Welcome to Community Involvement

The greatest irritant of an event planner is to be a part of an ill-planned event. I know this is a hard gripe to identify with, as there are so few people in this category. Let me see if I can relate it to you in whatever profession you are in.

Think of whatever it is that you do really well. It could be baking or fishing or raising kids. Whatever it is, its got a lot components that have to come together in order for whatever it is to turn out well. Imagine you're asked to consult the person who is doing what it is you really should have been asked to do in the first place (because you actually know what you're doing). You're also asked to help this person by volunteering your time and actually doing a very small aspect of that thing you do really well. You do your best - answering questions, raising your own questions to make sure everything makes sense, talking through it with those involved trying to nail down all the details. All the while, you're trying not to be pushy or to take charge (as is your natural inclination) as that would offend. When you see all the parts failing to come together, your concerns are not taken seriously. Instead you are simply reassured that everyone's got their part covered and it will all come together in the end. You, in fact, end up looking like the bad guy who's stirring up trouble rather than the concerned (and informed) participant that you are. You step back and let the event take its course. There's nothing more you can do any way since "it will all come together in the end." You show up where you are asked and spend the entire time reminding yourself that you are not in charge and to just take deep breaths. Does that sound familiar?

Such is the bain of an event planner - an ill-planned event I am supposed to be a part of and, as in my case, promoting and putting your name behind. When committees are making decisions, where's the buck stop? Who has the final responsibility? Who gets the praises for a success and the criticism for the failures?

I've notice that committee and group leadership is especially prone to ruffled feathers - think non-profit organizations. While I am a firm believer in consensus and collaboration, projects require direct leadership and accountability. Committees can be great for spreading out the responsibility and workload and pooling talents, but you can end up with a faulty end product when there is no one to oversee the big picture and pull all the details together. Such is the case with events. Someone has to know everything about everything, be able to answer all the questions, and make the 'in the moment' adjustment decisions. Hopefully, some of this ranting makes sense. Out of context (as it must be for the sake of both the innocent and the guilty) you may not know the people, but situation may strike a chord with an experience you've had. We've all had times where all you can do is bite your tongue, get the job done, and then go home and vent to your husband.

Welcome to community involvement!