Event Development – Direction (Part Three)

“The following is a continuation of my Event Development Series. The last Blog started describing the “Commitment” section, now I want to move to the “Direction” section. This week’s Blog is the beginning of this section. As suggested previously, any thoughts and idea are more then welcome!"
Direction (Continued)
5. Map out each segment
Take a look at each segment and determine what needs to be done for each and what are the time lines necessary to complete the tasks in each segment. Developing a task/time matrix, at this point, really helps the committee to focus in on the jobs that need to be done quickly and when. Keeping it up to date and actually using are just as important. Lots of great tools become useless because they are not used properly or not used at all!
6. Job Assignments
Now it’s time to determine what jobs need to be done. Breaking each job into specific tasks, will help create a much clearer picture of what needs to be done. Writing a clear and concise description of each task lets everyone know what is expected of them. Vague instructions will only lead to frustration and missed tasks. Clear instructions for each task equal a greater chance of success.
7. Job Descriptions
Once the tasks have been clearly written, they need to be put back into a specific job area. For example, if the task is to obtain catering quotes then the job area would likely be facilities. Taking all the tasks and assigning them to a job area will ultimately give you each areas job description. The other advantage of developing job description this way is that it helps you consider who on your event committee could handle which task. The idea here is to assign each committee member a task or tasks to be completed within the designated time frame. By dividing up the tasks into manageable portions, your volunteers are under much less strain to complete the task. Loading up one person with too much work will lead to resentment and jobs not being completed. (To be continued)