Craig Verley

We all know that so many of our projects, events, etc. can take a small army to get them done successfully. Much of the work goes on behind the scenes by employees and volunteers who work hard. Do they know how important their contributions are? Is that because you are not letting them know their efforts are not only appreciated, but critical to success?

It kind of all goes back to remembering some of our manners and saying, thank you. Thank you notes, email, etc. after the event are nice and probably appreciated, but I would challenge you to make it a little more personal.

Find those opportunities before, during, and after events to thank the people, face-to-face. Maybe it’s during the security briefing before the event. You can step into that circle quickly and offer a thank you to the security guards and officers. Maybe it happens throughout the event as you are dashing around, pausing for a moment to shake a person’s hand and say thanks. Maybe it happens after the event with the maintenance and custodial teams as they are about to start cleaning up and clearing away.

Too many times, I have seen administrators in education and the corporate world, who are good at giving orders, just leaving once the event is done without looking back. Yes, the employees are paid for their efforts. But a little personal acknowledgement that those efforts are noticed and appreciated can go a long way in making someone feel seen; and that what they do matters.

The spring semester gets crazy-busy with special events, from awards ceremonies to commencement ceremonies, and more. Don’t rely on post-event notes and emails to show appreciation. Look for and take advantage of those quick event-related moments to let the people doing the work know that their work is appreciated and important. Those moments are there; we just have to be open to seeing them.

You might also consider asking a few of those folks if they have any thoughts on what might make it go smoother, based upon what they may have seen or experienced. Some of the best event improvement tweaks I ever received came in those moments.

Communication works best when it is face-to-face; that includes our “thank you.”