Stressed? Overworked? Odds are your team is, too. I'm a big believer in downtime. Does that mean the team takes a week to slack off? Nope. But it means they get a break so their brains aren't in overdrive 24/7/365. Here are three quick tips on how to create effective "time off" for your team. 1. Don't Overschedule Have a huge tradeshow? Don't schedule a project kick-off or critical meetings the next week. Giving the team time to breathe replenishes the brain’s stores of attention and motivation. This downtime is essential to achieving high performance levels. 2. Lead by Example If you're asking your team to have a light week, don't be "that guy". Don't send them e-mails at midnight or stay in the office until 8 pm each night. By doing so, you're showing them it's not okay to take a break. Even if you are sending those late night e-mails, schedule them to go out first thing in the morning (trust me, they'll never know the difference). 3. Plan Something Fun Everyone loves an out-of-the-ordinary experience. Do something your team will enjoy and show them you appreciate their hard work. Take them for a hibachi lunch, do an escape room or even plan a mid-day Zumba session! Whatever it is, make sure it's something that will create a bonding opportunity and doesn't place any additional stress on them (aka don't make mandatory fun after-hours). After a big event, tradeshow, project, etc. the team NEEDS some time to slow down. A continual high-stress workplace leads to a team that is less focused and less creative. As Tony Schwartz says "human beings perform best and are most productive when they alternate between periods of intense focus and intermittent renewal.” Have any tips for creating effective downtime? Share them in the comments below. Every year, I look forward to the Women of InfoComm Networking Breakfast. This event gives me a chance to catch up with some of my favorite people in the industry. While I was thrilled to see all these women (and a growing number of men!) in one room, I, sadly, heard several stories of sexism at the show.
I'm not going to repeat these stories as they're not mine to tell. However, I will share with you a personal incident that happened to me at InfoComm 2017. I was working the reception counter at my booth when a man, we'll call him Jake*, came up looking for one of our product managers. I told Jake the team had already departed the show and I would gladly take his card back to them. He asked if there was anyone else he could speak to on this matter. I again repeated that the team had left but I could take the information back to the office for them. Jake then told me he was going to call Dave* because he was sure Dave, who was not on-site nor involved in tradeshow planning, could direct him to the right person. I again ensured him I knew Dave and there was nobody on-site to speak with. Nevertheless, he made the call. When he couldn't get a hold of Dave, he walked around the booth to find a male booth staffer to ask the same question. That staffer gave him the same response and Jake then left. Luckily for me, my team all recognized this incident as Jake not wanting to listen to a woman. They were very supportive and all agreed it was inappropriate. So why am I telling you this story? Because it is not the first, second or even third time I have experienced this at a show. Certain men just do not want to believe I am an authority figure, insisting they speak to a man who must know more. And I'm not the only one. This happens over and over and over again and it needs to stop. After repeating this story to an executive, he told me "This is 2017 and it makes me sick that we need a woman's group in this day and age." This is the attitude we need to have. We shouldn't have to host special interest groups for women because women should be accepted in this industry as the authority figures they are. So what can we do to change it? Keep up with the groups - there's power in numbers and our numbers are growing. If you see something, say something. Don't let anyone get away with degrading women or treating them as less-than. Speak up and let people know it's not okay. If you're a woman, keep being the AV Rock Star you are. Get those certifications, win those awards, teach those classes! If you're a man, join Women of InfoComm and similar groups. We appreciate you showing up and supporting us! Have you experienced something similar? Leave it in the blog comments. *I've changed the names in this story . I was lucky enough to hang out with some #AVTweeps on a recent episode of The AV Life.
The quote of the night was "You can't just post stuff!" This is a strategy I both practice and preach. Social media is a great way to get your company (or your personal) message out there...but there HAS to be a plan of action. When utilizing these tools, you must create a consistent brand voice and be part of a conversation. I don't want to give it all away - listen to the full episode by clicking on the image below. Last week, I was elated to discover I am the recipient of a 2017 InfoComm Young AV Professionals Awards. This award calls attention to the AV industry by recognizing that young people are achieving rewarding and successful careers in the audiovisual and information communications industries.
