Raid Rx: Auditing the healing team

Every week, Raid Rx will help you quarterback your healers to victory! Your host is Matt Low, the grand poobah of World of Matticus and a founder of Plus Heal, a discussion community for healers of all experience levels and interests. Catch his weekly podcast on healing, raiding and leading on the Matticast.

As we get into the next tier coming with patch 4.2, the time has come for healers to take a hard look at themselves and each other. This is a great time for healing leaders to examine the strengths and weaknesses of their healing group and see what needs to be shored up. Some of the questions to ask yourselves have been inspired by a discussion I participated in. They were excellent questions, and I wanted to expand on them and share my thoughts because I know there are other healers who are undoubtedly thinking the same thing about themselves and others.

Is it time to go when I notice the other healers around me just don't seem to care anymore? We keep them because of seniority and tenure but it seems as if though they lack the motivation and desire to excel.

That's a hard question to answer. It really depends on what your motivations are. If you want to do more but honestly don't see the group sharing that level of desire that you have, then it just might be time to part company. I'd strongly suggest talking to the other healers first to find out where they stand in terms of dedication. The idea of tenure as a reason to keep invites going to players is one of those double-edged swords. Yes, those players have been around for a while, but what is more important to the group? How long the player has been in the guild or their dedication and game sense? Frankly, I'd rather be pulled into raid groups because the leaders know they can depend on me to play at near-maximum potential.

Unfortunately, not everyone is going to feel the same way. As the healing lead, you need to confer with the guild leader and figure out what the principles and directives of the guild are. Once you get that hammered out, you can figure out how to resolve the rest of the desire between tenured healers and the ones who wish to progress.

How much of a problem is it to have a rotating and unstable healing roster? We're relying on the off specs of players in addition to non-raiders or players on alts just to meet our healing quota to get going.

That is a big problem. It is also a recruiting problem. You should never rely on the off specs of players to try to get your raid going (at least, not consistently). Have a talk with players who have multiple specs and find out who is willing to do what. Don't force them to play something they don't want to over an extended period. In addition, don't force players who aren't raiders to come in and raid for you. It'll only magnify the frustration. Keep recruiting and adding players. It is the best long-term solution you can hope for. The short-term solution would be to see if you can get a player or two to temporarily switch to a healing role for a few raids until you have the roster ready to go again. Failing that, consider resorting to PUG healers. It certainly is hit-or-miss, but who knows? You might find a player who is solid and who eventually joins your guild.

How should players who don't come prepared for raids to the best of their ability be dealt with?

There are a number of options available here. You can reward the players who are showing up and doing the right things to try to set an example for everyone else. The alternative is to institute a set of punishing measures to reinforce that what's going on isn't good enough. One of the first things I've learned when I first started out the whole healing lead thing is that you can't "will" people to be at their best. There should be some form of consequence that could include benching or dismissal. Depending on the type of guild and the type of player, you could reprimand them publicly or disenchant their loot. Again, that really depends on what kind of personality they are. Some players take it well and use it as a way to focus and get better. Others sink further down and don't take it as well.

Find out what they're doing wrong and stage a conversation with them to try to get to improve. Have empirical evidence to show why. If they still refuse after all of this, then start looking around for players who can do better.

What do I do with healers who are blowing their assignments?

Tank keeps dying? Someone not going on the right pillars? Consider making your assignments public in raid chat instead of just healer chat. This way, everyone in the raid can see who is doing what and if a healer isn't sticking to what they need to do, the rest of the players will know this and try to remind them.

If a healer consistently misses their assignments, then you need to be even more firm. Unless there is a legitimate reason as to why they can't actually do their job, you have to tell them that they're the one holding the group back from progressing and that they need to sit in favor of someone else who can step in and do what is needed.

As a leader, how can I keep my head up as a healing leader when faced with the constant criticism from other players? What are my important roles?

I deal with this all the time. Second to raid leading, the player who manages healers is always going to be under the gun. The best thing you can do is hold yourself and the rest of the group accountable. Be up front about what's working and what isn't. You're in a unique situation where you need to troubleshoot deaths and come up with solutions -- fast! It certainly helps having a friend or two to go to afterward to get your frustrations out.

Your role is to act as a shield, if necessary, between healers and the players who are calling for their heads. If someone asks "Why did I die?", you need to come up with a response ready as to why they died and what changes, if any, you plan to make so that it doesn't happen again. Sometimes that's as simple as adding another healer or switching assignments or even modifying locations to mitigate boss abilities. If it wasn't the problem of a healer and they were doing everything correctly, then you need to be able to say that as well.

Hold players accountable no matter what. Keep your sanity in check while doing so. It isn't always easy coordinating healing and it isn't for everyone. If the pressure starts getting to you, then consider stepping back for a bit and maybe let someone take over for a while.

Need advice on working with the healers in your guild? Raid Rx has you covered. Send your questions about raid healing to mattl@wowinsider.com. For less healer-centric raiding advice, visit Ready Check for advanced tactics and advice for the endgame raider.