Meeting Planning Innovation

Is it just me or have you noticed a major spike in the Control Freak population?

The conference event industry is fertile ground for "control freakism." So much to do, so little time to do it. We're scrambling to meet high expectations for conference events, yet doing so with limited resources. The margin for error is slim.

This brings to mind the Strength/Weakness Paradox. Your best strengths, when over-deployed, can become your biggest liabilities. Event planners are masters at managing a myriad of meeting planning details. Yet that same strength, when taken to extremes, can transform event planners into Control Freak Monsters.

Control Freaks are diehard risk mitigators, who often choose short-term "chip shots" over long-term gains. They're also not too thrilled with all this talk about the need for change in how we design and deliver conference events and trade shows.

If you're still reading, maybe you're dealing with a control freak OR wondering if you might be slipping into this zone yourself. Hey, if I'm not careful, I can slip over the control freak line, too. It takes one to know one. Here are three signs you're dealing with (or you're becoming) a control freak:

• Struggles with delegation.
  Ask a control freak why they're not delegating more, and you'll likely hear "Nobody can do this as good as I can." Years ago, my boss gave me great advice to loosen my control grip and delegate more. He advised me to map out the task, explain WHY it's important, identify available resources, and clarify project deliverables. Then get out of the way. Let this person take ownership and figure out HOW to make it happen. Guess what? They're probably going to do a few things differently, and dare I say, even better than you would. Let them know you're available for advice if they need it, but step away from the steering wheel. Instead, show them how confident you are that they're up to the task.
    
• Plays "devil's advocate" whenever new ideas are presented.
  Granted, entertaining (and vetting out) every new idea that's pitched is time-consuming and counter productive. That said, in today's fast-changing conference events environment, we need to schedule time regularly to explore new ideas, especially around technology. A savvy and self-confident leader strikes a healthy balance of old and new, while control freaks swat down new ideas like flies.
    
• Likes to be surrounded by "YES" types.
  The last thing a control freak wants is somebody who's unafraid to go toe-to-toe with the boss. Respectful debates are important, especially in today's conference environment. Alas, we're living in a world where thoughtful discourse is sometimes frowned upon. Add a control freak into the mix and things can get ugly. 
     

Easing up and letting go isn't easy, especially for control freaks who have a long history of being burned by slackers and knuckleheads. Still, we need to dial down the control freak stuff, don't you think? This quote from best-selling author Brian Tracy speaks volumes: