There is another aspect to explain – one which can make or break even the strongest of guilds. The easiest way to approach this topic is to explain an Officers position in relation to his or her Guild Master. Unless the guild has a sort of council set up it is most likely that the Guild Master participates much as a benevolent monarch would. That is to say, what they decide is the end of discussion.

Officers and their GM should have a very professional relationship both in game as well as in any interaction they partake of – such as Officer forums, chats, or meetings. Through discussion the Officers and GM should be able to come up with satisfactory solutions to problems the guild, its members, or even the Officers face as a whole. There will be times, however, when an Officer may disagree partially or totally with what the GM decides. This is acceptable only IF the Officer does not in any way, shape, or form, relate this to the guild at large.

As an Officer it is your duty to stand behind the GM and uphold their decisions, just as it is their duty as a GM to stand behind your decisions. A good example is the removal of a member by an Officer who was on-site for the perpetuation of behavior against guild rules, or the harassment of this member towards another member. Even if I felt this was not handled as I would have handled it, I will NOT make the public announcement that I do not stand behind the Officers choice of action. There may be a private inquest to determine if the action was rash or totally justified, and then the reversal or upholding of that decision based on presented evidence.

At NO time should the members ever see Officers bickering with, denouncing, or second guessing the Guild Master. At NO time should the members ever see Officers bickering, denouncing, or second-guessing one another. These are private affairs only acceptable within the secured premises of an Officer only forums, or meeting.

It is also relevant to maintain a professional distance from the members. As an Officer it becomes your duty to enforce rules, and participate in judgment calls if members bring forth an issue. If you are friends with every member of the guild then this position of power will become skewed and your judgments will no longer be unbiased or totally impartial. This is not to say you cannot maintain friendly relations with people, but be very careful not to allow these relations to take on an aspect that will compromise your position as an Officer.

Guild Masters must be the same way. We cannot become everyone’s personal friend if we hope to maintain order, respect, and authority over the guild we are expected to run. Emotional responses are best reserved for personal relationships – not for operation of a guild. When the storm hits, we must be the solid rock onto which the rest of the guild leans or clings. Everything good reflects back upon us, just as everything bad is thrown onto us. Our ultimate responsibility is to bear the entire load of successes, or of failure.

Copied from the guide originally written by Aerte

http://us.battle.net/wow/en/forum/topic/2191129673

A note from Amethetta:

Even though I copied this from a forum, the points it makes are near to my heart and belief on how the officer system should work. Those that are or have been my officers, I know and appreciate the often unacknowledged hard work that you have put into the guild. Know that you have my deepest thanks.