A Methodology for Evaluating GM's

[JCarson 797]

I have been thinking about a comment I made on a media spot that came out earlier this month.  The main media spot had to do with how teams have entered and managed the rebuild process and how the actions of their GM’s lead to problems.  It was a good article and if you haven’t read it, you should. Especially if you are thinking about becoming a GM any time in the future. Find link below: 

 

https://vhlforum.com/topic/154595-when-to-rebuild-a-cautionary-tale-ft-la-prague-dc-helsinki-london-and-warsaw-and-maybe-you-next/  

 

The comments although relevant to the topic overall did stray from the original article and it is where those comments landed that I want to focus on. Particularly the topic of should we have an evaluation process for VHL GM to help maintain competitiveness and player engagement. I am going to take the stance that there should be an evaluation process and discuss the methodology that I think could be used. 

 

Any evaluation of a GM needs to look at several different factors and not purely look at end of season outcomes. I would expect that this evaluation be done by multiple individuals and would include input from the commissioners, the other GM’s and a representation of the team’s players (potentially the team captain). 

 

Evaluation Point 1 – adherence and support of League rules, measured by Commissioners and potentially moderators (pertaining to impact on Discord).  GM’s should be leading the way on adhering to the rules of the league and supporting others to do the same.  Violations here should be grounds for warning once (depending on the rule) and termination if violated multiple times. 

 

Evaluation Point 2 – engaging in GM specific activities like Trading, Free Agency and Drafting.  I am not suggesting we should evaluate how well someone did as that can be subjective, what I am discussing is how engaged in the process.  Are they actively looking to improve their team, trying to make deals, seek out players and doing the work to position themselves for the draft. This would be evaluated by the Commissioners and other GM. 

 

Evaluation Point 3 – impact on player engagement.  This would be measured by looking at locker room activity and player support on discord.  One of the main goals of the GM is to engage their players, to assist them when they have questions and to remind them of things they may have forgotten.  This assist in keeping players engaged and active. I think this is where I would have the team captain provide input on behalf of the player 

 

Evaluation Point 4 – engaging with others involved in the VHL process.  Mainly this includes working with the Simmers to ensure that the process runs smoothly.  Making sure line changes are completed in a timely manner, particularly at season beginning and with backup goalie requirements.  But also includes making sure trades are communicated so that those line adjustments can be made within the sim engine. Simmer, GM and commissioners would provide input here 

 

Evaluation Point 5 – Competitive performance, although this should never be the sole reason for removing a GM from their position.  it must be considered in the overall performance, as it is in reality.  You can have an engaged, hard-working, player focused GM who is liked by their peers and is compliant with all rules but there comes a point where they can’t produce a competitive team then they aren’t fit for the job. 

 

There you have it, my system for evaluating GM on their role with the goal of maintaining a competitive and engaged VHL experience.  I know it is not perfect, but I think it is better than doing nothing like we do now.