Managing eSports Team: The Skills and Its Challenges
We have talked about eSport Behind The Scene, how is it like to run an eSport tournament and event, but how to manage the team itself? What are the hurdles and how to subjugate them?
The bigger the eSports industry, the more eSports teams have sprung up. Starting from a team with genres like First-Person Shooter (FPS), Multiplayer Online Battle Arena (MOBA), Fighting, Role-Playing Game (RPG), to mobile. The esports team is also diverse in scope, from small teams managed by small event organizers to professional teams in a bigger eSport organization that has competed in international events.
To be able to compete in the international arena and become a successful team requires good management. In addition to managing the operational team as a whole, it is also to unite the team and inspire them. That’s why a team manager is needed to build and manage the players.
Marazian Ojan Sahita, the General Manager of BOOM eSports, had the opportunity to confide his experiences while working and being active in the eSports industry at the current Bountie Talkshow, The Drop Zone.
Known as Ojan or Owljan, he started his journey as a casual player who had a curiosity as to why Indonesian gamers didn’t exist in the international event at that time. After doing research and discussing with his closest, he feels that the eSports community plays a big role in the burgeoning of this industry. He sees that Indonesia and other SEA countries have great potential in the eSports industry. Realizing that, he is voracious and started wanting to have a career in this industry.
Achieving the position of General Manager has certainly been a long and challenging journey for Owljan. Being active in social media and the eSports community made him start his career in the eSports industry as an event crew in one of the Indonesian eSports Teams, then he stepped up his career as a Social Media Manager for Revival eSports or known as Revival TV now. Continued to be active as an event organizer and a social media manager, until finally he landed at BOOM eSports and has been dedicated his skill and time for almost 5 years.
Having an important role, of course, comes with a huge responsibility, what is the scope of work as a general manager?
- Operational Team (Competition Target and Evaluation)
Regulating all the responsibilities and rights of players is one of the responsibilities that must be carried out. A manager has to think about the targets and strategies of the competition, to train the players as individuals and as a team, and also the evaluation. - Contract Negotiation
Besides negotiating between players and management, the general manager is also responsible for negotiating the sponsorship contracts. One of the biggest revenues for eSports is sponsorship, so when the team gets bigger, the skill for negotiation with brands is needed. - Market Price Research and Payment
As a GM, of course, he also recruits players who are capable and by the company’s mission. Before negotiating contracts with players, he must do market price research. He also has to ensure that all payment is paid to all the players. - Dovetail The Company’s Mission to Players
In building a bigger team, the players’ mission and the company’s mission must be in line. The General Manager plays a major role in conveying the company’s vision to players and dovetailing with the players’ mission.
To be able to do all the responsibilities well and develop the team to be successful and bigger, being a general manager also requires a skill set that must be mastered. According to Owljan, here are some of the main skills that must be possessed.
- Problem Solving
Managing a team means dealing with many players and their personalities. Sometimes there are some problems in the internal team, the tension and the penchant of tenterhooks are sometimes insuperable. As a manager, he has to have this skill to solve problems before they affect and become obstacles when players perform. - Interpersonal Skills
Having skills in building relationships with people is quite important as a manager. He must be able to convey many aspirations from many parties and unite them or mediate between top management and players so that all parties can work well with each other. - Observasi dan Awareness
As a GM, you must be aware of all circumstances and make observations about all things that are engaged in this industry.
As a General Manager who handles teams globally, Owlan must have gone through many hurdles and experiences. One of the hurdles Owlan encountered was aligning the views and missions of all parties. Cultural differences are also a challenge that he must conquer. Another thing he has to face is when he has to end his professional relationship with his team, this is a banality that he overcomes by continuing to build good communication and relationships with all parties and limiting it personally and professionally.
Currently, he is still active in working on his dream to continue to enhance the eSports industry in the international arena. For him, eSports is a competitive world, being good and play robustly is not enough to grow professionally, to become outstanding which is needed. But for him, every individual always has skills and unique points.
Well, now it’s your turn to level up yourself!
If you are a casual gamer and want to be more exist and active in the eSports industry, one of the platforms you can visit is Bountie. You can create tournaments, play games, shop, and also gain insightful knowledge from existing events.
Hone your skills and unique points now on Bountie!
