Ever join up with a teamwork squad, only to find out the SL isn't even communicating or organizing the team? Matter of fact, you look at the map and notice that your squad isn't even within a 200m radius of each other. Ok, maybe its a recon squad.. wait.. so how come everyone in the squad is in the middle of the street and dying not using binocs to recon?
Ok, there goes that optimism. Welcome to a squad that isn't using teamwork. Where either the squad leader is AFK or the SL has left and now there is a war of people leaving the squad to make someone else squad leader but they just keep leaving and rejoining the squad. Just keep in mind your best chance for taking control of a squad is if you become the squad leader.
*sigh*
Uh-oh, so 3 people have left the squad at the same time and now your squad leader!
What do you do squad leader?
Do you leave and hope someone else sticks with the squad leader position and magically start giving out orders to everyone?
No.
If you want to get things done, your going to have to do it yourself.
Maybe you don't want to lead. Maybe you don't feel like leading. Maybe you don't want your leadership skills be associated with a squad that wasn't using teamwork before, and now that your squad leader, you refuse to lead it as you fear the members themselves will ignore your orders and the squad will continue along the route it was upon before, or that you want an effective squad from the start.
It is easier to take lead of a squad from the beginning of a match in which the squad is named "teamwork" and the members who have joined are all in the teamwork mindset.
But don't be scared. Just because you joined half an hour into the match, and the only squad open was a squad named "TITTIES" and has the lowest score of all squads, and is in the negative for teamwork score, doesn't mean you can't turn that around.
Matter of fact, it is now your responsibility to take control of that squad. You are squad leader. It doesn't matter who is in it. As soon as you take that squad leader position, you have a few things you are going to need to do.
Establish Your Presence
I don't care if you were silent for 10 minutes just following squad buddies who seemed to be doing something. Your going to have to make a psychological mind shift change from silent squad member following others to a loud talking squad leader that takes care of his virtual buddies.
Psychology plays a big factor in squad dynamics. If you join a squad using VOIP constantly and working together well, your going to want to do the same to help out everyone as well. But if you join a squad that is dead silent and is not doing anything, you don't want to be the only guy trying to organize a squad that doesn't even want to work together.
Well, its time to change that. You now have the authority to kick people and basically, that is your leverage. But your real leverage is how you communicate with your team. Your a people person. Not a dictator.
Communicate your intent: "Ok, well i'm squad leader now. So we have to turn things around here. I'm going to need to know who wants to work in a team and win this mission!"
Communications Check
You are going to need a team that works together. Even if the other 5 people have been quiet the whole time, doesn't mean they don't want to work together. Believe that there are other people in there that do. But they don't want the responsibility of squad leading.
You need to establish communication from all squad members. VoIP or text. VoIP is not a requirement, and they just need to acknowledge your presence. Here is an example of the squad leader leaving the squad and your appointed squad leader by the game system. The squad name is "TITTIES" and is left with the players JohnnyBlue77 and Savi0r. You have communicated your intent and now must do a communications check.
SGT 22.SAS|Maxsom[UKSF]: Johnny, you read me?
JohnnyBlue77: rgr
- He is good -
SGT 22.SAS|Maxsom[UKSF]: Savior, you copy?
*no response*
SGT 22.SAS|Maxsom[UKSF]: Savior, you copy? Over.
*no response*
SGT 22.SAS|Maxsom[UKSF]: Savior, you there? WTF man.
*no response*
SGT 22.SAS|Maxsom[UKSF]: Ok savior, if I am going to be squad leader you will have to acknowledge me either by VoIP or text. I need a team that will work together with me in killing these insurgent ********. So are you there or not? If not, i'm going to have to kick you.
- Wait a moment for any response -
*no response*
SGT 22.SAS|Maxsom[UKSF]: Hasta la vista, baby.
- Kick Savi0r from squad -
Player Savi0r was kicked from the squad.
So if they don't respond after you've done everything above, kick 'em and continue down the line. Also, make sure to refer to members by name. It is a requirement you know everyone by name. You also want to give reasons for your actions if you have the time to do so, as well as motivate everyone into a killing but controllable frenzy.
Reorganize
Once you have the troops that are teamworkers, and gotten rid of the ones who are not, rally at a common location and reorganize your weapon loadouts if needed. Be mindful that not everyone is able to rally at your move location as some may be pinned down or are hiding from any enemy squad. Ask for status reports and why someone may not be moving.
Sometimes you will have to reissue an order as they might not have heard it due to gunfire. So all in all you only need to do three things to take control of a squad. That is to establish your presence, do a communications check, and reorganize. Once you do that, your ready to go player!
