i have been part and parcel of more than 18 events over the past three
years, organizing an event to me has now become a simple predictable
thing. There is a sequence of steps you should take, if all these steps
are done well, you WILL have a successful event. the sequence has
worked thus far, but strangely after blogcamp and the first few
proto.in's the happiness and euphoria involved in organizing events has
completely disappeared. After a long while i feel the happiness once
again after TEDxChennai, a little introspection later, here i present
to you the things that in my opinion would make any event click.
1. HAPPY TEAM LEADS TO HAPPY EVENTS
Team.
This is the beautiful word that we often forget while organizing. THe
team is that one vital thing that could make or break an event. If the
team is happy and are having fun then the event is happy and WILL be
fun.
2. PROFESSIONALISM
This is something i observed
indirectly. All along after the first few events that we organized we
kept talking about being professional. we used the right word, we had
to be professional, only we missed the point completely. The team has
to be professional in the work they do and not necessarily in the way
they conduct themselves with other team members. in fact it would be
better for the event that with the team behaves casually, like chums.
To put it short the number of "macha" in any team conversation is
directly proportional to the successs of the event. An informal team
will motivate internally aiming for higher standards of work execution,
the event thus will become professional. A formal team on the other
hand will think up of a code of conduct, wait for disasters to happen.
3. Bloopers
There
cannot be an event without any bloopers. the trick is to catch them
early, laugh over it, and then amend the mistakes as soon as possible.
Never wait for a team member to completely sink in his mistake and then
come in as a rescure measure. catch early watch out and fix things then
and there. If a mistake is caught early people laugh over it and fix it
quickly, if you wait for the mistake to happen then people will laugh
over the person and not over the mistake. that honestly hurts, the
induvidual, as well as the team spirit.
4. Autonomy is the best policy
TedxChennai.
i rest the case. Each team member was given autonomy to figure out the
best way to do his task. he was given options and all resources
available to get things done. and boy did they get it done well. with
autonomy comes responsibilty. and responsibility is a very good thing.
if you do not give autonomy the team looks for a leader, follows his
exact words and if the leader missed something then the event goes down
the drain. if there is autonomy you are your own leader. you WILL
figure out the best way to get things done. you will not have anyone
breathing down your neck to get things done.
5. Talk, Talk, Talk
A
fellow Proto.in team member said that organizing meets are a waste of
time. i was of the same opinion after all there is nothing constructive
done in any one of them. Before TEDx i would have happily quashed all
these organizing meets, but now i look at it differently. Organizing
meets have a value add. It assures you that there are like minded
people who want to do the same thing as you, it assures you to that you
are not alone and will not go down alone. its also a motivating factor
to give more, commit more and above all that have a laugh and enjoy the
cafe latte.
6. Keep'em Mailing list active
An active
mailing list means an active event. a mailing list that is active will
be your idea pool. THe mailing list will also be your time tracker,
instant notifier and resource manager. THe mailing list will ensure
that you keep up your committment, that you know whats happening with
the others and that others know what you are doing. a silent mailing
list means that people are direct mailing , there is no transparency of
information and that the event is doomed.
7. Acknowledge
Acknowledge
contribution of volunteers. How ever big or small, acknowledge work
done, this is the least incentive a volunteer gets. Remember that
however big the event is and however hard it takes to become a
volunteer, the act of volunteering alone cannot be an incentive. work
HAS to be acknowledged. that one minute on stage is what makes or
breaks a happy team. That one minute on stage will make me proudly go
and say that i am a TEDxChennai organizer. now how many times have my
contribution for other events gone an recognized :P. 6 editions of
Proto.in later, the people who regularly attend proto.in still do not
know me. but i am sure every TEDxChennai attendee knows kausikram
krishnasayee.
8. Meet Pre Event And Huddle Post Event
Make
sure the entire team meets pre event. that will help in averting last
minute disasters, and possibly give murphy a break. And also make sure
you huddle post event. For thats when the actual fun begins. the huddle
post event is what will give a push to the events sequel if you just
walk out and say Tata then the next event will never be as much fun as
the previous one.
