Power of the Collective

Collective Lego

Flashmob. Lego Master Builder Creations. Group Yoga. Conferences. 

Nobody makes me smarter than my children. Last week we joined other families at Oakridge Mall in Vancouver where Lego was building an 8' Yoda out of bricks. Each participant had a picture of the small parts they had to do, and an 18" Yoda to show what their collective work would lead to - a very statuesque Yoda.  After Nick had been building for a while, I thought it was perhaps time to go, but he was not ready. I suggested he could still build Lego when we got home, but that was NOT the point. As an experience creator, I should have already known / sensed that this was not about building squares into more squares - it was about how he was contributing to the whole. This took three days of people wanting to participate in a collective win, and they succeeded on every level.

We have seen examples around the world of this - LuluLemon leading 300 people in yoga at Jack Poole Plaza in Vancouver, Chicago parks hosting a day of exercise, where each hour the activity changed and hundreds participated in each, and marvelous examples such as Diner en Blanc, where it is about being together in a collective experience that is the point. Please do share your favorite examples as well!   

How should this impact our thinking when it comes to events? I believe sometimes we get so wrapped up in the details - number of servers, access to exits, are there enough restrooms, what shade of red is the linen - that we forget the reason we are doing all of this - to create clean, safe environments for people to COLLECT, CONNECT and enjoy SHARED experiences.  If you have ever seen a video game developer conference - hundreds of people in darkened spaces seemingly working alone, heads down, focused on the task at hand - you might think this makes no sense. Until you see them all get up, stretch, head outside to the saunas, peeling off clothes as they go, rolling in the snow, and having beers together and talking about their awesome creations of the day does it begin to make sense as to why they want to be alone together to create.

Flashmobs are another great example of bringing people together in an unexpected way. If you asked most people if they would get up and dance in the middle of the day, in full daylight, in public, they would say "unlikely". But if you get these same people involved in creating the human bonding experience that is a flashmob, where a shared rhythm is found and a connection to the people and place, so in the present is made, they are up for it - and to see these is always a little bit magical.  (we LOVE planning these)

The power of being together, of collecting for idea sharing, for conversation, for the human touch that can only be found live, this is the power of the collective. As meeting professionals we can never forget why we do this, and how much joy we can share.

Loyalty in the New Age

Who's in?

In a prior (long ago) post I looked at what it takes to build a team, which is at its best, a collection of Talent. Organizations around the world work hard to recruit the "right" talent, the people who will add to their team. As a Producer who has worked closely with a number of the best organizations in the world on meetings and incentive programs we see how hard these same organizations strive to create programs designed to reward hard work and increase loyalty. We see employee engagement surveys, performance reviews and SMART goal setting and succession planning all designed to inspire employees. As event professionals, we build unique, once in a lifetime experiences that employees can aspire to be rewarded with, and when they leave, we see the tangible results of a well planned program in their smiles and warm goodbyes as they thank the team - both their management as well as the on the ground support teams - for this incredible experience.

This all works. We see the employees who are working often long hours and being constantly available to their clients and the demands of the clients, making deals and high-fiving (literally or figuratively) when "success" is achieved. This success is often tied to revenue generated, often due to sales made, and occasionally to incredible service provided, when it surpasses expectations and is noted by a client or colleague. This is the norm in many organizations, across all sectors. Recruit well, develop talent committed to success, grow the organization, reward the talent - this can include saying thank you, offering public recognition in meetings, or providing tangible rewards with cash or prizes or, the ultimate, an experiential trip usually shared with a special guest, often a supportive spouse or partner.

We all know many hard working people. The more our world goes on line, the more it is assumed we will be available at all hours and on all days. We can now do nearly everything on line, increasing not only the time we spend available to others on line, but the amount of things we now all do for ourselves at work that may have in the past required support staff - from courier dispatch to travel booking, and everything in-between. We seek jobs that will provide us with job satisfaction, where we can feel part of a collective greater than ourselves with values we believe in, and where we want to be part of the success. We are chosen, we fit ourselves in, work hard, and have loyalty to where we work.

There is some criticism of the millenial generation that perhaps because they are better than the previous generation at setting boundaries, that they are not as committed. The current research shows that they are not perhaps as loyal to an organization but perhaps more loyal to their particular leaders within that organization, and yes, they are better at "turning work off". In my experience they work very efficiently at work and produce incredible results time and again. I think there are lessons to be had here, that perhaps work should not be the be all end all that we can make it when we commit to an organization and make work a priority.

