Executive Assistant's Corner: Effective Coordination: The Devil is in the Details

One of an Executive Assistant or Admin's task is to coordinate meetings with clients, arrange events hosted by the Executive they assist, conferences and any other special events that are assigned. For me, coordination is the domain of the EA. It is my strongest skill and I love doing it.

My pet peeve is when something big is happening and there are several people handling the coordination... poorly. Poor coordinators, especially several of them, sets up the teams they are coordinating with, for failure. There is confusion where there shouldn't be.

Too many cooks spoil the broth and the result is spaghetti. Sure it's edible, but not as expected.

When an EA is coordinating an event, it's easier cause there is no doubt in anyone's mind if everything is being organized according to expectations. How can they be so sure? Because the EA takes directions from above.

To be an effective coordinator and execute a successful event, you need to be on top of one very important thing. THE DETAILS. (That's one, right?)

As an EA, you have already established relationships with the different internal departments and external vendors you need to do your job. If you haven't, then you must start now. We are not required to do all the tasks ourselves - we can't. What we are required to do, is to know who to tap to make things happen, and work with them so they can properly execute their individual task.

Think of it like a play. You are the Director. You have the complete cast. You have the stage. The next question is, what do you need them to do? This is where the gazillion details come in. An EA needs to be able to look at the bigger picture - and yet keep an eye on the smallest detail.

Define the Goal - Discuss the event with your boss and ask the following:

What is the event about? What is the event's purpose?
Who will be participating?
How much is your working budget?
What is the preferred venue?
What is the preferred menu, if any?
Is there anyone you need to coordinate with other than your own teams?
Any other special instructions?

Identification - Once you've received the instructions, identify the teams and vendors needed to execute the tasks. Get their contact numbers. Make a list. Then reach out to them and give them a heads up that you have an upcoming event.. They will now be anticipating your instructions. From this initial contact, you can determine if a resource will not be available to assist and find someone else.
Planning and Tracking - While the coordination is happening, you need to be able to track what needs to be done, who is supposed to do it and if everyone's working within the agreed timelines. If you don't have a tracker, there's no way you can stay on top of every little thing.

So, after steps 1 and 2 above, I sit down and create an Excel file and map out THE PLAN. I picture the whole event in my mind, from start to finish - and from there I can determine what is needed. This is the time where I think of every possible scenario and think about EVERYTHING that might be required... from beginning to end.

My tracker will cover the following details:

The Participants

If you have visitors arriving, determine the ff:

What are their names and designations?
What is their itinerary? Flight details?
Do they have transportation? How are they getting to your event?
Do you need to hire vehicles?
Do you need to book their hotels? Do they have a room preference? Smoking, non-Smoking?

The Venue

Are you arranging a meeting, a conference, a presentation, a luncheon, a dinner?
Have you identified your venue options?
How many people are expected to arrive?
Is there an option to extend if the venue is reserved for a certain number of hours only?
Is there free parking?

If it's a business meeting, conference or a presentation:

Does the venue have a projector, screen, WIFI connection, speakers, a podium with a microphone?
What comes with the venue? Is there free unlimited coffee, tea, water?
Are you serving food/snacks during the meeting/conference/presentation?
Will you be flashing the presentation decks? If yes, who will be forwarding the files to you? (Set a deadline a day before the event.)
What is the preferred table arrangement? U-shape, banquet, classroom?

If it's a Luncheon or a Dinner:

What food will you be serving?
Will it be a buffet, free order or set menu?
If it's a buffet, are there free drinks included?
Are you serving alcoholic beverages? Does the venue offer an open bar for a specified number of hours?
Is there a program, performers, speakers?
Do you need to setup a stage, microphone, projector and screen?

There are many things that you can miss if you don't have a tracker. The devil is really in the details. Who can remember all that? When you have a tracker, it's so much easier to monitor everything that's going on.

The Tasks

Here is where your coordination skills will come in. Who are the people that you need to tap for the different tasks required - to make it all come together? This is the main part of your tracker and you will rely on this list throughout the event you're arranging.

Event Planning: The Ultimate Guide To Successful Meetings, Corporate Events, Fundraising Galas, Conferences, Conventions, Incentives and Other Special Events

Based on the above questions, list down the action items and the person assigned. Indicate a deadline of completion. List down every little thing that you need to check no matter how trivial it sounds. Nothing is trivial to an effective coordinator. It's better to be overly detailed than to miss a detail!
Monitoring - You have your tracker. Your stage is all set. You've identified your actors and they have the script. Now, all you need to do is monitor. Without someone monitoring if the big picture is starting to look the way it should - how can anyone tell? How will tasks get done properly and on time? Your tracker should be flexible and not set in stone. If the timings change, you have to adjust everything connected to that, like the transportation for example. So you have to monitor the status of your action items. You want to see the word DONE right beside it. Make sure that tasks are being completed within the timeline and that adjustments are being made, as needed.

For your team to be successful, you need to communicate with them constantly. Update them in real time and make sure that everyone is clear about what they need to do. Give specific instructions, don't be vague. Check on their progress. Are they having challenges? Can you help? Do you need to add resources to speed things up?

Never mind if they think you're breathing down their necks. In truth, you are. Someone needs to do it and the success of the event is everyone's success, not just yours.
Implementation - It's show time! It's the big day. Since you and your team prepared for this, the only thing to do is execute. Be ready for anything unexpected. Have contingency measures in place. No matter how perfectly you planned for everything, there will always be something that will go wrong somewhere. But that's to be expected. It will suddenly rain. The transport breaks down. The WIFI won't connect. Just deal with these hiccups as they come.

You still need to ensure that everything you and your team prepared for is happening the way you pictured. So, watch the event unfold from the sidelines.

Don't forget to thank everyone who helped you make this happen. You couldn't have done it without everyone being true to their role.

Effective coordination needs leadership skills. An EA who has leadership experience can efficiently coordinate from preparation to execution. If you are unsure about your tasks, you won't be able to effectively synchronize the activities of your team. If you are a poor leader, you won't know the strengths and weaknesses of your team and won't be able to fully utilize them to their full potential.

If you are having challenges in this area, try building your leadership skills. It can help you become more effective coordinators.

and Remember... the Devil is in the Details!