MPSD 19
Last Saturday, 14 June 2008, was the day that tested my ability and capability of managing the biggest event for my organisation. It was the 19th Certificate and Executive Diploma Presentation Ceremony (Majlis Penyampaian Sijil dan Diploma Eksekutif UMCCed kali ke-19).
Let me brief you on the background of this entry.
Last year I was promoted as the manager of International Training & Event Management Department (ITEM). From the name of the department, it shows the scope of areas that I have to manage. Frankly speaking, never in my life had I managed or organised any event for that matter. This year I was given the sole responsibility to manage the biggest event for the organisation.
Preparation started 6 months before the actual date of the event. There were many things to consider. There were also things used to be done before but which I wanted to be different this time around. There were many people whom I had to liase with, many different departments and suppliers that I had to communicate with. All in all, there were huge responsibilities that I had to shoulder and be aware of.
In between, I also had other programmes and projects that I had to see through. I had to make sure everything went on smoothly, all happening simultaneously. This was where I noticed that time management and stress management were vital. Everyone seemed to be putting all the pressures on me but I didn't allow that to happen. Instead, I was the one who put pressure on them. They should be doing the work and my main task was to make sure they execute the work.
Two weeks before the actual event, I began to have nightmares which ranged from dreams about the hall, the people and the staff to the robe, the flowers and the programme books. Haah!!! I couldn't sleep well neither could I eat well........this was really an experience which I had not experienced before. Butterflies were always flying in my tummy and making all sorts of somersaults which at times made me feel like vomitting. I thought that was it......I didn't think that I could go through such tortures anymore. To make things worse, there were people who seemed to get very envious and they always interfered with whatever I was doing. They should be assisting me and perhaps, advising me on what to do because they had been doing the same event for 18 times before. Like one of my staff said, people who had been in the same position or the same task for so long, they thought that they were the best and nobody could ever overshadow or take over their authority.
Frankly speaking, I changed a lot of things....for the better, of course. I guess these people couldn't accept the changes and they refused to cooperate with me. They even tried to make my work go haywire. But what the heck, knowing me, I couldn't care less....to me, they were brainless and selfish. This event was for the organisation and not for myself......so, everybody should lend a helping hand and display good team spirit. Anyway, I didn't surrender to such hypocracy and bureaucracy......All I wanted to do was complete the task and make the event a success.
Come the actual day, everything went on smoothly. There were no complaints or comments from anybody. The only thing that I received and heard was everyone congratulating me for making the event more successful and merrier than before. Alhamdulillah, I've made it!!!!!!! It was not bad at all for someone like myself to finally manage to organise such a big event successfully.
Those people who were envy at me, they could only watch my team celebrating and I know that they wished they were sitting at my position so that they could gain the same credits!!!!!
I'd have to congratulate my staff for being so committed and diligent without a single sigh. They were the backbones for the success of the event and I was proud to have them with me in the department. ITEM rocks!!!!!!!
Let me brief you on the background of this entry.
Last year I was promoted as the manager of International Training & Event Management Department (ITEM). From the name of the department, it shows the scope of areas that I have to manage. Frankly speaking, never in my life had I managed or organised any event for that matter. This year I was given the sole responsibility to manage the biggest event for the organisation.
Preparation started 6 months before the actual date of the event. There were many things to consider. There were also things used to be done before but which I wanted to be different this time around. There were many people whom I had to liase with, many different departments and suppliers that I had to communicate with. All in all, there were huge responsibilities that I had to shoulder and be aware of.
In between, I also had other programmes and projects that I had to see through. I had to make sure everything went on smoothly, all happening simultaneously. This was where I noticed that time management and stress management were vital. Everyone seemed to be putting all the pressures on me but I didn't allow that to happen. Instead, I was the one who put pressure on them. They should be doing the work and my main task was to make sure they execute the work.
Two weeks before the actual event, I began to have nightmares which ranged from dreams about the hall, the people and the staff to the robe, the flowers and the programme books. Haah!!! I couldn't sleep well neither could I eat well........this was really an experience which I had not experienced before. Butterflies were always flying in my tummy and making all sorts of somersaults which at times made me feel like vomitting. I thought that was it......I didn't think that I could go through such tortures anymore. To make things worse, there were people who seemed to get very envious and they always interfered with whatever I was doing. They should be assisting me and perhaps, advising me on what to do because they had been doing the same event for 18 times before. Like one of my staff said, people who had been in the same position or the same task for so long, they thought that they were the best and nobody could ever overshadow or take over their authority.
Frankly speaking, I changed a lot of things....for the better, of course. I guess these people couldn't accept the changes and they refused to cooperate with me. They even tried to make my work go haywire. But what the heck, knowing me, I couldn't care less....to me, they were brainless and selfish. This event was for the organisation and not for myself......so, everybody should lend a helping hand and display good team spirit. Anyway, I didn't surrender to such hypocracy and bureaucracy......All I wanted to do was complete the task and make the event a success.
Come the actual day, everything went on smoothly. There were no complaints or comments from anybody. The only thing that I received and heard was everyone congratulating me for making the event more successful and merrier than before. Alhamdulillah, I've made it!!!!!!! It was not bad at all for someone like myself to finally manage to organise such a big event successfully.
Those people who were envy at me, they could only watch my team celebrating and I know that they wished they were sitting at my position so that they could gain the same credits!!!!!
I'd have to congratulate my staff for being so committed and diligent without a single sigh. They were the backbones for the success of the event and I was proud to have them with me in the department. ITEM rocks!!!!!!!
Comments
Congratulations on a job well done! Hey, u know TESLIANS-thrown into anything, sure will survive and make it rock! Of course, butterflies show that we are professionals, responsible and almost perfectionist....Way to go! Hope u'll get promoted sooonnnn...heheheh
As for these envious people, biarle diorang. Biar lah labu terjun dgn labu labu nya....Sabar je. Bukan diorang kita nak impress, it's our superior. And good team spirit is vital too, cant deny that. That justifies ur leadership too. Im sure they love u as a lady boss. Congrats again dear.
Thank you. Such event mmg havoc with those kind of people around.....but anyway, benda dah lepas, just hope they would come to their senses and be more tolerable.....
Leaders are visionaries with a poorly developed sense of fear and no concept of the odds against them.
And you certainly showed everyone you could do it. Outstanding!
Bet that night you went to bed with a smile, not to mention a good appetiteat dinner too, ha ha.
You stay easy and keep well, Lee.
Thank you.
True enough that the very same night I slept soundly for 12 hours straight...not to mention a whole lot of food consumed right after the event.....hahahha...
Wow...! Congrats!! The power of TESL still rocks. Come to think of it, we have progressed constructively. I still remember how we were so stressed out to be teachers right after graduation. But after a decade, we hv lecturers, project managers, editors, entrepeneurs, phd holders in the family. Take me for example... a CEO! ;-)
Take care now...