Month: December 2014

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Special Events: Why A “Tasting” Is An Essential Part Of Event Planning

Business colleagues on a "tasting" mission

QuestIon: Should I do a tasting even if I have worked with this caterer before?

Answer: Absolutely.

Question: Should I hire a caterer and then do a tasting?

Answer: Absolutely NOT.

In the past, people who were frequent event attendees tended to have great expectations, except when it came to food. There was a constant “rolling of the eyes” if someone commented that the food at a particular event was really good. That was fairly common, when rubber chicken dinners were flying high (pun intended).

In recent years, food at both, hotels and “off-sites,” has improved enormously … in taste and presentation. Now, expectations are high and caterers and chefs work to outdo each other and are, frankly, getting better and better at it.

Food makes the evening more (or less) remarkable, and is something everyone talks about. Hotel chefs have stepped up their game and are more than happy to help create a themed event with interesting presentations.

A recent reception had a gelato bar flavored with various vodkas alongside the standard wine and beer fare. A dessert bar for an after party focused on a variety of champagnes with assorted mini sweets.

When doing an event at an “off-site,” catering is an essential element … along with the lighting, sound and décor, and choosing a caterer takes time.

You begin the process with a list of caterers who are approved to work in the facility. Asking the site manager which caterer works the space most often is a good way to start your search. You have probably been to a few events yourself and had some good experiences. Find out who the caterer was and ask the person who did the planning whether they were pleased and would use them again.

Try to narrow down the search to two or three caterers and contact each one asking the same questions. I will frequently explain that I am looking for creative menus with really good food that a variety of people with varying tastes can enjoy.

I made some calls recently about a breakfast event we were handling, and explained that I wanted something “creative,” and not just a bagel bar. I was disappointed, but not surprised, that 2 out of 3 sent me menus with … a bagel bar !!

Look over the menus carefully. Based on what you see, select 2 of the caterers (unless one is so outstanding that no one else can compete) and ask for a tasting.

A good caterer will have asked you about the type of event, colors, décor, background on the attendees, your goal for the evening and most important, what you want the attendees to take away from the event.

Usually, a tasting lasts about 2 –3 hours with time to taste a lot of different foods (from hors d’oeuvres to entrees to desserts). Look at linens and china, crystal, chairs and anything else needed for that event.

Notice the word “taste!” It does not mean eating everything on your plate, no matter how delicious. A few bites will tell you if an item will work. And you do want to save room for dessert, especially if it’s chocolate ☺


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Obviously, Tastings are about more than food, and
next week Natalie Continues the discussion.

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Have a comment or a question about
creating or expanding your special event?
Ask Natalie.
With over 30 years in conference and event planning,
she can help you turn your vision into reality.
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Look for Natalie’s ebook on Special Events.
It’s part of
The Fundraising Series of ebooks
They’re easy to read, to the point, and inexpensive ($1.99 – $4.99)
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If you’re reading this on-line, and would like to comment/expand on the above piece, or would just like to offer your thoughts on the subject of this posting, we encourage you to “Leave a Reply.” If you’re reading this as an email, and you want to comment on the above piece, click on the title of this posting, then go to the bottom of the on-line version to offer your thoughts.

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Documentation Update Tips

the word update written on a red background

How do you communicate updates for your technical documents? With fast growing companies, especially global companies, and frequent technical innovations, how do you let others know, for example, an application, product, manufacturing, business, etc. document has been updated? How do we document the revisions? To be sure that there is an effective process to indicate and notify users, here are some suggestions to lessen a chaotic impact for document changes:

  • Pre-warn users of impending changes and indicate a launch date for a new document. With today’s social media and mobile devices, this should be an easy accomplishment. Within an organization, if there is an intranet, or a social message system, announcements can be easily communicated quickly.
  • Make sure that revision numbers appear on the front of a document.
  • Issue an email with the attached document, with the subject line indicating an update to a document, followed by what was changed. If there have been relevant or more than a few updates, then a meeting and or training session must be held.
  • Create a new front cover for the document, so that users can easily distinguish the new updated document from the older one.
  • Create a cover page that indicates where changes were made, include page numbers to direct users to the appropriate page. This is especially useful for global companies where translation and retranslation is important. This not only makes it easier for a translator but for the reader as well.
  • Create thumb prints for the documents on revised pages and bold or italicize the updates to make amended items stand out.
  • Create new revised figure, images, tables, etc., to show new or modified items. Highlight pointers to make it easier for the reader to understand and view the updates. This is especially useful for updated products, applications, business flows, data, etc.
  • Email all users of impending changes when templates have been updated. Be sure to state why they have been modified. Also, indicate the date when the new templates will begin to be used. For example, there might be a new company logo that is to be used for better marketing and the company would want all associated events to begin on the same day.
  • Bold or italicize modified text where context sensitive helps or web online help issues are involved. If there are any follow-ups, the reader should be allowed/able to contact someone to question the modification. (For example, this could be a built-in feature within an application, or a customer service added feature to a product.)

