Professional Communication
Chapter 17 — Core rules for how staff should communicate, with examples of strong and weak responses.
How you communicate matters as much as what decisions you make. Staff represent Federal SMP's standards every time they speak, in or out of a moderation context.
Core Rules
- Never argue in public. If a conversation is escalating in a public channel or in-game chat, move it to DMs immediately, even if you're confident you're right.
- Stay calm under pressure. An angry or rude player does not get an angry or rude staff member in return. Your composure is part of the job.
- Be clear, not clever. Sarcasm and passive-aggressive replies tend to escalate situations rather than resolve them. Say plainly what the rule is and what happens next.
- Admit mistakes directly. If you got something wrong, say so, correct it, and move on. Defensiveness erodes trust faster than the original mistake.
- Keep your tone the same for everyone. Friends of yours get the same tone and treatment as strangers.
Example: De-escalating a Heated Player
WEAK RESPONSE
"Calm down, that's not even what happened, you're overreacting."
STRONG RESPONSE
"I hear you're frustrated. Let's move to DMs so I can look into this properly and we can sort it out."
GOLDEN RULE
If you wouldn't be comfortable with an Admin reading your message back to you later, don't send it.
Quick Review — Q&A
Q: What should you do if an argument is escalating in a public channel?
A: Move it to DMs immediately, regardless of how confident you are that you're right.
Q: How should you handle it when you realize you've made a mistake as staff?
A: Admit it directly, correct it, and move on — defensiveness damages trust more than the mistake itself.
Q: Should staff use a different tone with friends than with strangers?
A: No. Tone and treatment should be consistent for everyone, without exception.