You’re struggling to get your team to perform well in event planning. What are you doing wrong?

Event planning is a challenging but rewarding skill that requires creativity, organization, and teamwork. However, if you’re struggling to get your team to perform well in event planning, you might be making some common mistakes that are affecting your results. Here are some tips to help you avoid them and improve your team’s performance.

1 Lack of clear goals

One of the first steps in event planning is to define the goals and objectives of the event. Without clear goals, your team might have different expectations, priorities, and visions for the event, leading to confusion, conflict, and wasted time. To avoid this, make sure you communicate the goals of the event to your team and align them with the expectations of the client, the audience, and the stakeholders. You can use the SMART framework to set specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound goals that will guide your team’s actions and decisions.

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Jay Clark

Sr. Operations Field Representative at PRA Destination Management
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I have learned that collaborative planning helps with clearer communication, and seeking out the weaknesses of any event or program. It involves a meeting with all concerned staff on the event, where the event is described, then the floor opened to ANY "yea, but" "what if" questions. Once started, it helps bring up things that individual planning can miss. Often one "yea, but/what if" question stimulates consideration of things that were overlooked, AND gives all staff more overall understanding and clarity.

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Darlynne Reyes Menkin

Your Ultimate Team Building Champion
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Clear communication is key! And it’s important that you do it early on in the process and quite frequently. When we hire people, we always put together a working document so they have all the details in writing. That way, if there’s any confusion, you can always refer back to that document. Be sure to communicate your vision and goals clearly. And create an environment that’s comfortable for your team, so if they have questions, they’re not afraid to ask.

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2 Poor communication

Another common mistake in event planning is poor communication within the team and with external parties. Communication is essential for coordinating tasks, sharing information, solving problems, and providing feedback. Poor communication can result in misunderstandings, errors, delays, and missed opportunities. To avoid this, make sure you establish regular and effective communication channels with your team and other relevant parties, such as vendors, speakers, sponsors, and media. You can use tools like email, phone, video conferencing, chat, and project management software to facilitate communication and collaboration.

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Aleksandra Siljanovska

Communication Advisor at E4E@мк
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In my experience, in event planning (especially with tight deadlines) informal channels of communication often emerge. This informal communication can be both beneficial and detrimental. On one hand, it fosters open dialogue and idea sharing, enriching the brinstorming process with diverse perspectives. On the other hand, it can lead to misinterpretations, conflicting instructions, and decision-making outside the established framework. In such scenarios, cultivating an environment where everyone feels safe to express their opinions and concerns becomes crucial. When team members feel heard and valued, they are more likely to align with project goals and contribute constructively instead of resisting the proccess.

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3 Lack of delegation

As an event planner, you might be tempted to do everything yourself or micromanage your team members. However, this can lead to burnout, stress, and poor quality of work. To avoid this, you need to learn how to delegate tasks and responsibilities to your team members according to their skills, strengths, and availability. Delegation will help you save time, increase productivity, and empower your team members. To delegate effectively, you need to set clear expectations, provide guidance and support, monitor progress, and acknowledge achievements.

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Kayla McCuiston

Jack of all trades, master of some.
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Delegation is important for leaders in all fields. It starts by really knowing your team. Once you know how your players operate, you can begin playing to their strengths.

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4 Insufficient planning

Planning is the key to successful event planning. Without sufficient planning, you might encounter unexpected challenges, risks, and costs that can jeopardize your event. To avoid this, you need to plan ahead and anticipate the possible scenarios and outcomes of your event. You can use tools like SWOT analysis, budgeting, timeline, checklist, and contingency plan to help you plan your event in detail and prepare for any contingencies.

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Kayla McCuiston

Jack of all trades, master of some.
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From the moment your team arrives on site until the last table comes down, you need to have a plan. Sit down with your team early on and map out the event timeline. There should not be 5 minutes that are left without a plan. This is especially important if you are involving high-profile guests. You can never over plan for an event.

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5 Lack of feedback

Feedback is crucial for improving your team’s performance and learning from your mistakes. Without feedback, you might not be aware of the strengths and weaknesses of your team and your event, and miss the opportunities to grow and improve. To avoid this, you need to solicit and provide feedback to your team and other parties involved in your event. You can use tools like surveys, evaluations, testimonials, and reviews to collect feedback from your clients, attendees, and stakeholders. You can also use tools like debriefs, meetings, and appraisals to provide feedback to your team members and celebrate their achievements.

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Kayla McCuiston

Jack of all trades, master of some.
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Feedback is no one's favorite. That's why it's so important. By looking at ways to improve, you can do better next time. Feedback will also help in the delegation phase when it's clear where some did well and where others didn't.

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6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?

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Eberechukwu Uchechukwu

Virtual Assistant | Project Management | Data Entry Specialist
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Check your leadership style - does your leadership style make your team feel intimidated or does your team members see you as one they can collaborate with or are you confrontational and stiff necked, hard to see reasoning or change method or style even in the face of glaring doom? This could also be a problem.

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You’re struggling to get your team to perform well in event planning. What are you doing wrong?

1

2

3

4

5

6

1 Lack of clear goals

2 Poor communication

3 Lack of delegation

4 Insufficient planning

5 Lack of feedback

6 Here’s what else to consider

Event Planning

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You’re struggling to get your team to perform well in event planning. What are you doing wrong?

1

2

3

4

5

6

1 Lack of clear goals

2 Poor communication

3 Lack of delegation

4 Insufficient planning

5 Lack of feedback

6 Here’s what else to consider

Event Planning

Rate this article

Thanks for your feedback

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