Having started in this position almost a month ago, I've been busy preparing the final details of the big event my new company has in early January. But as I go about attending meetings, editing all the written materials, and ordering the meals, I find myself not getting into it as I usually do.
See, I love planning. In college and when I lived in NYC, I was always the planner. I took care of New Year's plans, birthday dinners, and spring break plans (and I especially love planning my yearly birthday extravaganza!). I like picking the restaurant or the bar that we'll get to go to. I like knowing all the details and being in the thick of plans. So in a way, it makes sense that I fell into this job of event planning and marketing. At my old job, we did two large events a year as well. I was very invested in both of them. I knew every answer to every question anyone had about the events. The decor, the layout, the food, the collateral - I was involved in every step of the process.
I think this is why I'm having a hard time throwing myself into this event that will occur in January. I'm not very invested. Some would say that I'm lucky. I started this job and all the work was done for me. The things that are left to take care of are the small details and all the on-ground work the day of the event. Which should have me jumping for joy. Other than putting together some team-building projects, I really haven't had much involvement.
But every day, someone will come and ask me a question. And most of the time I don't know the answer because I haven't been with this project since day one. I really think the best part of planning an event is following through - being there from the beginning when everything was just an idea and then seeing it all come together. It makes all the stress and all the worry very worthwhile. And you feel proud because you achieved something and you saw the fruits of your labor.
I'm doing my best to get caught up (ah! it's only two weeks away!), and I think I've been doing a pretty good job. Good enough that I know this event will run smoothly and I'll come back to Chicago alive.
I just wish I was a little more invested.
Posts
7 comments:
It's definitely hard to feel that you're doing a good job, especially when you were kind of coming into this project blind. I'm sure it will go well though :)
You're giving my flashbacks of last year! I'm a conference planner, and I started my current job two weeks before my first conference. I had no idea what was going on and was totally flailing for a while there.
I gets better once you get more ownership, I promise. :)
Good luck with your event! Sounds like a fun job. I'm sure you'll feel more invested when you start an event from the beginning. It probably feels weird going into something and having it already mapped out for you. Let us know how it goes!!
Sometimes it's hard when you start in the middle of something. But at least you have work to do! Things have slowed down at my job and i'm pretty much sitting around and twiddling my thumbs (err, reading blogs!). I hate that though. I'd rather be busy!
I felt the EXACT same way with my last two projects! We have 4 seminars (two or three days each) split up across 4 months, and I came in during the second and third sessions, respectively - at first I was totally new to the company, and then I got reassigned when a coworker left. It was so frustrating to not know all the details, and inevitably a problem would arise that someone thought the first girl took care of, and I couldn't solve it quickly. Ugh.
At least the project I'm working on now - I'll be with this one from beginning to end. FINALLY.
I've been a lurking fan of your blog for a while now and this is the first time I've had the courage to leave a comment! I ran into a hilarious (and outdated) guide on how to be a Super-Secretary and thought all the working girls out there would find it amusing as well: http://www.box.net/shared/bdjjn28wgs. It was published in 1953. Go ahead, take a look and better yet, take notes!
First I wanted to say thank you for the encouragement on my blog. I really hope I stay the course and wait until I'm married. Also I wanted to say that I enjoyed reading this post. I read the post about The City, but seeing as I didn't watch The Hills I won't be watching The City lol. I should probably let my sister know about the post though, she loves those shows, and is trying to get me to watch them with her. She also wants me to watch some show called Bromance, but that doesn't sound interesting either lol. I hope things work out for you as far as the projects go though.
Post a Comment