stuff… and that was before I logged in. Unfortunately, it got to the point where I was shunning guild communication, because I just wanted the opportunity to play… and that was on good days…
I can’t do a link exchange per se. I did write up a post about your excellent site a couple of weeks ago, and I do have you in my WoW Resources (for want of a better category) on my ReadByGnome page.
The closest thing to a link exchange that I will be able to hook up to is the TwisterNether link exhange. I am just waiting on the code to add it to my site, check out TwistedNether for details.