9. Become Friends With Your Team
i am quoting Benny on this:
".....To
me it was the fact that we were complete strangers to one another and
the bonding happened at the right time Our focus was on knowing one
another, work was incidental but important ..."
cannot be put in a more apt way. work WILL happen if there is a good rapport.
years, organizing an event to me has now become a simple predictable
thing. There is a sequence of steps you should take, if all these steps
are done well, you WILL have a successful event. the sequence has
worked thus far, but strangely after blogcamp and the first few
proto.in's the happiness and euphoria involved in organizing events has
completely disappeared. After a long while i feel the happiness once
again after TEDxChennai, a little introspection later, here i present
to you the things that in my opinion would make any event click.
1. HAPPY TEAM LEADS TO HAPPY EVENTS
Team.
This is the beautiful word that we often forget while organizing. THe
team is that one vital thing that could make or break an event. If the
team is happy and are having fun then the event is happy and WILL be
fun.
2. PROFESSIONALISM
This is something i observed
indirectly. All along after the first few events that we organized we
kept talking about being professional. we used the right word, we had
to be professional, only we missed the point completely. The team has
to be professional in the work they do and not necessarily in the way
they conduct themselves with other team members. in fact it would be
better for the event that with the team behaves casually, like chums.
To put it short the number of "macha" in any team conversation is
directly proportional to the successs of the event. An informal team
will motivate internally aiming for higher standards of work execution,
the event thus will become professional. A formal team on the other
hand will think up of a code of conduct, wait for disasters to happen.
3. Bloopers
There
cannot be an event without any bloopers. the trick is to catch them
early, laugh over it, and then amend the mistakes as soon as possible.
Never wait for a team member to completely sink in his mistake and then
come in as a rescure measure. catch early watch out and fix things then
and there. If a mistake is caught early people laugh over it and fix it
quickly, if you wait for the mistake to happen then people will laugh
over the person and not over the mistake. that honestly hurts, the
induvidual, as well as the team spirit.
4. Autonomy is the best policy
TedxChennai.
i rest the case. Each team member was given autonomy to figure out the
best way to do his task. he was given options and all resources
available to get things done. and boy did they get it done well. with
autonomy comes responsibilty. and responsibility is a very good thing.
if you do not give autonomy the team looks for a leader, follows his
exact words and if the leader missed something then the event goes down
the drain. if there is autonomy you are your own leader. you WILL
figure out the best way to get things done. you will not have anyone
breathing down your neck to get things done.
5. Talk, Talk, Talk
A
fellow Proto.in team member said that organizing meets are a waste of
time. i was of the same opinion after all there is nothing constructive
done in any one of them. Before TEDx i would have happily quashed all
these organizing meets, but now i look at it differently. Organizing
meets have a value add. It assures you that there are like minded
people who want to do the same thing as you, it assures you to that you
are not alone and will not go down alone. its also a motivating factor
to give more, commit more and above all that have a laugh and enjoy the
cafe latte.
6. Keep'em Mailing list active
An active
mailing list means an active event. a mailing list that is active will
be your idea pool. THe mailing list will also be your time tracker,
instant notifier and resource manager. THe mailing list will ensure
that you keep up your committment, that you know whats happening with
the others and that others know what you are doing. a silent mailing
list means that people are direct mailing , there is no transparency of
information and that the event is doomed.
7. Acknowledge
Acknowledge
contribution of volunteers. How ever big or small, acknowledge work
done, this is the least incentive a volunteer gets. Remember that
however big the event is and however hard it takes to become a
volunteer, the act of volunteering alone cannot be an incentive. work
HAS to be acknowledged. that one minute on stage is what makes or
breaks a happy team. That one minute on stage will make me proudly go
and say that i am a TEDxChennai organizer. now how many times have my
contribution for other events gone an recognized :P. 6 editions of
Proto.in later, the people who regularly attend proto.in still do not
know me. but i am sure every TEDxChennai attendee knows kausikram
krishnasayee.
8. Meet Pre Event And Huddle Post Event
Make
sure the entire team meets pre event. that will help in averting last
minute disasters, and possibly give murphy a break. And also make sure
you huddle post event. For thats when the actual fun begins. the huddle
post event is what will give a push to the events sequel if you just
walk out and say Tata then the next event will never be as much fun as
the previous one.
9. Become Friends With Your Team
i am quoting Benny on this:
".....To
me it was the fact that we were complete strangers to one another and
the bonding happened at the right time Our focus was on knowing one
another, work was incidental but important ..."
cannot be put in a more apt way. work WILL happen if there is a good rapport.