One must learn from the past, or they are doomed to repeat it. The history of TEP is extensive, and there is much to consider when managing a region. I ran for Delegate without being properly prepared for what it was, and although people said I did a great job, I don’t believe them. To run a region, you need to know all the ins and outs, and you can’t just leave it to run itself; you must be hands-on in all aspects. So, to learn from my mistakes, I will explain exactly what I did wrong in my Delegacy and what you can do to improve.
Be Your Own Person
This is something that I did not learn until my second term. Getting people to like you and trust you is part of the job, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t have your own ideals that other people may not like. In my first term, I relied a lot on how other people thought I should run the region. I did not trust myself to do it without the help of others. This is okay if you don’t fully rely on the help of others, but I did. I did not have my own ideas, I was afraid to stand up to the Praesidium, I was scared, I was in a new spot, and I was afraid of people not liking me. You cannot be afraid of people not liking you. You have to do what YOU think is right, even if not everyone agrees with you. When I used a veto in the Magisterium, I did what I thought was right; of course, I did not do as much research as I should’ve, I only went off of the evidence provided to me, but I was proud to make a decision all by myself. From then on, I was not scared to disagree with the Praesidium; I became my own person, free from the shackles of judgment.
Do the Work Yourself
If there is someone on your cabinet who is not doing their job, and they are not answering any of your messages, do the work yourself. You are the Delegate; you know what to do, so do it. I learned this with EPNS. The News Minister became swamped with life, and instead of leaving EPNS to rot, I took it into my own hands. I rolled up my sleeves and released the September 2025 article on October 1st, the best timing we have had for an article for almost a year. I felt so accomplished, I felt like I was actually helping the region instead of just sitting back and watching. This also goes for other things, such as the Summer Solstice Festival I planned and helped run. Doing things yourself makes you feel accomplished and shows the public that you are not just a figurehead, that you do work just like the rest of them.
Don’t Be Afraid of Change
I was afraid of change for the longest time. I was afraid that if I changed something in the government, everyone was going to hate it, and I would lose my job as Delegate. This was unfounded, and I had no reason to worry, but I worried anyway. As I stated before, do what you think is right. If you believe that all of Regional Affairs should be condensed, do it. You are the boss; you don’t need to fear the judgment of others. Of course, always get feedback before you do something, but if your heart is set on it, do it; it can always be reversed later if you end up not feeling like it was the right decision in the end.
Be The Head Diplomat
This is something that I learned quickly in my term as Delegate. You are the head of TEP, and you need to act like it. Reach out to TEP’s allies, make friends in other regions; this will come in handy. When people outside of TEP think of our region, you want them to think of YOU. You must be the face of the region, the face of the people. Your FA Minister may be the one who conducts most of the foreign affairs, but you must be there right alongside them. If you want something from a region, talk to them. The best way for a region to listen is for the Delegate themselves to reach out to them. It shows that you are involved in the foreign affairs of the region and you care about your allies and potential future allies. A good example of this is the AA-TEP declaration of friendship, something I did all by myself. YOU need to take action as the Delegate.
Conclusion
All in all, you must learn from the Delegates that came before you. Don’t speak ill of the dead, but learn from their mistakes so that you do not make the same mistakes yourself.