I am honored to be among this elite group of men and women leading the charge into the future of AV. Over the past 11 years, I have worked closely with the staff of InfoComm and have had the privilege of watching the association, show and staff grow and evolve. I’m proud to say I’ve been able to participate in this evolution and that my contributions are meaningful. Congratulations to Wallace Johnson, CTS, who will also be receiving the Young AV Professionals Award. The award ceremony will take place on Wednesday, June 14th at 2 pm. I hope to see you there! To see the full list of winners: https://www.infocomm.org/cps/rde/xchg/infocomm/hs.xsl/32865.htm Well, I've officially made it in the AV World...I got to appear on AV Social! For those of you who don't know, AV Social is a wildly popular marketing podcast focused solely on the audio-visual industry hosted by the lovely Dawn Meade & Kelly Perkins. On this episode, we talked all about #InfoComm17 and how this is going to be their most innovative show ever, I challenged Barbara Blaskowsky to an #AVSelfie Battle and, oh yeah, SO MUCH FREE BEER! You can check out the podcast here: https://avnation.tv/podcast/avsocial-23-free-beer/ If you're heading to InfoComm and want to attend for free, use code PAV657. As some of you may know, autism is a cause near and dear to my heart. I volunteer my time and creative talents for several autism-related non-profits. Here's why...
Last year, my cousin's daughter was diagnosed with severe autism at only two years old. She is completely non-verbal. Hearing the trials and tribulations of living and loving with someone on the spectrum can break your heart. I channeled those feelings into strength and work closely with the St. Croix County, Wisconsin Autism Support Group and a soon-to-be-announced new autism charity. Today, April 2nd, is World Autism Awareness Day. Awareness and acceptance are critical components for those living and loving with someone on the spectrum. I found this article today and thought you would like to read it to learn more: http://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/health/world-autism-awareness-day-article-1.3015253 This is a very brief and discombobulated post but I wanted to get my thoughts down and do my part today! If you have questions or would like to volunteer with me, reach out any time! meganadutta@gmail.com They say absence makes the heart grow fonder. I haven't written in years. When I launched my website, I thought writing a blog would be another task I'd have to do to keep up with the Joneses. I knew it would be an important place for me to showcase my writing skills and increase my site's SEO. What I didn't realize was how much I would absolutely fall in love with writing all over again. It's been the outlet I've been craving all these years. A tiny hole in my heart that I didn't know needed to be filled. They say the best way to keep your intentions is to make them public and, thus, hold you accountable. So here's what I'm saying now - this is the year I will FINALLY write that book I've dreamed about. I've found a subject I'm passionate about and I'm aching to write that story. I can't give away the details yet because I need her permission to write her story. But it's coming and I'm excited. Have any of you written a book? How did you get started? What's your preferred methodology? I'm all ears for your tips and tricks! This week is a big week for me professionally. It's Speed Week 2017 which means I am hosting a large number of VIP customers at the Daytona 500. My entire team has been manic for the last two weeks going over every detail and ensuring our guests will have the perfect weekend. Here are my five things I always do during incentive trips to make my life easier. 1. Make a Binder Like most of us, I have a meticulously organized inbox which works well 90% of the time. But when you're on-site, you want access to everything at a moment's notice. For each major event, I create a binder. In it, there's copies of every contract, confirmation numbers and travel info, and even a dossier on each guest that includes his/her phone number (you'll need it, trust me), special dietary needs, etc. Take the time to make a binder and your life will be made much easier on-site. 2. Over-Communicate with Attendees Typically, I leave the communication with our customers up to their sales reps. However, leading into these kind of events, I've found you can never send too much information. While, personally, I'd be fine with just knowing when and where to show up, most people on these trips wants to know every detail and want to be reminded constantly. 3. Network, Network, Network Many years of hosting incentive trips has led me to realize that attendees get a huge value out of networking with each other. Whether they're forming a genuine friendship, getting business tips or creating new partnerships, meeting other guests is a large part of these trips. Do whatever you can to help them. This year, I decided to try something new and created a 2017 VIP Weekend Group on LinkedIn. I invited each attendee to the group and I post relevant information about the weekend. They're getting valuable tips (see point #2 on over-communication) and they can easily get in touch with each other after the event. 4. Be Prepared for a Few Speed Bumps No matter how much planning you do, they'll always be something that goes wrong, doesn't work out or needs tending. Go in with the mindset that whatever happens, happens. You've already prepared yourself to create the ultimate VIP experience and nobody (but you) will ever know there were a few kinks. Keep the mindset that you've done your best and there will undoubtedly be something that needs your magic. Deep breaths. Be the rock star that you are and get everything worked out. 5. Enjoy Yourself You've worked freaking hard to get this trip planned. You've done everything you possibly could do to ensure your attendees will be impressed with your company AND your excellent event-planning skills. Now take the time to have fun with them! In their mind, you're the star of the weekend. They know you made this happen and they want to see you relaxed. Take it all in - you deserve it. Did I miss anything? What are your keys to success for incentive trips? |
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August 2021
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