Building a harmonious team is the basis of success in the efficient organization of events. There is nothing worse when under the pressure the team members do not get along, do not pass on important information, or simply there is no professional “chemistry” between them. Organization of events requires that the event team operate like a well-oiled machine. At the same time, team members who feel part of the “dream team” are working with greater commitment and pleasure, which will result in the greater satisfaction of the attendees. So how do you create an event dream team that will make organized events a success that builds your brand?
A good manager is a key
Few managers are born with the gift of managing people. The vast majority must learn this skill, often making painful mistakes. However, it is worth polishing your skills, such as delegating tasks or being SMART while setting goals and motivating – it pays off in the form of the effectiveness of your team members.
The right people in the right place
Among the skills of an effective manager there is undoubtedly the art of selecting people for a team: you need to know what competencies are desired in a given team and what questions to ask candidates to check if they have these competencies. Finding the right people and building an effective team are time-consuming and sometimes challenging activities. A properly selected team will significantly contribute to the success of the event and your company. It is worth remembering that building a team is not a one-time job – in order not to lose its best members you need to constantly pay attention to the team dynamic.
Key communication
The experience of event organizers indicates that insufficient communication is one of the key risk factors for event failure. It is worth paying special attention to this aspect of teamwork. What can you do? Make sure you and your team understand each other, and in case of problems you know how to go about them (we recommend the low-engaging but effective methods of Japanese management masters).
Recognition and joint celebration
As a manager, you have great opportunities to motivate your colleagues. And it’s not just about financial motivators. During the feverish preparations for the event, small gestures will also work – an email sent to team members thanking them for their overtime work and commitment, joint pizza at the end of a hard day, or simply a word of appreciation for the effort put into the task.
If your event turned out to be a success, it is worth sharing it with the team. Thanking and appreciating is something that you can certainly afford and which is an invaluable currency in the process of motivating employees. Even if the event didn’t fully meet your expectations, it is worth looking for positives. There is nothing worse for employees than weeks of exhausting work before the event only to hear a negative comment from the supervisor. Of course, shortcomings are always worth talking about, but try to give constructive feedback on what can be done differently, not a classic negative message. This way, you share both success and failure and allow your colleagues to identify with them as their co-authors. There is nothing more valuable in teamwork than joint identification with the goal.
Learning from mistakes and the bank of ideas
Mistakes are an inevitable part of the job, especially in the event industry, where the pace is crazy and a huge number of variables mess with the process. It is worth letting your team know that even if they fail, they will receive support. It is therefore important to create an atmosphere in which mishaps are discussed in the context of the future and potential, i.e. turning weakness into strength. It will also be useful to develop the habit of sharing ideas – the Kaizen technique will work great here.
Two heads are better than one – there is a great deal of truth in this saying. Your employees, when looking at a specific problem from a different perspective, may have different and effective ideas to address potential problems. So let’s create the conditions in which they can share their insights – there is a chance that some of them will turn out to be a great solution. Be a careful listener – give an opportunity to new people in your team to speak their minds. It is worthy to listen to your team members working on the so-called second line. They often are introverts who see opportunities where others don’t see them and can identify the problem before it occurs. Talking and open listening is a value in itself. Use it to your advantage! Ask questions, cooperate and listen to the opinions of your team.
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People basically like working in teams. A sense of a shared goal can in itself be a motivator engaging in effective work. Creating conditions in which team members will be able to achieve their goals without losing motivation is not a simple task, but worth every effort. Thanks to a well-coordinated, friendly and effective team, you – as an event organizer – will reach your goal faster and smoother.