Finalize the attendee list, post on social media, contact the caterer, arrange transportation, meet with the venue, etc… Does this sound anything like your daily agenda?
Event planning professionals have an endless list of tasks that need to be accomplished on any given day and the trouble for most of us is that we want to do it all. Delegation is a challenge for almost everyone with a planner mentality. We tend to have trouble letting go because we all enjoy being in control.
For many event management professionals, the challenging part is that you genuinely enjoy completing the tasks or projects representative of your event or company. So, rather than entrusting someone else to accomplish certain tasks, you take them all on yourself.
Eventually, you have to learn how to let go of certain projects. You will be better for it and perhaps you can teach someone else how to be a great planner by passing your knowledge and experience along.
If you can learn how to properly distribute your event planning tasks, you will thank yourself in the long run. Here you have 6 key reasons why everyone can benefit from delegation.
1. You Can’t Do Everything
Even when you want to take it all on because you love your work so much… it is just not possible. There are too many moving parts to make it all happen. You need to be the one with the plan and the vision, but you have to delegate out the proper tasks to the right staff and volunteers. Once you do that, you need to count on them to hold up their end of the bargain.
For example, delegate the tasks that require less experience or perhaps tasks that you don’t enjoy working on. Everything needs to be accomplished and this will help you focus on the important and exciting parts of event planning.
2. You Will Have More Time to Interact With Your Sponsors and Attendees
When you are the lead on an event you have most likely built valuable relationships with a number of important people. You need time during the event to foster those connections and ensure their future support.
One way to accomplish this is by taking the time to delegate logistical assignments, such as vendor setup or volunteer check-in. Eliminating these tasks from your workload will free you up to develop and expand on sponsor and donor relations.
3. Assigning Important Tasks to Your Staff Will Make Them a Valuable Part of the Team
Employees and volunteers in the event planning industry love to feel important and responsible for the success of the event. When you delegate you are not only lessening your workload, but also providing valuable experience and opportunities for your staff.
Perhaps you could teach someone how to organize guest check-in or allow them to be the point person on transportation services. Reassure them that they can come to you if they have questions, but give them the freedom to learn and execute the task. This will provide you with wonderful staff management practice and the ability to hone your communication skills.
4. It Will Eliminate an Enormous Amount of Stress
Stress is toxic to any event and taking on too many tasks leads to excessive amounts of stress. Once you can share the workload you become much less strained and easier to work with.
As the leader of your event you set the tone for all of your staff members. If you are overwhelmed and flustered, everyone else will follow suit. If you seem relaxed and can enjoy the sight of your event in motion, it shows that you are prepared, have trust in your staff and that you have assigned the right tasks to the right people.
Analyze your workload to find which tasks seem to be the most stressful during and prior to your event. Once you have this list, use your team to divide and conquer the assignments that are the most demanding.
5. Your Events Will Improve
A great event works like a well oiled-machine. Every person involved with the event has a task or assignment, and they know what they need to accomplish for the event to be successful.
Be sure to make an assignment sheet and confirm that the staff knows who is responsible for each task. This will hold everyone accountable and allow your staff to see how they directly impact the event. If duties can be allocated properly everyone will be well focused, and that will reflect glowingly upon you and your entire event.
6. You Will Improve and Grow as a Professional
Delegation can improve your communication and management skills, and help you improve as an event planner and business professional. It will also help you to de-stress and advance the relationship you have with your staff and attendees.
In the long run you will become more organized, detailed and an overall better event manager. You will acquire a new perspective and learn more about the industry when you can focus on the big picture rather than each small task.
In Conclusion
Sharing the workload as an event planner can be a challenge at first, but the truth is other people are very willing to help out and have the ability to do a great job. You just have to ask them for assistance and trust them to succeed.
Staff and volunteers are willing to work extremely hard for a leader that trusts them and counts on them to accomplish essential event functions. Be the kind of manager that your staff wants to work for by trusting them to do their jobs.
As you know, events are never perfect, but if you can learn how to entrust others you will actually have time when the important decisions and details need attention. Learning proper delegation is a task worth working on and it will set you apart from other event planning professionals.
What is your best advice for sharing the workload during events? What are your tips and tricks for properly delegating event tasks? Do you have any delegation experiences or lessons you have learned?
This is a guest post by Kelli White a professional event coordinator and freelance writer who assists clients in getting the most out of their businesses, blogs and events.
