i’m in love

I love what I do for a living. Really and truly love it. I have found a field that suits my personality and talents. I’m blessed and lucky and happy and fulfilled.

But, at times, I am confronted with a high-pressure situation, an unhappy attendee or coworker, or an otherwise stressful occurrence. Meeting planning is like that. It is a deceptively high profile job. You think you’re working behind the scenes, but all you do is work on the ‘scene’ so everything in your seemingly hidden world directly affects something very visible. Your work has a major impact on the experience of many people – sometimes thousands of people. So, how does one cope with the stress that can put on you?

Here are some tips that help me remain calm in high-pressure situations.

1. Remember that I love what I do, and the current situation is temporary.
2. Figure out the source of the pressure/stress – is it internal or external?
3. Determine what can be done to alleviate the pressure – there is usually a “pain point” that can be remedied.
4. Take steps toward that solution.
5. Evaluate what led up to the stressful situation, so that it can be avoided in the future.

That’s it. No, really, that’s it. That’s all I do when faced with a high-pressure situation. Evaluate, assess, act, review. But, mostly, it’s about keeping my cool. It’s hard to see things clearly if you get caught up in emotions or reactions when the pressure’s on.

 

bound and determined

Being organized when planning a meeting is not an easy thing.  The bigger the event, the more moving parts there are.  When planning our annual meeting, I often feel like the guy at the circus who comes out with his spinning plates and his skinny sticks on which to balance them.

I have found a few things, though, that have been incredibly helpful tools to keeping all those plates in the air.

happy new year!

O, joy!  What great news!  The CIC has announced that they have revised the CMP application process!  Their press release makes it sound as though they’ve really streamlined and simplified the process, and the new application goes into effect on January 1, 2010.  Happy New Year, indeed!

The release also says that now that the application has been streamlined, they’re turning their focus to simplifying the recertification process, too.  Yay!

testing. testing. 1. 2.

Taking the CMP exam isn’t something you have to do without help.  Well, that’s not true.  You DO have to take the test on your own.  But the path you take to GET there doesn’t have to be a lonely one.

feeling achy? check for a curly tail!

Swine flu.  The H1N1 virus.  Whatever you call it, it’s a real thing.   Honest.  It’s not some government conspiracy created to ruin the meetings industry.  Darn.  I was kinda hoping it was a conspiracy.  Since it’s not, I need to create a plan to deal with it at our annual meeting in October.

What am I going to do?  Good question.  I’m not sure.  I’ll let you know what we end up doing.  In the meantime, I’ve done a bunch of research, and have found a ton of suggestions.

Here are several suggestions for what YOU can do at your meetings!

singing for your supper

O, what times are these?  Jobs are hard to keep, and harder to find.  I’m blessed to be employed, but I’m not taking that status for granted, and neither should you.

Keep your resume updated.  If you lose your job, your head won’t be in a good place for creating a shining example of who you are as a job candidate, so make sure that all you have to do is minor tweaks, not a major overhaul if (when!!) the time comes.

what are you waiting for

I’m a perfectionist.  I’m also a procrastinator.  Anyone willing to admit they’re just like me?

Well, thanks!  I’m glad to know I’m not alone.  And, I’m happy to tell you that I’ve been getting help for my perfectly procrastinating ways.  I have some tips for you, my friends!

i’m all atwitter

Twitter.  Some people get it, some people don’t.  I highly recommend that you “get it”.  Your personal / professional reputation may be resting on it.

i am a cmp, and proud of it!

For those of you who were thinking about taking the July exam, but just didn’t quite get around to signing up for it, I want to tell you – go ahead and register for the next available CMP exam.

I’ve had a few months to live as a CMP, and I gotta tell ya, every time I hand out a business card with those letters on it, or send out an email with my full signature attached, I get a thrill.

tell me what you want

I’m really asking.  I’ve been writing this blog for over a year, and I’ve never asked!

What would you like to know more about?

What subject matter can I research and write about?

What topics do you care about?

Saving money?  Negotiating better contracts?  Working smarter not harder?

Do you need inspiration?  Motivation?  Or just knowledge?

Tell me.