If you have recently decided to lead an event team or committee, you will want to ensure your team feels valued and you are able to get the most out of your team members while not overwhelming them!
When working with new clients, I often start by trying to understand the internal and external resources as well as the strengths of the team so that I can work to complement the existing set of skills and maximize our resources for the event.
If a team member has an eye for design or advertising, why not let them manage the graphics? If someone has always had a love for decorating, put them in charge of the décor for your event. If a creative person is in charge of budgeting and a logistical person is in charge of the developing a theme, your team may well feel lost and not have the confidence to bring their best foot forward. Your goal must to be to understand what will motivate your team, energize them and ensure everyone is working in their zone of genius.
Utilizing existing resources and strengths will help to make a team more efficient and the event more cost effective. Maximizing resources already available will also create a positive and more enjoyable work environment.
Setting an event team up for success from the beginning is really important. Here are a few ways to ensure you are maximizing the resources and skill sets on your team.
- Ensure everyone is working within their “Zone of Genius”– Indentify the areas of strength within the team. Ensuring everyone is working within their “zone of genius” will help to not only ensure a high functioning team but also values individual team members.
- Engage internal and external resources available. Prepare a list of needs, resources, suppliers and goals. Take some time to review internal and external resources which are readily available and where applicable, can reduce some of the costs and work load.
- Ensure working processes are in place. Clear working processes allow for someone to not only determine the end goal but also see the steps moving forward. Working processes are in place so that event teams/committees can act independently.
- Look for areas of overlap. If something has been done well in the past, if there is a template built or a benchmark to work from, it will help the team to feel supported. Also ensuring that there is minimal overlap and a clear set of responsibilities is important to respecting the team’s time and investments.
- Mange work loads-Ensure work loads are realistic and feasible. A manageable work load will help to create trust amongst the event team/committee and therefore ensure accountability. Understanding everyone’s work limits, boundaries and setting expectations helps to reduce burn out and keep the team members engaged.
- Celebrate successes along the way. Ensuring that goals, milestones and successes are celebrated along the way will help to create an environment where team members feel valued as a group and as individuals.
