Ideas Worth Sharing
Getting Things Done Through Other People
Spring 2010
Greg Elam
Principal
Solution House - Consultants
SolutionHouse@swbell.net
AS YOU CONSIDER your next meeting, do you aspire to improve it against the last one? Would you like to please the attendees more? Or impress your boss? Or even just know deep-down inside that because of you it is better than before?
Hello - who wouldn’t want to do all of the above? Well, consider that you should begin by looking beyond yourself. Yep, believe it or not, there are others who also plan meetings or supply support to meetings or offer courses or there are coffee groups that desire to share their experiences and want to hear your story as well.
This isn’t about money, although we’ll touch on that in a moment. It begins with you deciding to get your things done by listening to what others have to say, or what other services could be available to you. Are you fearful of help -- I doubt it.
So how do you begin?
First, do realize that most people are pleased with how they do things and would like to tell about their work. Secondly, they are not about to tell you how to do anything … until you ask them, because when you ask, it is a compliment to them and a signal that you would like to hear more.
Who to ask? Talk to the hotel or meeting facility about what some other customers did (and don’t forget to talk to the place you used last time and ask them also). Consider those service providers that call upon you. Ask them for the best ideas they’ve seen. Or think about the local businesses that you know hold meetings. Find out who plans their meetings and call them up.
Join any local or regional professional meetings group and listen to their programs or just ask for their best ideas. Ah, but there is also another option: hire some supplier, who is a really experienced professional, to help with your meeting. There are transportation companies, catering companies, decorations companies, travel coordinator companies, feature speaker companies, meeting assistance companies – all of them make a living making people like you look good.
My point is that you deserve to do your best and benefit from doing well. But no one ever said that you must stand alone and re-create all the good that is readily available to you. Take down your shield and open your ears. And enjoy your job even more. 
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