In my research, I found that some of the biggest stress factors in any event and meeting planner’s job include:
Juggling workload
Saying “no" when too many programs are going on at a time
Clients leaving things to the last minute
Suppliers responding in a timely fashion
Balancing one client over another
Finding staff resources at the last minute
Managing clients expectations
Needing more time!
1. Relieve stress with exercise. I now imagine you saying you just don’t have the time to fit it in. Bear with me here.
You will have more energy, a brighter mind, and more creative problem solving.
3. Take small periods of silence and solitude during the day, especially when you feel overwhelmed with problems and responsibilities. Feeling overwhelmed is not an uncommon feeling for planners. When you take even five minutes of solitude at such times, you will be amazed how your ideas flow and how the answers to your questions pop up.
5. Manage unexpected demands. I recognize that it is not always possible to organize your work to minimize surprises and problems as a planner, in spite of your best efforts. You can control your response to an unexpected demand by determining how you will accommodate it, and when you will accommodate it. Sometimes clients simply want to know they have been heard and their request will be taken care of.
7. Take charge – everything you are, or ever will be, is entirely up to you. While there will always be days in the life of a planner when it may be necessary to work long hours to meet a time crunch, these times ought to be the exception rather than the rule. If you find yourself always racing to meet deadlines, it is a clear sign that you need to look at how you are managing your activities and your time.
9. Remember how you want to be perceived personally and professionally. Is this as a frantic, chaotic person, or someone in charge who is a great problem-solver? Your coworkers, industry peers, suppliers, and clients can, and will, hold you accountable for how you spend your time.