In the end, be sure to create a process to ensure that when documentation updates occur, all associated documents and all those involved will be notified, that established procedures are followed so that no one is left out of the loop, and that everything will run smoothly and without chaos.

If you have any other ideas as to how to communicate updates, please leave a comment. Thank you.

 

 

 

 

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Separation or Connection: Creating Harmony

angry-family-getting-divorce

The Grand Jury decisions in Ferguson MO and NY have been challenging for me. I grew up close to St. Louis so that situation struck close to home. I began reflecting on how to create harmony in our communities and work when anger and grief emerge.

I recently attended a talk by a spiritual teacher and asked about the current issue of race relations. He said the conflict and disturbances are caused by Separation, separation from others and from God. I want to expand on that idea in this post.

Separation – Us vs. Them

We experience separation when we perceive others as different – based on their gender, race, religion, sexual orientation, personality etc. This separation creates disharmony.

It is the ego, small self, personality level thinking that creates separation. It’s too easy to categorize people into Us and Them — My people (company, team, neighborhood) vs. Other.

To get past your perceptions of differences, focus instead on the Divine Nature of others. As you focus on their Divine Essence, you see them in a new way. When you focus on their Divine Nature, everything else becomes trivial.

When people around the planet get past the illusion of difference, we will know lasting peace.

globe_03

From a spiritual perspective, we are all beings of Light. The outer appearances, behaviors, and personality are merely wrapping paper.

Everyone is expressing their Divine Nature the best way they know how. And….many have forgotten their Divine Nature.

We are Divine Essence expressed in millions of different ways around the planet. No one expression of Divine Nature is better or worse than any other.

Creating Harmony

So the key to improving race relations, or any type of disharmony based on Us vs. Them thinking and perceiving, is to Remember (re-member) we are all beings of Light.

When you are pressed for time, when others don’t act as you want them to, when you don’t act as you would like to, remember this….Peace comes from remembering you and everyone else are Divine Expressions.

Reach inward to remember and feel your Divine Nature. With this connection, you’ll see others more clearly as Divine Beings expressing their Light the best way they know how.

Walk the path of Love not fear. Aho!

***

Linda J. Ferguson, Ph.D. is the author of two books on spiritual living. Linda is a Job and Life Coach for people who are ready to release their doubts, fears, and self-limiting beliefs. Linda helps her clients bring greater joy and balance to their work and life.

Sign-up to receive Linda’s FREE series on Transformational Empowerment, a framework for making positive changes in your life. Enter your name in the right hand side bar – www.lindajferguson.com

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Click HERE to order Linda’s book “Staying Grounded in Shifting Sand: Awakening Soul Consciousness for the New Millennium”. Available in paperback and ebook- Kindle, Nook and iStore

Support your local book store and small businesses this holiday season.

 

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Customer Service, a Prime Crisis Management Concern

People-working-in-the-customer-service-department.

Remember, your CSR’s are some of your most valuable crisis management assets

Providing great customer service can win you customers for life, and a larger share of those customer’s paychecks, but dropping the ball can, and will, have the opposite effect as well. Properly training customer service agents, giving them the flexibility to problem solve, and ensuring they’re up to date on all policies and practices should be a core component of any crisis prevention plan. If not, you’re asking for pain in the pocketbook, the last thing any organization wants.

Need more convincing? How about this infographic, from the folks over at Groovv:

How Customer Service is Impacting Your Bottom Line & Online Reputation Infographic

How Customer Service is Impacting Your Bottom Line and Online Reputation – An infographic by the team at Groovv

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For more resources, see the Free Management Library topic: Crisis Management
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[Jonathan Bernstein is president of Bernstein Crisis Management, Inc., an international crisis management consultancy, author of Manager’s Guide to Crisis Management and Keeping the Wolves at Bay – Media Training. Erik Bernstein is Social Media Manager for the firm, and also editor of its newsletter, Crisis Manager]

– See more at: https://staging.management.org/blogs/crisis-management/2014/12/04/facebook-under-fire-in-the-uk/#sthash.qOF57RN0.dpuf