Here is another reality I have seen more perhaps in the last decade, and have certainly been on the receiving end of (when an organization closed suddenly). Organizations, even those that invest resources and energy in creating loyalty, are quite simply not that loyal back. I would bet we all know someone whose life has been turned upside down when one day the doors where they work close suddenly (horrible, I can assure you) turning out a workforce into a quiet economy, or when they are suddenly, without warning and without cause finding themselves being walked out, their jobs eliminated, no chance to say good-bye or clear out any personal items from their desk. The iPhones and blackberries, laptops and filled rolodexes removed. Shame felt when there is no reason for shame, the organization has "decided to make a change" or "eliminated this role" and "it's not personal, it's just business." Of course, the organizations and the leaders who make these decisions have reasons for making these decisions and often these are financial and certainly nobody out of that decision making process is privy to the details, as it should be and will of couse remain. Sometimes this is fast, like a bandaid mercilessly ripped, and sometimes, as I have had friends go through it is a long and arduous "who will go next to meet the required numbers?" Loyalty destroyed, hope ripped open, and trust eroded, in the space of a heartbeat.

Disbelief settles in. So what are we to do when we find ourselves on the receiving end of an organizations need to move forward without us? Here is one of the best posts I have ever read on Life After Layoffs by meeting professional Arlene Sheff - heartwrenchingly honest, and worth the read.

The harsh reality I see is that this cycle won't change. Loyalty will be sought and rewarded, often to degrees that are awesome when you are a leader in your organization. This will ensure that loyalty programs and incentives have a healthy future, good for the meeting industry. Often though you can work as hard, as efficiently and with as much passion for your job and your clients,  and just as quickly this can be taken away - the message may be delivered by one person, they are often in the position of being a messenger without having been the decision maker - a time not enjoyable for anyone.

 So what can we do to protect ourselves? I surely do not have the answer to that question... maybe you have a suggestion or two?

The Tahira Ranch

DJ Cowboy Crawford

This may be my favorite text ever received. "We are having fun building the Tahira Ranch."

Why do I love this? Because there was obvious shared joy in this project and the way they honored me with this simple text made me incredibly happy. You know when a team is having enough fun building anything to stop and tell you about it - well your guests are going to be blown away. 

Cowboy Ring Leaders survey the scene

It all began at work one day when the discussion began about the need for a "unique teambuilding concept" and I said "Call the boys in the Callaghan." What was a bit of an off hand suggestion became a memorable day and living proof about how amazing collaboration can create a simply awesome guest experience.

Everyone who touched this project added to it, culminating in an event that had a site added to in ways we could not have imagined, with an unprecedented level of detail, an eye to safety at all times, and at its core, a day the guests will long remember.  This would have been an easy project to take the first (good) concept and run with it, but as we looked collectively at the overall goals of the meeting and objectives of the client, those involved took the responsibility to go the extra mile, and revisions were undertaken, and approved. An incredible amount of energy was brought to implementing the ideas that required thought, effort and enthusiasm to bring to life. The end product, simply outstanding. We were open to ideas, to sharing collectively, to collaborating, to trust in our partners and the result exceeded all expectations.

They say I inspired them, and if this is the end result, then I sure hope to keep inspiring everyone I have the opportunity to partner with. Allen, Craig, Krystle and all the cowboys - we can't wait to come back!!

Wolf Credo

Many years ago a speaker shared this with our team of planners, and it absolutely stuck with me over the years as truly having a fit with #eventprofs.  What do you think?

Rest in beween (literally)

Wolf Credo
Respect the elders
Teach the young
Cooperate with the pack
Play when you can
Hunt when you must
Rest in between
Share you affections
Voice your feelings
Leave your mark.

Teamwork and Rocket Ships

So one of the requests that is common for us is to come up with a teambuilding exercise that incorporates sustainability and will inspire the team both during the exercise, and then into the future as they return to their normal routine. There are many ways of doing this - we could be inspired by a Sports Day as below. What I love about this is that the entire school is divided into four teams - and they just have to wear a shirt of that color, and boom - they are in! They are led by the grade sevens to develop a team cheer, and they have an awesome day. What I love about this particular picture is that the anchor for this tug of war is one of the smallest in the class - but she believed she could do this job. (not a massive surprise as this is my daughter).

Earlier this week, we watched (again) Apollo 13 and yes, I cried through a lot of it, for me a sign of a great movie, even when I know the ending. Here is the thing about Apollo 13, it really shows what happens when a culture has been built that embraces the team. Each member is valued for their individual contribution, and each knows what they can offer to the team and where they fit. When push came to shove, the entire team was willing to stand as one, to stay awake and keep focused on the task at hand that they could all contribute to, and to support each other all the way until the end. There are other examples of this out there, but this one really is a brilliant showcase of the power of both teamwork and a strong organizational culture.

When people ask us to create teambuilding for their organizations, ultimately this is exactly the type of response you would hope to create. The thing is that what we have to do really is to first understand the culture that exists, to determine what teambuilding / simulated exercise would best suit their objectives, and then to use this as a building block that supports (or is part of a transformation exercise, depending on the objectives) the organizational objectives. Ideally, this building block will be an enabler that should your organization face a critical situation - and there are many possibilities of what this may be - that your team will better understand each other, their roles and fit, and how they can contribute to the solution. Ideally, they will be able to "bring it home!"

I know I have many events that I have had amazing teams to rely on - at this time of year, it is a big shout out THANK YOU to all of you! (you know who you are)