These are just some observations I've made being a moderator in multiple settings, in wonderful teams and bad teams, as well as being in communities that have absolutely festered due to poor moderation. Many of these traits are things you can identify before the person is even appointed a moderator in the first place. (Most of this applies to large-scale servers and/or communities, and isn't always applicable to small and/or personal servers. I am not writing some sort rule book absolutely everyone has to follow, these are just traits that would not make the mod-team cut, to me, you don't have to agree with me.)
- Having any hesitation with confrontation.
(being a moderator requires confrontation, this is not negotiable. if the idea of confronting difficult people gives you anxiety or panic attacks, don't apply to be a moderator) - Being too eager to confront and/or unable to use tact/kindness when confronting.
(those that seek confrontation should not be moderators) - Gets personally offended easily.
(any mod that is constantly getting into fights with other users because of perceived slights, will make the whole community feel unable to talk to the mod team) - Is incapable of repairative reading.
(moderators need to be capable of reading the best out of someone and not jumping to negative conclusions) - Lacking in compassion.
(using tact and kindness leads to faster, more permanent, diffusion of conflicts) - Views any confrontation as a personal attack.
(being a moderator means getting a lot of questions, suggestions, and well-meaning 'confrontation' and needs to be met without hostility. ps: tact and firmness are not the same as hostility) - Cares more about their own wants than the server. This can manifest in the form of, in the case of a server/community created for a single individual, ignoring comforts/needs of the individual; in the case of a collective community, being unwilling to negotiate or compromise with the rest or the community/team.
- Likes to control others.
(moderation is about cohesive harmony for a shared goal, not control) - Incapable of being objective and applying the same rules appropriately to all uses.
(those that expect exceptions for their friends or people they want to impress, or express any other bias of application of the rules, should not be moderators) - Incapable of following the rules, themselves.
(if someone wasn't following the rules before they became a mod, it won't change when they do become a mod) - Wants to be a mod for the social collateral, not because they want the community to run smoothly.
(those that are constantly vying for attention and validation, that then apply for being a mod, should not be made mods) - Lacks humility.
(knowing when to admit you're wrong or have overstepped, is important to being a good moderator) - Lacks the self-awareness of knowing when to put something down and walk away.
(as a moderator, self-moderation is a vital skill that must be learned to be able to moderate others) - Refuses to communicate directly and clearly in any given circumstance.
(vague communication is bad moderation, any user being approached by a mod should know exactly what they did wrong, and what is expected for future change) - Is prone to soap-boxing/lecturing instead of being concise.
(this goes back to communicating clearly and directly; being overly verbose and preachy can make it difficult to understand. You need to give room to allow the member you are confronting to talk and ask questions.) - Incapable of deferring to others with grace where appropriate.
(knowing when you're not the best mod for the job, when you're lacking in information, when your ideas just won't work, or when you're compromised is important. and knowing how to properly delicate tasks is a Must for an admin)