Spring is in full bloom and Summer is just around the corner. In downtown that usually means two things, more pedestrian traffic and event season. Look at any downtown calendar and you can usually find events all over the “good weather” months. We tend to pack a lot into downtown in those months, and it can take a toll. We want to help lighten that load by offering some suggestions. Here are five things you can do to make your events less stressful.
I used to work for a National youth organization. Every year we had membership goals that they wanted us to hit by December 31st. After a few years my team and I started setting a different date internally and began working to reach our year-end membership by October 31st. “Beat the pumpkin” became the mantra and we started having success. Our reasoning was simple, and it wasn’t to get done earlier. With October 31st as our goal, if something went wrong and we missed, we still had two months to get it together and hit the organization’s goal. However, if we based everything off their goal we had no room for error.
Too often we look at the date of the event and backdate the calendar from that point. We don’t give ourselves room for error. With events it’s rarely error, but life has a way of getting in the way. Allowing yourself extra time to get tasks accomplished can make a world of difference and lower the stress level for everyone involved.
Multi-tasking is something most downtown directors pride themselves on. The truth is, the successful directors rarely multi-task. Don’t get me wrong, you may work on 5 or even 15 projects in a day, and you are constantly jumping from one thing to the next. What I am suggesting is that when you are working on a project, that’s all you are working on. Don’t overload yourself with trying to do two or more things at once. If you are working on the event, work on the event. Turn off your email, close your web browser, and focus on the task at hand. You will find that you are able to accomplish more by getting one task done and moving onto the next rather than trying to juggle many things at the same time, and you will usually experience less stress.
For many directors, this can be a difficult one. I know it was always a struggle for me. Some of my hesitation was asking even more of volunteers. Some of it was excuses about time or it being easier if I did it myself. And if I am being completely honest, some of it was because giving up control of things is difficult for me. However, I also found that when I did give up control, and gave others all the information they needed to do the job, that things ran smoother. The volunteers felt empowered to do their part, and I didn’t have to do everything myself. It made for a much more enjoyable experience.
Have you ever found yourself under the weather right before or right after an event, or even worse during the event? It’s not really a surprise. As larger events draw closer we tend to neglect our own health. We work a few more hours, maybe we eat at our desks instead of getting out of the office, we forgo sleep to ensure things get done. These bad habits can affect us both physically and mentally. Unfortunately, once we notice that we don’t feel well, it is usually too late. Taking time to take care of yourself is important. Your board of directors, your boss, and your volunteers will understand if you go home to rest instead of eating 2-day old cold pizza at your desk at 1am while you finish up a report. That report can, and usually should, get sent the next morning once you’ve rested up!
I’ve been around downtown directors long enough to know that we all tend to operate pretty similarly. So, if you are anything like me, this one is tough. When we are holding an event, we want everything to go just right. From the setup to the cleanup, we have everything scripted and when something goes differently than the script we have a tendency to let the stress take over. I can remember it vividly, the board president going off script and presenting the information that was 3 slides away, then jumping to the 5th slide, then back to the 2nd. The adrenaline starts to flow and you think everything is off the rails….”what are people going to think?” Honestly, by the time they got home I’m the only one who even remembers. I remember something an old music teacher told me once before a solo competition, “You’re the only one with the music in front of you. If you mess up…they don’t know. So act like you’ve played it perfectly and they will think you have.” Accepting that things can go not according to plan and it still be okay is a hard step, but one that will give you a lot less stress!
