Table Topics

Tis the season for a myriad of social interactions, both professional and personal: Office parties, large family gatherings, and even the random chit chat with folks that you bump into at the mall while shopping. Do these events make you nervous? Are you concerned that you will forget a name or commit a social faux pas?

Imagine you are spending your very first holiday season with your in-laws, surrounded by people you probably met only once (at the wedding). You meet Uncle Joe who drinks a bit too much which results in the occasional wandering hand; Auntie June who is a “close talker” and tends to spit a bit and, to wrap up this gaggle of fun, you have been seated for dinner next to Margaret who has recently experienced an unusual “awakening” while on sabbatical from her University teaching job. This “awakening” now precludes her from bathing regularly, leaving her smelling like stale tomato soup.

Tongue tied due to nerves, and on edge because of the group dynamics, you are hesitant to join in on the conversation.

There is an art to making great conversation, but many of us fall a wee bit short. That is okay because if we were all extroverted wordsmiths who love to hear the sound of our own voices…..it would be painful and probably mean that we were on Parliament Hill (wink).

Here are some tips to get you through the holiday season. DISCLAIMER – I took some (cough) artistic licence with these tips and they should be taken with a grain of salt:

Remembering Names: Face association and repetition can be helpful tools in remembering names. When you meet someone, repeat their name a few times (do this in your head – not out loud please) and associate their face with the name. It doesn’t always work, especially if you are meeting many people for the first time. If you are in a work setting and are exchanging business cards, try to take a moment to jot down something specific about the individual on the back of their card. It will be a useful reminder for when you return home, and need to begin putting faces to names.

If you have forgotten someone’s name, sometimes it is best to ‘fess up and say, “I’m sorry, what was your name again?”.

If all else fails….Listen!: Becoming a good listener is definitely a gift that many do not have. A good listener is both attentive, and reflective and focuses their full attention on those talking and being open to the conversation. Do not sit with your arms crossed, instead, lean in slightly, making eye contact (except when you are speaking with Uncle Joe or Auntie June). “Reflect” back which means to occasionally repeat back some of what they are saying so that they know you are listening, and that you have understood what they are saying.

Awkward Conversations: There are times when people want to over-share. Oftentimes this will occur in direct relationship to the amount of alcohol which has been consumed. If you feel you are going to become the conversation target of “TMI” (too much information), disengage yourself from the individual and walk away. If the TMI is a result of alcohol over-indulgence, you are doing them a favour by not staying to listen to all of the personal detailed information and sparing them potential embarrassment.

The Seating Chart: If you have been seated next to an Auntie June, Uncle Joe or a Margaret, you do not have a lot of choices available to you with the exception of jumping up to offer the hostess your assistance in the kitchen. You will be remembered as being “such a helpful” guest and no one will know that you had an ulterior motive.

The Safe Word: Lastly, if you are going to a social event and want to be able to signal your friend or partner that it is time to go, or if you need rescue…come up with a “safe” word before you arrive. Interjecting the safe word into the conversation will allow you to remove yourself from conversations or situations where you feel uncomfortable. Reminder!!! Unacceptable safe words are: Fire! Bomb! Gun! Rat! Bee! and finally, Spider!

Happy Holidays!

SS Event Camp

Are you missing Event Camp Vancouver already? If you have the urge to revisit the theme song........here you go!

“GET YOUR GREEN ON”

Written by: Judy Kucharuk & Shawna McKinley

sung to: The Gilligans Island Theme Song

Just sit right back

And you'll hear a tale

A tale about a really neat game,

An App created by QuickMobile

“Get Your Green On” is it’s name

"Get Your Green On" is it's name

The mates were green meeting keeners,

The Skipper smart and sure,

They wanted to create something fun,

For the three day tour,

The three day tour.

The first mates and the Skipper too

Know that Get Your Green On is a test

Of how we can help you all know the difference

Between good, better and best

Good, Better and Best

Throughout the next few days my friends,

You will network and be inspired

But don’t forget to play the game

Sustainable actions are desired

Sustainable actions are desired

So play along with us dear friends

We hope the game is fun

With check in cooooodes

And photo opsssssss

Twitteringgggggg

And Acts of Greeeeeen

So grab your phone,

download the app, sign on to play

Get Your Green on has begunnnnnnnn!

Judy

Are you a Dreamer?

Have you ever been asked to work on a project with people whom you have never met? Or…..perhaps you have met them, but have never worked with them?

Such is the case with a committee driven event made up of volunteers (freely contributing time, effort and resources). At times, these committees are made up of “Doers”…..those individuals who always get the job done. But! Sometimes, the groups are made up of only “Dreamers” who, unfortunately, may not have the skill set to execute the task at hand. The perfect committee is made up of both “Doers” and “Dreamers”. Let me explain.

Dreamers are those individuals who always think yes before no. They do not see limits, only opportunities. Doers sometimes get frustrated with Dreamers because they are turning left when the Doer is turning right. They think differently and it challenges the mindset of the Doer. In essence…..they can make the project exciting!

Can someone be a Doer and a Dreamer? Yes, most definitely – but they are few and far between. If you have one on your team I suggest you treat them like a rare find. They are a little like a double rainbow or a Unicorn.

In the real world, a great collaboration needs the following:

1. You need a mix of both “Doers” and “Dreamers”

2. You need a “Dream Wrangler”: someone who can draw out the ideas from the Dreamers, keep them on track.

3. You need a leader: As much as you might be a committee, everyone needs a leader. You need a point of contact, someone to make decisions, give final approval. Committee’s can become very passive aggressive and leadership is integral to a successful outcome.

