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Tending Too Much Can Cause Problems

Are you active on your board but your board is dragging anyway? Check to see if you are overworking it!

I spend a lot of time telling cls to post! Post! Post! This is a basic rule of good board management. An active involved manager can do amazing things for building boards and community. Sometimes, a manager can just try too hard though and manage a board into a slowdown. Some boards are just not into games. Some boards dont respond well to the sorts of board fillers other boards love. Roll call is one example. On some boards, this is the highlight of the day or week and a guaranteed post stimulator. On other boards, it can be a turn off.

Learning which type your board is can take a bit of experimentation. Try a couple new ideas. Give it a month and then assess. Did the members like it? Or did they ignore the new tactics all together? Or worse, did they leave? Even if YOU think it is the coolest idea since sliced bread and you love taking part in it on a board, they may not.

 
Don't try more and more posts and questions on the board in an effort to increase posting. If you have posted a question or thought of the day and it is slow, don't post something else just to see if it floats better. Work on drawing members into that discussion and responding to the responses you have first.

Then you have to work on drawing members into conversation. Do this by listening. Well, reading and responding. Draw the members out. Members are humans and humans love to talk about THEMSELVES. Of course, this is something that needs to be done on all boards. On boards where the efforts to engage members with games, questions and other devices doesnt work, it is even more vital. Draw members out by asking questions about their posts, about themselves. If you have a regular who has stopped posting, post and check on them. Show concern for the member. Use only one post draw such as a Friday Five or question of the week at a predictable time if they arent game people. If they arent nosey question people, then a gentle game might work. But, if you have tried all these, just step back a bit. Welcome newcomers. Respond to posts; try to let some others respond first. Draw members out, but dont be overpowering. Be present and there on the board, but allow the board to develop its own voice.