Time Management for Event Planners: Expert Techniques and Time-Saving Tips for Organizing Your Workload, Prioritizing Your Day, and Taking Control of Your Schedule

By Judy Allen

Event planning never stops. This industry goes 24/7, 365 days a year. Planners work evenings, weekends, and holidays, often far away from their home base, organizing and running events that simply must go on, and go smoothly. Missing a critical deadline is not an option in the event planning field. Time management errors can cost a company a potential sale, lose them an existing customer, and damage their professional reputation.

Burnout and chaos are real risks in this hectic world of deadlines and multiple projects. Planners often find themselves working down to the wire against crushing deadlines and a mountain of obstacles that impede their progress. Too frequently, there is not enough time to get the job done properly, let alone to spend on personal or professional pursuits. And for many involved in the event planning field, there is the extra dimension of travel to factor in, juggling multiple projects on a daily basis across a multitude of time zones.

For smooth event implementation, and for business success, it is essential that planners know how to manage their own time as well as they manage an event. Time Management for Event Planners teaches readers how to successfully manage their workload, and do what matters most, when it matters most:

• Analyze and prioritize tasks.
• Structure your workload and your day for maximum performance.
• Identify red-flag activities that hinder productivity.
• Reduce stress-producing time crunches.
• Identify when extra help is needed, as well as how to delegate, outsource, and even partner with suppliers in crunch periods.
• Work with rather than against deadlines.
• Save time using technology.
• Manage multiple projects, even in multiple time zones.
• Balance your personal and professional life.

Whether you are an event planner, a hospitality professional, in public relations or other related fields, Time Management for Event Planners offers time-saving tips, techniques, examples, and expert insight that will help you get time on your side.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Wiley
• Release date: Dec 9, 2009
• ISBN: 9780470739006

Judy Allen

Judy Allen is the author of "Our Millie and other random musings. She lives in Central Ohio with her semi-retired husband, deaf Dalmatian and one-eyed cat. She has two grown daughters who live nearby. She liberally uses her extremely patient family's willingness to listen, read and critique the ideas that jump from her head and appear on paper. The Dalmatian can't hear the stories but is a comfort as he lies at her feet, and the Cat doesn't care as long as she gets petted and fed on schedule. Judy grew up an only child, on a farm in Southern Ohio. She learned to appreciate the love of the land and the beauty of nature. Chores had to be done and animals and crops attended in order to grow and thrive. The land could be hard and times could be lean but there was always the joy of life and the resiliency of her family, friends and neighbors. She is eternally thankful to Ohio University, Athen, Ohio for affording her opportunities in education and carrer that otherwise would not have been hers. They truly opened doors. She graduated with her BS ed, cum laude and taught special education classes on the elementary level before marrying her wonderful husband and raising her two lovely daughters. Judy has many interest including family, sports - Go Buckeyes and Bobcats - photography, animals, travel and observing life around her. She enjoys being the voice of Our Millie and bringing her to life for the amusement and entertainment of her readers. She would be happy to hear from you and can be reached through her links and by email at [e-mail].

Book preview

1

TAKING STOCK

Poor time management can be crippling to both a company and, professionally and personally, to an individual. It can sabotage a company’s growth and prevent it from being able to move forward fast, damage business reputations, paralyze personal professional growth and play havoc with relationships both in and outside the office. It can create an atmosphere of stress and high anxiety in an arena where it is most important to convey to suppliers, business peers, and clients and their guests an attitude of calm and total control.

Executing events flawlessly means precision timing, but too many times precision timing is applied only on the day of the actual event. Planners often find themselves scrambling right down to the wire to bring all the elements together seamlessly. While the client sees a cool façade, behind the scenes can be frenzied and frantic up to the last minute. And this applies equally to sales and marketing, business development, product research and development, proposal planning, client presentations, client meetings, supplier presentations, site inspections, operations, program advance, on-site execution and event reconciliation.

An added dimension of pressure for those involved in the planning industry—be it in event planning, hospitality, communications or public relations—is that they are expected to wear many hats, be able to switch gears in a minute (preferably less) and, because they are in a service business, be available at any given time to meet the wants and whims of customers, clients, suppliers and coworkers. And there are many times when projects collide, deadlines are staggering and it all can come perilously close to crashing down. It is not uncommon for planners to work through the night, be in before dawn, work seven days a week and occasionally dissolve into tears.