4. You need to create an environment of trust.

5. There needs to be an articulated goal that all parties understand.

Finally, it is important to know what your “Doers” and “Dreamers” need so that you can feed them. What I am saying is, that everyone participates in collaborative projects for different reasons and if you can identify what those reasons are from the beginning, you will better able to position them in the project so that they get what they need out of it.

Recently, the planets aligned for me in such a way that I was able to become a part of a unique collaborative process. I was asked by Dream Wrangler Tahira Endean to participate in the EventCamp Vancouver planning experience. Tahira is a "double rainbow" - she is both a Doer and a Dreamer and artfully worked her magic throughout the planning process. She assembled a unique group of both Dreamers and Doers from near and far. It was truly an amazing experience that is sending ripples exponentially throughout the network of those who attended.

So…..the next time you are working on a collaborative event, think about this process. Appreciate your Dreamers, because without them you wouldn’t push boundaries, stretch your imagination. Acknowledge your Doers because without them – it would just be a page filled with ideas.

Judy

A "green" Party Trick

I thought I would share a couple of green event "party tricks" with you. One of my green event strategies is to save the coffee grounds from events/conferences/meetings for use as compost. I have a network of friends who are happy to receive the coffee grounds. Note: You can divide them up amongst a number of people. If I am working on an event out of town, I try to partner with a local organization and arrange for them to take the grounds (horticultural society, community garden, etc.)

It isn't a difficult strategy to achieve...you just need to arrange with your caterer to save the grounds and provide something for them to put the grounds in. I generally line a bin with a strong garbage bag (the wet grounds get heavy) and the caterer positions it beside the coffee maker. Believe me.....when you are serving coffee to 650 attendees, the grounds add up!

It occurred to me that my attendees didn't know what was happening behind the scenes. They didn't know that we were saving the coffee grounds. For some events I began posting a sign by the coffee station that informed the attendees that we were saving coffee grounds and what the grounds were going to be used for (use pictures to help to illustrate, perhaps a photo of a vegetable garden that received some of the rich compost).

You can take this one step further by having a chalk board or white board beside the coffee station where you can record daily, the weight of the coffee grounds going to compost. If your event is only a one day event, you can still do this.....simply post the results from the morning coffee and then the results from the afternoon coffee break. For multi-day events, you can share the impressive numbers via email in an "eco-daily". An "eco-daily" is an newsletter that informs the attendees of what has been accomplished each day.

If you don't inform your attendees, you can't influence them. Share the message, share the strategies, share the successes.

I believe that your attendee's have an inherent wish to "do good" and when you share with them that they are actually playing a part in something positive, they will respond positively.

Judy

Gone Fishin'

As a Green Meeting planner, I tend to focus on the question, “what strategies can I implement during my event that will minimize the footprint while balancing the delicate equation considering people, planet and profits”. I admit it….I consider(ed) my actions (the action of the planner) to be omnipotent to the overall success of greening the event.

Recently, I had a gut check which resulted in an epiphany of sorts (don’t worry folks…..it wasn’t physically painful, just mildly embarrassing). While collaborating with Shawna McKinley, Director of Sustainability with MeetGreen on the gaming component of Event Camp Vancouver, I was tasked with developing the first draft of green action items. I had to consider these actions from an attendee’s point of view. At first, I struggled…..I was a bit discombobulated with the exercise. I am embarrassed to admit it, but as a planner, I never thought of it that way. In the past, it was always about me (my husband will agree with this). Me! Me! Me! What choices can “I” make that will lessen the overall footprint of the event? I was making these choices on behalf of the attendee. I mean….it made sense right…..?

Wrong!

During this exercise, I quickly realized that I need to get over myself (once again, my husband will agree). I need to recognize the tremendous impact of the individual personal actions of my attendees. It is wonderful if everyone uses the refillable water bottle that I have planned for and provided during my events, but it will be even better if they take the bottle home and use it everyday. It is called building a sustainable event “legacy of actions” (not an official term, but catchy nonetheless).

Oopsey daisy….there goes the light bulb and I find myself having an Oprah “ah ha” moment. Maybe I should sit down.

I realized that (in the past) I was not giving my attendee’s the power, the knowledge or the tools necessary to contribute personally to the overall footprint of the event. When they are at the event, I have made the choices for them, but am I negating the impact/importance of their personal choices?

· Travel

· Hotel Accommodation

· Transit

· Meals

The event might last two days, but if I really want to be a change agent, I have to find ways to influence long term behaviour…..daily actions at home and on the road; at work; at play.

How do I do this?

Realize that control and influence are two separate things. Control is what you have (wish you had in some cases) while planning the event. You are in the driver’s seat; you are the one negotiating with vendors, you are making choices. Influence is what you have with your attendee. You have the ability to influence behaviour through education and awareness. They are a captive audience…..don’t miss the opportunity.

Whew…..that was some heavy stuff; maybe I should lay down.

During Event Camp Vancouver, we are trying to influence the behaviour/actions of our attendees by reinforcing that behavior through the game application. We are making a case for a much more holistic approach to sustainable event planning, but trying to do so in a fun and interactive manner.

There is a famous quote by an unknown author that says, “Give a man a fish; you have fed him for today. Teach a man to fish; and you have fed him for a lifetime”. Well…….we are going fishing folks!

See you at EventCamp!