10 Things I Hate about Organizers

Not all bosses/advisers/organizers are equal. Some just do a way better job than others. There is rarely one trait that all of them are required to have, and typically you don't realize just how good one is unless you've had really bad ones.

From personal experience, my mom is an excellent organizer. Probably comes from loads of experience. Everything from birthday parties to PTA meetings to organizing end-of-the-year banquets complete with memorabilia, theme, ticket design, centerpieces, the works. However, it wasn't until I started running into poor organizers that I realized just how much I had come to rely on good organizers.

So, here are a few things that as an organizer you should NEVER do.

1. Call an important meeting "in 15 minutes." Unless you know for a fact that everyone involved is always on their e-mail or you can directly tell them, there is a very high chance someone will get the notice at around the two minutes left mark and have to hurriedly stop what they are doing and scramble to the meeting place. Article after article mentions how poor this is for productivity since they lose train of thought and maybe they had other plans, like an experiment to run. It is even worse for students. I do not live in a lab. I go home. So, it takes me 15 minutes just to get back to campus. Then I feel like I am late, that I have to hurry, and make it there on time and arrive sweaty from the bike ride. It stinks.
   
2. Not give out materials at least 24 hours ahead of time. This is especially true for something like a rehearsal or a presentation. People need time to go over things, and they need to fit into their schedule time to sit down and look it over. Just because you left 2 hours form now until the meeting does not mean the rest of the world did either. Even worse if it's in the morning and you are just going to sleep. As it turns out, others want to go to sleep as well, or might already be asleep. People also need buffer time to pick up the material and time to schedule in time to review it. Just because you sent it at 3pm doesn't mean they will pick it up at 3pm. Which brings us to the next point.
3. Expect people to always be electronically contactable 24/7. Some people only check e-mail once every 24 hours. Not everyone lives on Facebook. People in meetings aren't constantly texting. Well, they shouldn't be. If something is that urgent, make a call. Cell phones still work as phones you know. Unless you call someone directly, don't expect your electronic medium to be read for at least 12 hours. Of course, if you know the person, you might be able to count on your teenager to pick stuff up within the hour, or your grandma to pick it up next century.
4. Arrive to an event without a plan. Even if it the event is supposed to be participant driven. If people don't have any ideas to prime the pump, you had better be able to carry the event. This can be an internary for a meeting, a game schedule for your LAN party, or even sample ideas for a brainstorming session. You're in charge, make stuff happen.
5. Take up group time for something personal. If there is a subject that only matters to one or two members of the group, never ever take up group meeting time discussing it. The other members will be bored and they have better things to do. Trust me.
6. Expect that your time is more important than others' time. Everyone thinks their time is more valuable. You had better make it apparent early why you are taking up their precious time or else they will simply seethe and grumble under their breaths. Plus, doing silly things like texting while someone else talks, or putting someone else off while you surf the internet are just poor policy. Make time for people, especially if they are right there in front of you. Or at least tell them you are really busy and to come back in 10 minutes. When they come back in 10 minutes, you had better be ready.
   
7. Let things fall through the cracks. Especially people. Little reminders, check-ins, and informal updates are good and make people think you care about them individually and not just the formal 20-page progress report at the end of the quarter. If something is decided, make sure it is written down and read what you write down. Coming to meeting 2 and forgetting what happened in meeting 1 is poor on your part. You are there to keep people accountable, and if you can not even keep yourself accountable the ship is gonna sink quick. Plus, looking like you are efficient and together helps build confidence with your peers that you know what is going on and can help lead them to success.
   
8. Talk down to someone. Just because you are in charge, smarter, and get paid more does not mean your stupid underling needs to know it. People work way better and will be less hostile if you seem to be on their side and not the critical overlord in the sky. In rare cases this can work, such as in the military where leading by iron law and example is good. However, you have to be something they can aspire to and take the beating as a way to get better, not as a beating of punishment. Even if you are smarter than them, there is a 100% chance they think they are smarter than you.
9. Never admit you are wrong. You will be wrong eventually. Suck it up and admit it and show you will fix it and your underlings will be much more accepting.
10. Not do the 3-part handshake. For those unfamiliar, a 3-part handshake is the following: Person A requests something from Person B. Person B responds to Person A with the requested information. Person A lets Person B it was received and everything looks good. If you as an organizer as Person A, that third step is crucial. Not only does it let Person B know you got it which puts their mind at ease, but it is also a great time to give them a bit of praise. If you give any feedback, you may be starting a new 3-part handshake, except this time for the revised version. There are some cases where this is not strictly required. For example, if the requested information is if someone will make it to an event and they respond "No," the third part is nice but some people are OK with never hearing from you again. Still, I strongly recommend you still respond since it gives a much better personal touch. And being personable is a good thing.

So there you have it. 10 things that you should avoid if you are ever in a position of power. There are many more, but these happen to be the 10 that really have ticked me off recently. =]