I’ve spent over 20 years in the event business. I’ve been a waiter, a coordinator, planner, and provider. I’ve worked events ranging from baby showers to carnivals, corporate meetings, weddings… name it, I probably have done it.
And no matter how many events I work, no matter how diverse the attendees, no matter what the aim of the event is, there is one universal truth: someone is drowning in a glass of water, unable to handle the pressure, and is in a panic.
The first problem with panicking is that it destroys your credibility. I understand the pressure is real. I understand timetables. I know you have a lot of plates spinning. I just don’t care about your little problems because they are manageable.
When you panic, it makes it near impossible for you to focus. If you’re panicking, you’ve lost confidence, so you no longer have confidence in your staff. You’re trying to do their job for them. Now one person is doing the work of the many, and very likely doing it badly, while the many are standing around with nothing to do.
I’ve seen this enough to know that there are usually a few reasons why this happens.
Disorganization. Yes, it’s an obvious one, but a common one. Countless times, I’ve heard everyone from the coordinator to the florist, asking where their whatever is. Of course, things will get misplaced. The important thing is to make sure you brought the thing in the first place. And then try not to misplace it.
Tardiness. Tardiness wrecks credibility. On time is late. Especially when you’re supposed to be in charge. Especially when you know things will go wrong. You owe it to your client, to your crew and to yourself to be early. Like, way early.
I can’t even begin to tell you how many times I’ve waited for a planner to show up only to arrive a few minutes before showtime, in a panic, barking orders at people. As we like to say: A lack of planning on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part.
The need for attention. Too often, people want the attention that comes with being in charge. They love being the driving force, even if it means they’re driving everyone crazy. Perhaps they make mountains out of molehills because they think people will be impressed by their boundless energy. They want to give the impression that they are successfully navigating through the tempest they created in their own little teapot. More likely people will be put off by their frenetic display of incompetence. People who act this way in front of clients rarely get rehired.
Maybe I’m wrong. Maybe these people just don’t know what the hell they’re doing.
I’ve chosen event planners because they are a familiar example but the same rules apply to any position in any industry. Losing your composure will hurt your career and your standing with your peers. The easiest way to avoid losing it is by being organized and on time. It really is this simple.
Here’s how:
Plan the work and work the plan. There is no excuse to not have a schedule. You can use a paper one. There is a schedule on your phone. GMail provides a schedule. NO EXCUSES. Plan every minute of your day. I understand that there will be unexpected phone calls, client visits, problems, and the like. I understand these hiccups will get you sidetracked. No matter. Put out the fire and get back on schedule. Schedule the time you go to sleep and the time you wake up. Schedule the time you get on the road in the morning. Schedule your mealtimes. Schedule everything. Give it a try. I promise, it’ll be life changing.
Easy tips to not destroy your credibility by drowning in a glass of water:
- Be on time. Late people suck. You should know that if you’re late, people are talking about you and it ain’t pretty. Being early gives you a chance to assess the situation in real-time and to brief your crew. I recently set up an event at a local country club. Simple affair for about 25 people. We were early. The problem was that the prior event that had used the room wasn’t done yet. Our event was an upscale birthday party for a 14 year-old girl. The event wrapping up was a golf tournament. We had to work around them. So we not only had to set up a party in a short window, we had to work around a bunch of sweaty drunk men who were lying about their golf scores and claiming their silent auction prizes. Had we been disorganized or late, we would have never gotten the room set on time.
- Prepare in advance. You should be ready for whatever it is by no later than the night before.
- Write out a plan. Put it on paper and make sure anyone who could conceivably need a copy has a copy. I say paper because it’s reliable. Paper doesn’t need to be charged. Paper doesn’t require wi-fi. Paper will serve you whether you are a Mac or a PC. By all means, rely on your tablet if you must, but please have a paper backup.
- Be organized. Know what goes where and who should be doing what. You don’t want people standing around doing nothing anymore than you want them running around doing everything… or worse, not knowing what they’re doing.
- Remain calm. This ain’t rocket surgery or brain science. No one will die if something goes wrong. All you have to do if the train goes off the rails is remain calm, get the train back on the rails, and get the job done.
So get out there and do the job without the drama. You can. Drop me a line if I can help or to share your insights. You can always find me at adolfo@adolfojimenez.com
Adolfo Jimenez lives in Hollywood, Florida, and is a Certified Speaker, Trainer, and Coach with the John Maxwell Company. He consults with entrepreneurs and businesses, primarily in the areas of customer service and sales.
He is the Director of Someone To Laugh At, a stand up comedy workshop; HostAnOpenMic.com, and CruisingWithComedians.com; Adolfo is the co-owner of Abdaliz Custom Bakery, which you can visit at www.abdaliz.com.
He can be reached at adolfo@adolfojimenez.com
