People seek out the best

Event operations require the best.

Mediocre just won’t work.

There is thttp://www.sportsoperations.com/bookoo much riding on the decisions made during events.

It has been an honor to train 200+ interns and staff over the years, I have followed their successes and their movement to different events. There was a reason why most of them had worked for me for multiple years. The reasons are worth repeating.

I gave them an opportunity to grow within an intense field by the use of humor instead of ridicule. A relaxed atmosphere tends to reduce stress and increase productivity while maintaining strict procedures. I gave them a chance to own an aspect of the event, to put their voice on it, and to carry it to the conclusion.

They all had the ability to ask questions without concern. You can’t train people by being a dictator. You’ll have people who are afraid to make decisions.

I want people in the foxhole with me that I can lean on. My mentees were allowed to grow into the more difficult areas of operations and they remembered the lessons learned because they sat in the meetings with me and watched how I handled situations in the field. I explained the mistakes I had made and how I corrected them and, as a result, they were never afraid to admit their mistakes they made as they knew the problems could always be addressed and overcome quickly. They remembered how to push for decisions they needed on their timeline to get the job done before the beginning of the event.

The interns which have worked under me remember the training I had given them because they were an integral part of it. I made the tense situations bearable. Give them a chance.

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You’ll find more about my leadership and insight strategies in the updated edition of Operationally Speaking, an event operations guide based upon the procedures I put together for the United States Men’s Open Golf Championship for the last 23 years as well as a sundry of other events. Take a look.

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