Executive-level operations planning often subscribes to the idea of the more, the merrier.
And while it’s true that being stingy on your human resources will likely result in burnout from people stretching themselves too thin, you could also wind up with a case of too many cooks in the kitchen.
Everyone takes on the same responsibilities, leaving some areas unattended and a scramble when there’s a fire to put out.
A large team only serves you well when everyone knows their role.
Identifying and assigning each position in the event and operations planning roster will save you time, money, resources, and headaches down the road. Throughout my years of experience in enterprise-level planning and operations, I’ve identified these five key players that every operations team needs to execute memorable experiences and impressive projects.
The Visionary
The Visionary is the ideas person; they’re the one who keeps the big picture and end goal in mind at all times. They set the strategy and hold the torch that guides the team and lets them do their best work. The Visionary spots potential hiccups that may come up along the way and makes sure to get ahead of them.
The Devil’s Advocate
This person sees The Visionary’s perspective and stress tests it for challenges and opportunities to improve. The Devil’s Advocate needs to be a bit of a provocateur, unafraid of disrupting plans and losing some friends. However, they know how to challenge with tact and don’t create chaos for the sake of chaos.
The Person Who Says No
The Person Who Says No takes on the role of shutting things down when they’re not working, and or stopping the idea train — even when they were part of the best-laid plans. They keep a watchful eye on everything at the execution level and are hyper-vigilant, always spotting potential issues and keeping things moving.
The Doer
The Doer does just that: they get things done. They’re happy to take orders and stay out of the big picture; their role is to execute to the finish line. The Doer has to be someone who isn’t afraid to get their hands dirty and can drop their ego for the sake of the overall vision.
The Jack Of All Trades
Every operations team needs a Jack Of All Trades to pick up the dropped balls. They’re the sidekick of The Doer and ready to take on any ad-hoc needs or side projects. The Jack Of All Trades is nimble, agile, and a team player who multi-tasks with precision and efficiency.
The Showpiece Difference
Here’s how our team assembles killer teams that are both strong at executing encore-worthy events and operations and know how to navigate and overcome any challenges that come their way.
We ask the right questions
We consider the best interests of all stakeholder groups, but most importantly, the guest or customer experience. We eliminate the nitty gritty that tends to bog event planners and operations managers down in favor of what’s in the best interest of the overall experience.
We factor in conflict and tension
The overall vision must be crystal clear ( that doesn’t just mean envisioning everything working out seamlessly). We start with what could go wrong, ensure we have the infrastructure in place to support any issues, and implement a clear communication plan that the whole team is aware of (these are the foundational keys to succeeding at enterprise planning). This communication plan should establish who is in control when things go awry and make the final decision.
We practice true leadership
The ability to identify and extract unique talents from your team members separates the type of leader who takes a 10,000 ft view to a 20,000 ft one. We all know the pitfalls of the micromanager or the leader who only wants to create mini versions of themselves and ‘yes’ people. Impactful leaders pull out the talents of their team members and celebrate their successes, even when they differ from their own.
Build an operations team that orchestrates encore results
Efficient team structures where every member understands their role and boundaries result in success. If you need help building your event or operations team, contact us today to see how Showpiece Solutions can help.
