Large events are highly detailed, technical, and refined sequences that require great planning and seamless execution. They are often run by a collective of highly passionate people with varying skills, degrees of knowledge and understanding. What a combination!
In our constant journey of revising and improving our events, all parties involved will form their own view of what needs to be done to make the event better. The catch is, we only become better when we share the same view.
So how do we share views in a way that builds unity rather than division? They key word is “filter”.
I believe that most of the views expressed by team members in relation to events can be placed into one of three categories.
· Culture
· Problem
· Opinion
Culture is something we know well. Culture is set by leadership to shape our identity and our actions to achieve a purpose. Culture is big picture. Every task we perform must adhere to and enforce the culture of the organisation.
Problems are facts that have a tangible impact on attendee or team.
Opinions are personal preference - desired changes that don’t have a direct impact on anyone in particular.
To put it simply, culture builds the organization, opinions do not, and problems are only problems if they contradict our culture or hinder us in achieving our purpose.
Once you filter a view that has been expressed, into one of these three categories, it becomes easier to know how to deal with it.
Culture
If an aspect of an event is perceived not to fit into the culture of the organization, then this needs to be raised with the leader who sets the culture, or their appointed representative. This leader can then speak into the changes to be made. It is very important that people who are not responsible for setting or directly enforcing culture in a particular area, do not speak into it without authority.
Problems
A real problem would be something that is having a negative impact on peoples’ experience of an event, or is a direct contradiction of culture. It must be a fact. I.e, this equipment is not working/ this person is behaving inappropriately/ this element is not achieving its goal. This issue should be brought to the attention of a leader in a position of authority over that area - speak to the head, not the feet.
Problems are solved when people with authority commission people with skills to find a solution within their respective organizational flow. Never back-door this work flow.
Opinions
Opinions create division. Opinions are not big-picture. Opinions are often an expression of personal preference rather than a problem. The easiest way to identify the difference is to filter it with the question “is this causing a negative impact on the attendees or team?”. If the answer to this question is “no”, then the thought does not fit the category of a “problem”; it is just an opinion.
We do not act upon opinions during an event. Opinions are discussed between events with the appropriate people, not passed on to team as an action point during the event.
The basic nature of creativity is subjective; leaving many aspects open to opinion with no strict guidelines as to what’s right or wrong. It’s important then to know who the appointed person is to make creative decisions. They are the ones empowered to portray an idea in keeping with culture. If the thought has come from outside of the creative hierarchy, and it isn’t a conflict of culture, then it is merely an opinion and does not require action.
Org / Communications Structure
Committee meetings are the death of productivity.
A communication flow chart is a simple document, generally in the form of a diagram which outlines who is making calls onsite during your event, and who they are communicating those calls to.
Communication flow charts need to be put on paper at the beginning of any event planning. You may need two or three: a pre-planning chart, an “in-show communications” chart and even a decision making chart. However you choose to do it, everyone needs to know what’s what before arriving at the event.
Limiting cross communication is key to getting things done efficiently, promptly and correctly. For this reason, it is important to identify your on-site communication flow or chain of command. Make sure the correct people are making the important calls, and those calls are being passed down the correct chains. If one team member does not have the authority to speak into another area outside of their team, make sure the communication flow shows this. The less people talking the better. If you are relying on a digital communications system of some description, then design the system in a way that limits cross talk too.
Where this can often go astray is when your on-site communication flow at an event does not follow your midweek organization up-line path. When people still make calls on-site based on their midweek authority, bypassing the on-site communication flow, disunity creeps in.
It needs to be very clear that once you enter “show”, the structure changes. People who are midweek managers sometimes need to become just cogs in the bigger operation. Other people who are highly skilled executors with no midweek authority can become the boss. It’s very important that in these instances, the people put in the positions to make decisions are empowered to do so. There should never be two people with equal authority in an area making calls on the same things. Someone has to be given the final say.
This whole concept goes for both upper and middle management. The moment that authority is questioned, contradicted or undermined, the system falls apart.
Discuss these simple filters with your teams. Once your team can identify the difference between culture, problems and opinions, you will find that your communication and team unity will vastly improve.