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Facebook Under Fire in the UK

A-facebook-user-trying-to-log-in-with-his-laptop

Failing to walk its talk is hurting the social network’s reputation

Facebook has come under scrutiny repeatedly due to its cavalier attitude towards user’s right to privacy. Sure it claims to support privacy, but case after case has shown that it’s far from a priority for the social network. That approach is drawing fire once again, this time from lawmakers in the UK, specifically those in Parliament’s Science and Technology committee, which is currently drafting guidelines for websites and apps regarding the transparency of how they gather and use personal data. The Telegraph’s Christopher Hope reports:

Andrew Miller MP, the committee’s chairman, said: “Facebook’s experiment with users’ emotions highlighted serious concerns about the extent to which, ticking the terms and conditions box, can be said to constitute informed consent when it comes to the varied ways data is now being used by many websites and apps.

“Let’s face it, most people click yes to terms and conditions contracts without reading them, because they are often laughably long and written in the kind of legalese you need a law degree from the USA to understand.

“Socially responsible companies wouldn’t want to bamboozle their users, of course, so we are sure most social media developers will be happy to sign up to the new guidelines on clear communication and informed consent that we are asking the Government to draw up.”

Facebook, while currently a dominant force in the social media scene, is making a major crisis management mistake. When it comes to user privacy, it’s saying one thing while doing the complete opposite, and users are catching on. Already more anonymous services are catching on, especially amongst the younger crowd, and we don’t feel it’s too far of a stretch to say this contrast, combined with the fact that privacy is increasingly a hot-button topic among stakeholders, does hold the potential to sink Facebook at some point down the road.

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For more resources, see the Free Management Library topic: Crisis Management
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[Jonathan Bernstein is president of Bernstein Crisis Management, Inc., an international crisis management consultancy, author of Manager’s Guide to Crisis Management and Keeping the Wolves at Bay – Media Training. Erik Bernstein is Social Media Manager for the firm, and also editor of its newsletter, Crisis Manager]

– See more at: https://staging.management.org/blogs/crisis-management/2014/11/29/even-twitter-execs-prone-to-crisis-on-social-network/#sthash.YdvrZaHw.dpuf

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Revisiting The Gift Table

Businesspeople talking about the gift pyramid

I find it interesting that, of all the topics we’ve addressed in this forum, the Gift Table has consistently been at the top of that list.

Gift Tables, or Gift Pyramids, are great fundraising tools for all modes of fundraising — capital campaigns, major gifts, “the Annual Fund,” and for Special Events.

Prior to the beginning of every fiscal year, an NPO goes through its budgeting process and comes up with a (realistic, attainable) figure for how much money will be needed for operations, and how much of that will be needed to be raised via charitable giving.

The latter figure must be based on prior experience and analysis of the likely giving (not wishful thinking) of those currently in the organization’s database. If the figure was obtained by sound financial analysis, one is able to construct a Gift Table that should reflect reality.

Although the term “gift pyramid” is often used, the resulting “table” does not always take the pyramidal shape … with the one “biggest” gift at the top, gifts in a graduated descending scale below, and with the arithmetic (or geometric) increasing number of gifts for each of the descending levels. (See Contructing The Gift Table”)

The Gift Table, an outline as to how you can reach a particular fundraising goal, is a tool that can help you stay focused on what needs to be done to achieve that goal. Since the “Table” is based on the potential gifts of specific individuals, NPO staff and volunteers can allocate their resources most effectively.

In essence, a Gift Table should ask (and answer) the question: “What do we need to do to reach our dollar goal?”

The “Gift Table” is not a list of what certain (potential-) donors should give, or will give. It “outlines” only what donors might give … based on prior giving, circumstances and on other reliable information.

Gift Tables should be constructed for each element of a fundraising program that focuses on specific individuals … as opposed to those elements involving mass solicitation. You should have a “Gift Table” for all the fundraising activities that are included in your organization’s budgeting process – keeping in mind that some (so called) fundraising activities are more in the realm of donor acquisition, and often can’t have specific/realistic dollar goals attached.

Please do keep in mind that the Gift Pyramid/Table is only a tool, and does not replace the judgment of an experienced fundraising professional.*

[*To clarify the definition of a Fundraising Professional: This is not someone who deals in the sales of items and/or in the conduct of “fundraisers” to generate income. This is someone who understands why people give, why they support an organization. This is a person who understands that the creation of a loyal following, not of an annual/special event, but of an organization and its mission, is what can ensure that organization’s future.]