The focus that planners have on minute details, intent on creating the perfect event, is yet another pressure. Planners know that letting one item slip through the cracks can produce a domino effect and send their event spiraling out of control. Their focus becomes centered on what they are working on in that minute, so that they can make sure that every i has been dotted and t has been crossed, and nothing has been missed. They have learned that overlooking key elements can produce not only timing and logistical repercussions but also major financial and legal ones that can greatly impact their customers, company, suppliers and themselves. Taking the time to manage time is often not at the top of their list, as they are more intent on just getting through what is directly in front of them, which is why they can frequently be found coming in early, working late into the night, or working from home, when and where it is quieter and they can work without major interruptions.

Some companies just expect, as a matter of course, that their employees will be working around the clock. Instead of trying to resolve the issue of time management as a company and as individuals, their solution is to provide their staff with unlimited coffee and a fridge full of caffeinated beverages and sugary snacks to help them work through the night. One company had showers and a mini-gym installed so that employees could freshen up after working long hours. And while having a private gym facility at work is a nice perk, this particular company’s main objective was to enable staff working overnight to meet deadlines, be able to shower, change clothes and begin a new day without leaving the office. The company also had a couch to curl up on if staff needed to catch a couple of hours of sleep before resuming work. The company owner was often overheard commenting on how she had devised a means to keep her staff chained to their desks 24/7 with no need to go home. Unfortunately, in offices where poor time management practices are the rule, not the exception, and part of the corporate culture, hearing stories of staff crashing on the floor, on their desk or in the boardroom in order to catch some sleep, striving to meet pressing deadlines, is not uncommon.

TIP

Scheduling a class, personal or professional commitment at the end of your workday helps to keep you focused on time during the day and helps you commit to ending your workday. One company owner used his in-office gym as a means to encourage time management practices. He knew that many of his employees loved the stress release that exercise brought, but that they were busy at work and at home and found it difficult to fit time for exercise into their day. He decided to schedule a personal trainer to come in every day at the end of the workday to work with his staff for an hour. He found that providing this service focused his staff’s attention on getting through their workload as efficiently as possible so that they could work out and then go home relaxed. They returned to their families energized and feeling good about having done something nurturing for themself, totally decompressed from the stresses of their workday. The owner made it clear that he expected everyone to leave work after the workout and return the next day refreshed and ready to take on a new day, and not go back to work immediately following the workout. This was good for the planners, and good for business.

The fact that rarely in the event planning, hospitality, communications and public relations industries are job descriptions cut and dry, or for that matter even laid out in writing, doesn’t help either. The industry norm is that you become a jack of all trades and an expert at adeptly handling them all. You are often asked to step into unfamiliar roles as new circumstances come up and are expected to manage different aspects of the business while juggling your own work responsibilities. What is good about this practice, from a professional perspective, is that you become highly skilled in many diverse areas, which enables you to become a master of your craft. For example, planners who also have expertise in operations and on-site orchestration can design a better program from the beginning—they know what to cost and incorporate into the program from the start and can predict with great accuracy how each event element will impact the next with respect to timing, logistics and budget management. Because of their depth of understanding and cross-training, they are also in a better position to bring strategic planning into play in order to produce targeted results and meet client objectives. The downside is the strain it puts on their ability to effectively prevail over their time.

While there will always be days when it may be necessary to work long hours to meet a time crunch, these times should be the exception and not the rule. If you find yourself always racing to meet deadlines, take it as a clear sign that how you are managing your time and your workload are out of sync and it is time to take control.

TIP

An added benefit to always being on top of your time and your workload is that you are in a better position to take advantage of the both unexpected and numerous educational and client bonding experiences that present themselves to you on the job. Developing your time management skills allows you to benefit from these opportunities when they appear and say yes to on the job training instead of excusing yourself because you are drowning in deadlines.

If you do not learn to take control of your hours, your days, your weeks and your months, you will likely become overtired and stressed from trying to meet the demands of many, without seemingly enough minutes in your day to get to what matters most. You’ll end up drained of creative energy, which will greatly affect your productivity and quickly lead to burnout.

