When moderators keep asking permission to do their job

[Beverly]

I would prefer to employ moderators who fully use their power without consulting me every five minutes.

An experienced moderator knows the rules and just does their job, without having to talk it over with anyone. At least, that's always been my style. If there is a problem, then I handle it. I never run to the forum admin for permission to delete posts or edit out a link.

If the forum owner doesn't like what I'm doing then he/she will say so.

On my own forum as well as every forum that I manage, we have a clear set of rules and guidelines for what constitutes spam or unacceptable post. So if a moderator is constantly sending me messages to get approval for deleting posts, then that takes up most of my time dealing with it on the forum.

I like talking with others on my staff as it's a great way to keep communication open. However, I wish that some moderators would show more autonomy, rather than shifting all the decision making on what posts should be deleted onto me.

I can't imagine why a moderator would not just do their job, especially if they wanted that job in the first place. I'm guessing they are just worried over negative feedback for doing the job, now that it's been assigned.

If this is something you are dealing with, please give me tips on how to handle a moderator who is not confident enough to do the job on their own without constant supervision.

 

[Moonface]

I can expect it if they're new to it, because they're learning the ropes possibly of how to be a moderator. Once they've got experience though, I'd expect them to manage most cases by themselves, or at least ask for a second opinion if it's difficult to decide if something borders too far or not.

If I had ever encountered staff who were always relying on somebody else, I'd initially try to ask them what they always get stuck on to try and educate them and hopefully get them more independent and confident about it. They may simply just need some reassurance to get on track.

 

[Thomasss]

If they are new, even WITH experience in moderating, them asking you should be a sign that they want to try and make sure they are doing their job right.

Now if they have been a mod for 6-ish months and they still ask questions on if they should delete a post, then they might need a boost in confidence. However if they are new, again, they should be able to ask questions, even if the guidelines clearly state everything they need to know.

Heck, I have plenty of experience, and since I'm new to the CT here at FP, I ask questions and we have guides and what not. Asking questions should not be punished if they are new, sometimes you just need a "yeah, you do this and this because of this" just to reassure their own thoughts. Most of the time, they probably know what they need to do, they just need to make sure they are right.