Dianne's Blog

WHAT ARE WE DOING HERE?

Before you even begin planning for a meeting or event, you need to get clear on a vitally important question: Why are you asking people to show up?

Every gathering has a purpose, a function, an overriding objective … and yours is no exception. Before you do anything else, you must FIGURE OUT WHAT THAT OBJECTIVE  IS! Is it to …

• Reward an individual or a team?
• Recognize a specific achievement?
• Retain employees, customers, or other stakeholders?
• Celebrate an important event, milestone, or anniversary?
• Brand or re-brand a product or service?
• Launch a new product, service, or initiative?
• Change attitudes toward the organization?
• Educate people about an important topic, as part of a larger mission?
• Inspire people as part of a larger mission?
• Help people improve their skills in a certain area?
• Build team cohesion?
• Train people in a new skill?
• Honor a deceased luminary?
• Commemorate a historic milestone?
• Plan for future direction?
• Announce future renovations or refurbishments?
• Prepare for re-structuring or mergers?
• Reunite the team?
• Recognize the value of being a team member?
• Hear a political candidate speak?
• Recruit new employees, members, or students?

Once you clearly identify the objective, you can start working on how to attain it.  If not, why make the investment?

Copyright © 2010, Dianne Budion Devitt. All rights reserved. Permission to reproduce without financial gain is granted IF the entire text is left intact, including this copyright notice. For more information, email dd@d3dimensions.com.