Maintaining a Team
The staff team is the backbone of a community. It is critical that the staff team functions well for the community to function well. Here are some guiding principles to keep in mind as a staff member for a healthy staff team.
Be fun, not perfect
If you have a project that you think would be very successful, but you don't want to do it, then don't do it! Dragging through a project you don't want to work on isn't fun, and why are you here if you're not enjoying it? If you have a cool idea, do it! Unless it's something you think needs additional consideration, you don't have to ask anyone for permission. Use good judgement and don't be stupid, but also don't be afraid to just make something cool. It doesn't have to be completely thought out. It doesn't have to be consistent. Don't be afraid to make mistakes, because they can be fixed.
If someone has a fun idea that is maybe not entirely thought out, rather than "wait, but" try to do "yes, and" because we should value our fun and togetherness over perfection. There needs to be a balance so that people don't feel like their ideas that they are putting forward to have fun are being crushed by a frontload of working out every potential issue.
Make friends, not colleagues
We work best together when we are friends. If you are at odds with someone else on the staff team, reach out to them with your concerns so that your connection is healthy. Find something fun that you and another staff member share enjoyment in. Participate in staff get-togethers and events. The more friendly we are with each other, the more open everyone will be to everyone else, and we can support each other in our ideas and projects. You don't need to be best friends with every staff member, but establish a circle of friends within the team that you can go to for support and encouragement.
Here's a great video on listening:
Talk it out
If the final decision for a question has to be resolved by a poll, you have failed.
As a staff team, major decisions you make will be viewed by the community as upheld by the staff team as a unit. If not everyone on the staff team is on board, this becomes problematic. Major decisions need to be discussed and respectfully argued until everyone thoroughly understands all sides and there is unanimity. Most problems have a best solution. If everyone is able to discuss their personal viewpoint while being open to change, the best solution among those proposed will usually surface as the most popular. But this requires everyone in the conversation to be open and honest.
If someone proposes an idea you are unsure of, identify why you are hesitant and bring it forward, no matter how insignificant it seems. Even if you're not entirely sure why you are hesitant, stirring up conversation about it allows others to help you understand what you are unsure about.
If you have proposed an idea that you feel strongly about, defend it! If someone disagrees with you, consider their grounds. Don't blindly defend your own position, but be open to changing plans and expand your considerations as you gain feedback.
Equilibrium is reached when everyone feels similarly about a certain idea or decision. But it requires everyone participating to speak up, be honest, and have an open mind.