Adulting is hard, especially when your version includes herding cats (aka managing events). We could all use a little inspiration, so we’ve compiled five great videos to help you crush your job and herd all the cats.
How to make stress your friend | Kelly McGonigal
Event planners have one of the most stressful jobs in the world. That’s not just hyperbole; event coordinator has been named the fifth most stressful occupation by Forbes’ Most Stressful job lists, right behind several emergency response personnel roles. Unfortunately, stress is also cast as a top public health enemy. But it doesn’t have to be! In this video, Kelly McGonigal suggests stress may only be bad for you if you believe that to be the case, and she offers ways to reframe the way we think about stress in order to reduce its impact on our lives.
@kellymcgonigal kellymcgonigal.com
Why perfectionism will crush your productivity — and how to stop it | Marie Forleo
We see you there, cycling on the 37th iteration of your conference site map. We see you because we ARE you. We too are guilty of having spent way too much time tweaking agendas or signage design because we want it to be just so.
Event planning jobs tend to attract people with Type A personality traits, which is great due to the detail-oriented demands of the job. But, the drawback of perfectionism is this: Yes, that map might look perfect, but your ROI is steadily circling the drain while you waste time on details that don’t matter in the whole scheme of things. In this video, Marie Forleo argues that endlessly tweaking your projects is just another form of procrastination and offers tools to get out of this mindset.
@marieforleo / marieforleo.com
The happy secret to better work | Shawn Achor
Nested in this hilarious talk is the message that happiness and positive thinking are the secret to success, not the other way around. So, when you’re having a hard day, watch this video and just remember you’re all special unicorns, eventprofs.
The walk from "no" to "yes" | William Ury
Negotiation comes up all the time when you’re an event planner, from negotiating vendor contracts to navigating disagreements with challenging clients. In this video, William Ury, founder of Harvard’s Program on Negotiation, offers ideas on how to move the needle during conflict and be confident in your negotiations.
@WilliamUryGTY / williamury.com
Why good leaders make you feel safe | Simon Sinek
OK, if you’re leading an event team, this might not make you feel less pressure. But it is a good reminder of the key thing that inspires your team to give endlessly of their blood, sweat and tears: trust that you’ve got their backs.
When you’re dealing with an angry client who wants to know why a mistake was made or a deadline wasn’t met, it might be tempting to throw one of your subordinates under the bus. But, if you take this route, you’re undermining your long-term success as a leader. In this video Simon Sinek reminds us that everyone has the capacity to be a great leader; all its takes is a willingness to make sacrifices for your team.
@simonsinek / startwithwhy.com
Want more ideas to improve your work and life as an event planner? Check out Hubb’s Guide to Work-Life Balance.