Poor time management can hinder professional advancement, which will in turn limit your earning potential. If you are not on top of your day and your work, you will not be sought out to take on new areas of responsibility. Developing a reputation in the industry as a procrastinator or someone who never meets a deadline will reduce your chances of promotion or being recommended for new job openings by your peers. You also run the risk of clients or their in-house staff specifically requesting that you are not assigned to their project, and that will not sit well with the powers that be within your company. Event planning companies are looking to link themselves with the best of the best in their field. Today, many sales proposals from event planning companies to their clients include the names of their staff members who will be assigned to work with the clients. They know that having staff who are on top of their game can be used as a sales tool to potential clients. Clients are looking to work with companies who will help them succeed at what they do and not cause untimely disruption to their day and their staff.

How you are perceived in business is up to you and is presented to the world in your day-to-day actions. Productivity can be measured and so can timely responses, on-time delivery and how often you are available to step up and take on added work, as can delays and frustrations you cause others when you don’t complete your work on time. Your company, coworkers, industry peers, suppliers, clients and even their guests can and will hold you accountable for how you spend your time. Guests are not shy about picking up the telephone and letting both their company—your client—and your company know about any dissatisfaction they have experienced through your untimely delays in answering their questions or responding to their concerns.

Going from good to better to best in what you do is tied to how well you manage your time. And choosing to excel in time management is a matter of choice and one that cannot be left to chance. Unfortunately, it often requires reaching a defining moment in your life—such as your world at work and at home spinning out of control—where commitment to time management and how you bring order into your day is no longer left to being an optional choice but is one that will now become a way of being. Mastering time management allows you to move fast-forward with your life with time to spare.

REACHING A DEFINING MOMENT

By managing your time efficiently and effectively, you’ll find yourself empowered. Once you’ve conquered time, you will no longer face each morning or deadline feeling desperate, wondering how you are going to get through your day, meet its demands and still maintain some semblance of a private life. It can all be under your control and it starts by taking stock of your professional work life.

The process begins by taking a detached look—separating yourself from your emotional attachment to certain love/hate aspects of your job—at five specific areas:

• Identifying what you really do day to day

• Determining which activities relate to your job

• Analyzing what you need to do to get the job done effectively

• Deciding which job elements and activities are essential to maintain peak performance and advance professionally

• Uncovering the hidden job requirements that are affecting your on-time delivery and pulling you away from your main objectives

Before you begin, you will need:

• A fresh notebook (81/2 by 11 with at least 200 pages that can be divided into four sections) to act as your time management journal, which will be broken down into four main areas:

- Section One: Tracking Your Time

- Section Two: Breaking Down Your Work Components

- Section Three: Tallying Your Time

- Section Four: Creating Time Circles and Time Blocks

• A set of assorted highlighters (ideally made up of nine or more colors)

• A method for tracking time that you can carry with you throughout your day and have visible on your desk (e.g., a clip-on watch, wristwatch, stopwatch, etc.)

• A small notepad for capturing time details when you are out and about

• Pencils/pencil sharpener

Before introducing time management tips and techniques—strategic planning—into your daily schedule, it is first important to have a clear understanding of all the components that make up your day and how you are presently spending your time. Once you have an overview and understanding of your areas of responsibility and the time required to perform the necessary tasks, you can then begin to set your personal objectives and draft an initial plan. This process is similar to what transpires when planners meet with a client, gather their event history and research their corporate culture and their company objectives before they begin to formulate a design concept. Once the initial creative idea has been conceived, strategic planning comes into play to make sure that all the proposed event elements, when they are brought together, will elicit the desired results from participants and meet all company objectives. The same applies to creating your personal agenda. In order to create an effective daily action plan (a list of what you expect to do on a given day), you first need to know all the elements you will need to be dealing with and create an initial design draft so that you can be in a position to strategically plan where and when time-creating methods can be applied to what you do for maximum effect and efficiency.