If you’ve devoted the needed time, research and planning to the creation of a Gift Table, you’ve already done most of the work needed to create a fundraising plan.
[More on Fundraising Plans in a future posting.]

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Next Week, the first half of a piece by Natalie Lewis
on the elements of, and the absolute need for
“Tastings” as part of planning for an event.

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Have a comment or a question about starting, evaluating
or expanding your fundraising program?
AskHank
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Have you heard about
The Fundraising Series of ebooks?
They’re easy to read, to the point, and inexpensive ($1.99-$4.99)
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

If you’re reading this on-line, and would like to comment/expand on the above piece, or would just like to offer your thoughts on the subject of this posting, we encourage you to “Leave a Reply.” If you’re reading this as an email, and you want to comment on the above piece, click on the title of this posting, then go to the bottom of the on-line version to offer your thoughts.

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A Project With China

Wrinkled Chinese flag on a dark background

The 21st century has brought a great increase in projects with companies in the growing economies of Brasil, Russia, India and China (for which Goldman Sachs coined the acronym of “BRIC” countries). There is no denying that, with the emphasis of multinationals in fulfilling the demands of those growing middle classes, many project managers can expect to perform projects with team members from those countries sooner or later.

A good friend recently was asked to go to Shenzhen to manage a project for his company’s Chinese business partner. As any good international traveler would do, my friend Fareed did as much research as possible before going to China. He read plenty of books on Chinese culture and customs; he got a Chinese cookbook; he even rented Chinese movies in Mandarin (with subtitles in English of course).

All this research yielded the following picture: the Chinese are a hard-working, collectivistic society. They are quite accepting of people in power and are highly contextual (which means that they take their cues from the situation more readily than from what is written).

I saw Fareed after his trip and asked him how the trip, and the project, had gone. “Great” he said “but instead of highly collectivistic I found everyone in China to be highly individualistic”. Based on his research, he had gone expecting people to act based on what was best for their group. Yet, everyone from the local builder, developer, driver, even the secretary took initiative and performed tasks depending on what was best for them, not necessarily their company. That came as a surprise.

We chatted about it at some length and finally arrived at the following conclusions, which we will apply to our future projects: (1) although a highly collectivistic culture in the past, given recent economic and other liberalization, Chinese culture may be changing from highly to moderately collectivistic. Maybe some day they will become an individualistic culture, much like the American or the Australian. And (2) whatever ideas you may have about another culture, even when based on research or experience, be ready to toss them out the window, as cultures are alive and constantly changing.

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15 Quick Tips for Delivering Slides and Visual Aids

a man delivering a presentation with slides

Slide shows getting boring? Next time you get ready to deliver a presentation using slides, review this list and commit to delivering your slides with impact.

corner

  1. Decide if a slideshow is really needed. If it adds value to the audience, use it. If you are using it as a crutch, skip it.
  2. Don’t just tell. For every slide or major point, find a way to enliven it with an illustration, example, image or story.
  3. Everything you say does not have to be on your slide. Everything on your slide doesn’t need to be said.
  4. Interpret slides; don’t read them line by line. Tell a story, provide context, have a conversation about the content.
  5. Be radical: present without slides. Or use just 1 or 2. If this is too radical in your organization, prepare slides but don’t use them unless you need to.
  6. Use something besides a slide; consider flip charting a spontaneous discussion, use a handout for an informal talk, pass around a prop, or do a demonstration.
  7. Too many slides but don’t want to delete them? Instead “hide” them. They won’t show up in slide show but are there if you need them.
  8. Use a remote slide advancer so you have something in your hand, and so you don’t have to be glued to the lectern.
  9. Use the remote slide advancer to start your slideshow smoothly.
  10. Get your own slide advancer, so you can make it look smooth and easy.
  11. Look at your laptop instead of the screen, so you don’t have to turn your back to audience. If you must point to the screen, keep your shoulders and torso facing forward.
  12. Use special functions for impact: in slideshow view, press B for a black screen, press B again to return to slides.
  13. At the end of your presentation, don’t click to black. Have a final slide with your contact information, a call to action, or your title slide repeated.
  14. Want to move from one part of your presentation to another? In slide show, type the number of the slide you want and enter. Voila!
  15. Track your time by using a remote slide advancer with a timer in it. Or use your smart phone or iPad timer to count down the time remaining.

Slides don’t have to slow you down and bore your audience to tears. Use this tip sheet to take a fresh look at how to deliver with impact.