Succession: Duel of Magic Edition (Read for Important DoM Staff Search Info)

[Claire Gallows]

Hello, hi, Claire here with a very important update about the Duel of Magic Staff change announced by Max here. Effectively immediately, Matt and I will be taking over as interim Coordinators for DoM.

So I’m sure that prompts some questions. For example…

Why interim staff?
Why would we take this path when there were multiple applicants who expressed interest?
What does this mean for Duel of Magic going forward?
Are we going to change staff again in the near future?

I’m sure there are others but I anticipate these at a minimum will be on some minds. In the interest of transparency and to clear up some of that confusion, I have some information I would like to share with the community at large.


So first, why interim staff?

Matt and I are here to allow Max to step down fully sooner than originally intended while still acknowledging that Duel of Magic will need a long term sports staff. This is by no fault of anyone involved and is intended to give Max a much, much needed reprieve from running the show after years and years of selfless service to both Duel of Magic and the rhydin.org community at large. By bringing in experienced coordinators to help with the transition, we hope to keep the momentum that Max & Co built for DoM while identifying and developing staff to take over on a long term, more permanent basis.


But Claire! I expressed interest or know someone who expressed interest in Duel of Magic staff and wasn’t accepted. What’s the deal?

Great question! And you’re all going to roll your eyes when I say it has a complicated answer, but it is, in fact, complicated.. But like I said, this is about transparency so I’m going to lay it out. Up above, I mentioned a need to identify and develop staff. This comes down to the latter part of that phrase; “develop”. We have many wonderful people in this community that would like to bring their time, energy, and attention to a staff role. I think that’s absolutely amazing because, quite simply, this community and our dueling sports would not function without volunteers. What we’ve missed the mark on is cultivating that interest and the skills that make successful coordinators and staff. That’s a failing on our part but it’s one we intend to correct in the coming months.


What does that mean? Let’s talk about it.

Matt and I do not intend to be in this position for any more than 6-9 months or so. 12 months max. I do not intend to go into 2025 as a member of staff and hope to have suitable leadership in place well before then. That time will be spent a) keeping DoM running as it was before, which includes quarterly ARTs and cyclical AMTs in a stripped down fashion and b) developing new leadership for DoM to take over at the end of that time frame.


You keep saying “develop staff/leadership”, what does that even mean?

This is the important part. If you pay attention to anything in this long ass post, please let it be this. If you (yes, YOU) have interest in Duel of Magic staff, whether that’s Head Coordinator, Assistant Coordinator, Standings Keeper, or something else, this section is for you. This includes people who expressed interest before as well as those just now getting curious about the role. In the interest of setting up the next staff team for success, we intend to select the next Duel of Magic staff from interested community members who fulfill a few developmental prerequisites. This is, again, to help set you up for success and help you be ready to navigate not only the technical aspects of the role but also the soft-skills aspects that can really make or break a team when it comes to their rapport with the community as well as their short and long term burnout levels.

In short, I want to build a talent pipeline that gives a clear progression path for those wishing to join staff eventually. Who knows, maybe if this works, it could give the other sports or RP team or whatever other positions a framework to use in the future. That’s my hope, at least. Having a clear path for how to go from participant to volunteer to vetted staff is something any community should try to have.

Firstly, we are asking interested candidates to step up to the plate by helping with the running of things like the ART, AMT, etc. Those interested in learning how to do standings can help by writing news. Those interested in events or histories can help by hosting shifts or proactively planning community-wide events or writing histories in the wake of tournaments or challenges. Essentially, do the job you want (volunteer), not the job you have (participant only). We will post a sign-up thread for several of these items, but if there’s a function you’re interested in that doesn’t have a sign-up, please reach out to us to chat.

To be clear and to reiterate information from above: DoM tournaments, histories, and activities will be stripped down and bare bones if you elect to have Matt and I run them on our own. We are counting on you to bring the energy, the excitement, and the effort to give DoM the flavor it deserves.

From those that are putting in the time and effort, we’ll develop soft skills that are critical to running a sport or community in a way that is open, inclusive, and prime for organic growth. The Max skills, you know? Where community members feel seen, feel heard, and have a sport and setting that is welcoming and fun and easy to be a part of. While I call them “soft skills”, they may be harder than the technical aspects like running tournaments or writing histories. We all know that this is a small community and many of us have known one another for years, if not decades at this point. With that comes complicated interpersonal dynamics so there will be some tough conversations to be had. This will require an open mind, vulnerability, and a willingness to set aside personal bullshit for the sake of the betterment of the community. This means everyone in the community, not just people we enjoy being around.

That’s a real quick rundown of what I envision when it comes to selecting new staff for Duel of Magic (and maybe other sports in the future!). After all these years, I’m massively invested in the future of Duel of Magic and I really want whoever takes it over to be successful. Our commitment to you through this is transparency, constructive feedback, an open mind ourselves, and a willingness to step outside of the box we’ve currently drawn for the sport and community if it means getting the right faces into the roles.


What does this mean for Duel of Magic going forward?

To sum it up, Matt and I will be identifying and developing DoM’s future staff over the course of the next 6-9 months in hopes of having them in the roles and officially on staff by the end of 2024. If you are interested in this, please let us know or keep a look out for sign-ups in the near future. We require ZERO experience and only ask for a willingness to put in the work for the role you are seeking. We can teach you everything else. And if you’re interested in a staff position in the future but not necessarily this one, and you want to have some conversations around steps you can take to get into a position to do so, you’re welcome to join our convos too!


Are we going to change staff again in the near future?

That’s the goal. Matt and I are interim only and intend to identify, develop, and select a permanent staff for Duel of Magic by the end of the year.


But Claire, I have a question that wasn’t addressed here!

Please reach out via discord or PMs here on the forum. You may have the same question as someone else, so we will gather questions and post them with answers in this thread to ensure transparency around that information along with anonymity for those who may not necessarily want to attach a name to the post. You can send them to Matt (speradon on discord), myself (claire.farron on discord), or if you wish to have another staff member or a friend pass them on to us, you can contact whomever you trust to do so.


Thank you!
Claire and Matt