One of the most common phrases you’ll hear as a leader in a chamber or association is, “you know what you should do…” or “I’ve got an idea for you…” or if your chamber or association is well-known for throwing events, “here’s an event you should do for the community…”
Do you hear this often in your organization?
When I was new to the job, I once got an email that an organizer of a local event wanted to meet. Of course when you’re new, earning your stripes, you’ll talk and meet with just about anybody. Well, after an hour-long conversation, I eventually interrupted the event organizer and politely asked, “But what do you need from the chamber? What do you need from me?” In essence, why are we meeting? They responded, “Oh, we don’t need anything from you except that orange fencing.” What?! You just took up an hour of my time talking about the event only to ask for something that could have easily been asked for in an email or phone call!
That day I swore I would never unwittingly meet with anyone, especially if they were “an idea person,” or “had a good idea about an event.”
However, I took it a step further. I created a 2-page worksheet that anyone with an event idea or any other idea would have to fill out just to get a meeting with me.
In our nonprofit, “fish bowl,” sometimes people sensitive profession, we have to be careful about not taking a meeting or saying no. The optics can be bad; people’s egos can get hurt and you can be on the public end of “how dare you!”
The worksheet is a process that allows you to screen people without too much offense. I often remind my staff, “Let the process be the bad guy, not you.”
When I’m looking at ways to streamline, protect myself or staff, or say something hard nicely – I look to a process.
When an email or call comes across my desk now I say how exciting the idea or event must be, but that we have a process that has to be followed. It includes filling out a two-page worksheet and I’d be happy to send a template to them. I suggest it helps me better understand where they’re at in their own process, where I can help and, perhaps most importantly, what they need from the chamber.
The event proposal includes things like concept of event, does a road need to be closed, is there alcohol involved and are they working with the Department of Liquor, have they received sign off of the event from the town or design review board, what’s they funding strategy, and how many volunteers do they have.
The idea proposal includes things like the purpose of the idea, the niche market it serves, the industries being served, what is the current dissatisfaction with status quo and how will this idea change that, and what is the 3-year sustainability plan for the idea.
You probably guessed it. More times then not, when I send my reply to the eager person(s) who has the best new idea or event, about 75% never return my call or email. They do not fill out the worksheet. And therefore, did not get a meeting with me.
Not only is the purpose of the worksheets to be a deterrent for half-baked ideas, but it’s also to help train and educate people to think through their ideas. I hope the worksheets have captured a variety of facets of any idea or event that perhaps the idea person never thought of. By providing a roadmap, a sketched-out canvas, perhaps these worksheets can help people to really produce some wonderful events and ideas!
To do our jobs is hard. Sometimes people look at a festival, performance, or new idea from you and think it’s easy. These worksheets show the discipline and work ethic it takes to truly do great things.
Below are the two templates to download. I hope they help you. Use them and build off of them to meet your organizational needs. I hope it saves you from some of the “you know what you should dos” and keeps those important relationships still intact.