Candidate for Baron and Baroness of Terra Pomaria: Need advice
So Emma and I have been in the process of seeking the positions of Baron and Baroness of Terra Pomaria. A couple months ago we submitted our letter of intent to the crown and last week we had our presentation to the populace and officers. Tonight we had our baronial social gathering that was essentially a Q & A of the four couples seeking the
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I have found by far that the best means to endear yourself to the populace is to make them feel that you represent and respect the voice of everyone in the group. Be sure you are clearly representing ALL the people of the Barony - which does mean dealing with people you may outright dislike or being actively engaged in activities you have no interest in. If I were you, I’d endeavor to have at least one of you at every Baronial gathering (practice, A&S, tavern, business meeting) to ensure you have a handle on things and are showing support and interest in all activities of the Barony. You don't have to like eveyone in your group but you have to find a way to deal with them and be involved in a positive manner and make the people of the Barony have faith that you do represent everyone. This is danged hard but a big part of being a royal in my personal opinion. If you can convince people that you put what is good for the Barony first and your personal feelings second then they will be more inclined to work with you regardless of if they like you or not.
As far as reassuring people that things will be alright... that is trickier. I would suggest that honesty about this issue is best. Tell them the truth - things are wobbley and you don't have all the answers but with their support you are willing to do what it takes to help the group heal. We have been told many times that the reason people follow us is because we are acessible and we want our people's input - and that we don't claim to have all the answers. Some folks will be inclined to say to you "fix it" but most people will want to have some say or hand in the mending. Listen to everyone - even the unreasonable people - then they have had their say too - and then do what you think is best for the health of the group. If people have had some say - or at least feel they have - it will give them more of a buy in and make them more inclined to work with you not against you.
One last bit of advice. Be prepared to be "on" a majority of the time at events. The reality of being a Royal is that you never really are not the Baron or Baroness and that can be hard. What you say and do is always being watched.
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