How to Delegate, Motivate, and Avoid Burnout

Published in various ISES Chapter Newsletters, 2001

Taking on an event management project can be a daunting prospect. It can also be an incredibly rewarding experience, IF you know how delegate the work, motivate your workers, and avoid burnout.

How to Delegate

Nothing convinces like confidence. —Lyndon B. Johnson

Identify the areas of responsibility and tasks included in each

• Specify the levels of quality, quantity and/or scope

• Break them into actions required

• Group them into manageable workloads

Establish realistic expectations

• Review role and scope of workload with the individual and confirm understanding

• Schedule appropriately

• Establish checkpoints and deadlines

Recruit dedicated people

• Match the person and personality to the task

• Empower them to contribute to the success

• Get commitment to execute

Keep in touch

• Follow up, require status reports and updates

• Coach & conduct rather than control

• Express appreciation

How to Motivate

The key to motivation is motive. —Dr. Steven Covey

Understand the motives — enlightened self-interest

• Networking

• Recognition

• Experience

• Certification points accumulation

Create a team spirit

• Share the vision

• Be a role model

• Express appreciation

Deliver on expectations

• Showcase the contribution

• Establish rewards that serve enlightened self-interest

• Practice Random Acts of Congratulation

How to Avoid Burnout

Do what you can, with what you have, where you are. —Theodore Roosevelt

• Realistically assess the scope of the project — know what you’re getting into

• Chart your course on paper — don’t try to keep it all in your head or to yourself

• Create generous timelines — give yourself room to act and react

• Build a team — develop your support system and share the load

• Understand YOUR motives — remember the rewards that serve YOUR enlightened self-interest

• Maintain a balance — health, wealth, work, recreation, and relationships

Back to Publications