Successful planners know that for the best results you begin with the end in mind and work backward to fulfillment. The same backward planning can be applied to creating a personal agenda that is customized to meet your specific needs. To facilitate this, this book has been laid out in the sequential order that works best to achieve this result, and utilizes the seven planning principles that event planners use every day in event design, planning, operations, on-site coordination and reconciliation, just adapted to time management:

• Visualization—Taking Stock (Chapter 1)

• Research and development—Charting Your Priorities (Chapter 2)

• Design—Designing a Daily Action Plan (Chapter 3)

• Strategic Planning—Integrating Time Management Tactics Into Your Day (Chapter 4)

• Execution—Implementing Time-Saving Systems and Procedures (Chapter 5)

• Management—Working Around the World on Multiple Projects in Multiple Time Zones (Chapter 6)

• Orchestration—Getting Time on Your Side (Chapter 7), Saving Time When Out of the Office and On-Site (Chapter 8) and Making Time for Professional Pursuits (Chapter 9)

IDENTIFYING WHAT YOU REALLY DO DAY TO DAY

Stepping back to take an overview of what you do in a day or week can be very enlightening. The key is in capturing what is truly taking place in your day and it requires an approach of being totally honest with yourself. This is not the time to judge what you are doing in a day, but rather to simply capture the time elements.

For the most part, the event planning and hospitality industry does not bill by the minute, although that is beginning to change. Companies with an eye on their bottom line are moving from being service based to business based, and are beginning to track time (and related expenses such as telephone calls, photocopying, etc.) spent on individual projects so that they can bill them back to the appropriate customer. Companies are finding that charging a flat management fee or a percentage of total costs does not always cover the time spent managing a sale, especially if the client begins to request that numerous changes be made and or new options explored. Employees are being asked to monitor their minutes and to submit daily reports on how their time was spent so that applicable charges can be assigned to clients. This also enables company owners to access, with greater accuracy, the cost to their company of doing a specific piece of business. Knowing how much time is assigned to individual clients allows them to determine whether or not they should continue to do business with particular clients or if they need to adjust their fees in any areas. For example, one company found that a particular client would, once contracted, want cost comparisons done of different options available to him. This would entail new costings being researched, requested from suppliers and venues, developed and proposed so that the client could weigh his impulse wishes at his leisure. There was no effort required on his part and no costs being charged back (at the time), and he gave little thought as to how much extra work his requests entailed the planning staff to undertake or the time and financial drain on the planning company’s resources. The line was drawn when it became known that 19 separate comparison costings had been requested by the client on one piece of sold business. The event planning company’s owner knew that he needed to begin to structure the company’s management fee differently to accommodate this. A change was made so that the customer could still request additional cost comparisons, but additional charges would now apply so that the time spent redoing what had been previously sold and contracted was accounted for, with the burden of fiscal responsibility for time being spent placed back on the client, not on the planning company and its employees.

Until time was tracked, the company in the above example had no idea how much time was being spent on one client and how it was adversely affecting its business. Staff could not move forward on new projects when they were still stuck trying to service what had been supposedly sold. They were unable to move into the operations phase of the program and this could easily produce a damaging domino effect not only on incoming work but on making sure what was already contracted could be delivered if planners could not adhere to supplier commitment deadlines.

You can’t address or bring change to what is taking place in your day until you first identify and track your work minutes, hours, days and weeks. Once you have identified what you do in a day, you will be able to discover, as will be discussed in later chapters, where you are making the best use of your time, and be able to pinpoint and eliminate mindless time wasters and ineffectual use of your time. On average, this initial undertaking will take between 30 to 60 minutes each day, yet will potentially save you hours each day once completed, leave you feeling good about what you accomplish each day and make working overtime a thing of the past. The catch is that it will take you longer to record your minutes if you do not track them as you go through your day. If you have to stop and relive your time, minute by minute, at the end of the day, you will end up making this a longer exercise and could easily miss some important time aspects. The trick is to capture your minutes as you move through your workday. When you come to analyzing and evaluating your results, this could take approximately three to four hours and will require your full concentration. It is best to set aside an evening or time over the weekend—away from the office in a quiet location where you will not have interruptions—to work on appraising your results.

Begin this exercise by choosing a week when you can commit to tracking your day minute by minute, from the moment you walk in the front door to the moment you walk out the door at the end of the day, and into the evening if you are working from home or attending a related business event, e.g., supplier presentation, association meeting, trade show or business conference, continuing education classes, etc. As you begin to work on your timeline remember to include your daily routine in it. This may include being first to arrive in the office and taking responsibility for making the first pot of coffee, spending time greeting arriving coworkers and partaking in watercooler chitchat and casual banter. When you tally the time, you may be surprised by how many minutes are actually being spent between arrival at the office and being able to settle down and get into the work at hand.

Tracking your work habits, as