The Secretary

So this is my story, our story, a reflection of events and personal experiences leading up to and during what turned out to be one of the biggest projects I’ve had the pleasure to be part of as a key organizer.

A conscious effort has been made to omit the names of others involved, taking those out of the equation that “did” and those that “didn’t”, those that tried and those that really stepped up to the plate without being asked, and ultimately made “the event” one of the most successful ever seen.

But like any othe projects of this nature, not everything was smooth sailing along the way……

Part 1 – Pick Your Team

Planning for something of such magnitude usually involves forming a team or in this case a committee that will gather to initially discuss requirements, brain-storm ideas and agree to take on tasks either allocated or self-volunteered based on the skill they bring to the table.

Now that works wonderfully well in theory. You’d think that being heavily involved in the last 5 “events” over the last 15 years would substantially prepare one with a winning formula in putting together the best team that has what is commonly referred to as having the “skill and the will” to follow-up these tasks mentioned above.

Just like those terms often bandied about in the corporate world, you can call this having the “capacity and the capability” to see something through. With this in mind, one enters the realm of compiling a “killer team” of individuals that meet that delicate balance of enthusiasm and seasoned experience, and hope that those that have offered their services don’t fall too far into the “I am happy to help but really have no idea what I’m doing” realm. Like always, you need to nurture, support and encourage along the way, whilst keeping those fingers firmly crossed that it all somehow lands on it’s feet and doesn’t fall flat on it’s err….arse!!!

It’s at this very moment that “dear in the headlights” can take on new meaning….I will be revisiting this topic later on so stay tuned.

Part 2 – Don’t Assume

I’m confident that I’m not teaching you anything new here, but in case you’ve never heard this gem of a cliché, do not ever assume, as you can make an ass out of you and me. I’ve always loved it and can be applied in so many ways, and admittedly over the last 6 months of planning for “the event”, this would have to have moved from cliché to “key learning”. Whilst the list of things that would be done differently is currently the length of my arm and grows each time I sit and reflect, I can honestly say that I am so much more aware after going through it all.

Let’s face it, there are times where you have to trust those around you, have faith in the process and hope for the best outcome possible. For those of you that have experience in this field, “putting out spot fires” also featured heavily in one’s glossary of cliché’s as did “herding cattle” and stating the “bleeding obvious”…..

One never means to grow impatient but given there were at least one or two challenges along the way, or 10, one can be excused for becoming a little stroppy or seemingly bossy at times, but one is human after all, maybe just, but human nonetheless…..

Part 3 – Raising the Bar

An event of a truly National nature involves enthusiasts and punters from all over the country, congregating to celebrate their one true passion, their love for a marque that as in my own case, has been with them since their childhood. It’s not just an interest, it’s an obsession with most. Expectations are always high, and the excitement heightens as you draw ever closer to the weekend where the culmination of all the hard work you and your team have put in is really put to the ultimate test.

Adding to the mix is that of late the event has taken on an annual flavor and enthusiasts eagerly await the same time of each year where they can forget life’s woe’s and escape for a bit, whether that means heading interstate or just up the highway for a mile or so. Either way, anticipation is high and polish and wax supplies at the local car care shop begin to dwindle. 

Now pride plays a big part in this epic saga, with a little bit of healthy interstate rivalry thrown into the mix which serves to fuel the fire of competition, wanting to out-do the previous event hosted by another group. 

Let’s do it bigger, let’s do it better, let’s make sure all are astounded at our achievements, I mean, we all love the accolades and the plaudits at the end of it all.

So armed with that information, one would hope that you the reader would now understand exactly what is at stake here……so let’s move on.

Part 4 – Be careful he’s a Businessman

One could be forgiven for wanting to improve things a little, to offer a bit more by way of professionalism or quality of product and service, and give the punters choice and variety so to speak. “You Don’t Know What You Don’t Know”, there’s another cliché. Colb’s model of unconscious incompetence perfectly describes the state of blissful ignorance we all suffer from at times. Feeling I’d bitten off more that I could chew washed over me several times throughout the overall experience, and striving to achieve that next level of “greatness” often comes at a cost.

At the risk of this entire blog becoming one BIG cliche and a series of random thoughts hastily put to paper, “hindsight is definitely a wonderful thing”, oops there’s another.

So some key learnings which now seem like complete common sense, but check your options, ask as many questions as you can and seek to understand any hidden or perceived costs up-front.

Part 5 – How’s everything tracking?

Monthly meetings quickly turned into fortnightly catch-ups as all in sundry started to feel the pressure of that elusive date drawing ever so closer. At this point, let’s re-visit the final message I left you with in Part 1- Pick Your Team.

With the danger of sounding a little impatient here, given there was much to lose and people’s sanity was in question, one could fairly say that tensions were running at an all time high. Key project updates were suddenly pivotal to the success of the event, each piece needing to fall into place to form a whole.

Given that this was the new mode of operation, suddenly a “yep all is fine” progress report without the necessary detail required to placate these concerns was just not cutting the mustard. Cliches galore. So it’s understandable that one would step in, ask questions , offer support and advice and try oh so desperately to keep a firm eye on kindness and the need to maintain the self-esteem of others, but also offer constructive criticism whilst having a melt down quietly away from the public domain, keeping a cool, calm and collected exterior as one’s insides erupted…..Be Nice!!!!!!

Part 6 – The Club is Out of Money

Needless to say, the last thing one wants to hear in times like these is that all finances have pretty much dried up, and that the future looks bleak at best. Have we over committed? Have we gone too far tying to reach that elusive summit of providing a seamless product to the masses? Coupled with tis fiscal dilemma, one has to stop and pay close attention to the concerning decline in the mental health of those around that have also invested their blood, sweat and tears into making this venture nothing but a triumph.

On a personal side note, it’s at this point that one’s own spirit takes some pretty hefty blows, and one begins to bow down to pressure and enormity of the of the physical and emotional investment at hand…..Help!!!!!

It may seem far stretched but having thoughts of incarceration due to insolvency creep into one’s mind, I mean it’s a voluntary thing but playing a major role in bringing a non-for-profit organization to its knees surely has some legal consequences right?

Oh well, at least we’d all look resplendent in our event shirts, we’d even have our own event themed mugs to scrape back and forth across those prison bars, and we’d be armed with a fancy key ring or 100 to provide to the other inmates and wardens for their key chains….what a hoot!

All of this stress, mostly self-inflicted but very real nonetheless, leads to changes not only in mindset but also to one’s whole person. Physiological changes to one’s being come in many forms, a tightening of the chest, a shortness of breath, palms beginning to sweat and dare I say, an increasing loss of sleep and all-round grumpiness.

Part 7 – There actually is light at the end of the tunnel

Have you ever experienced a moment, one of those rare moments when all that you have all worked for, where everybody’s efforts and dedication just seem to come together?

On the surface of everything, it all seems like premium execution, like the smoothest delivery of planning and preparation. 

Remember folks, “failing to plan is planning to fail”. It’s been at least a few paragraphs since I threw in a cliché so I know you’ve missed it…..

To the humble observer, the event took on the characteristics of a swan, all grace and poise, majestic movement all in unison.

Beneath the surface of course lies a flurry of activity and synchronous alignment, providing positive forward movement and buoyancy.

So that being said, the event proved to be facilitated by a bevy of swans….

Sure, the odd spot fire still needed extinguishing, the occasional issue had to be dealt with before it grew to become a mountainous challenge, but overall, all sat back to reflect on an event that also served to produce great camaraderie, newly formed friendships and a success based on the dedication of family and loved one’s all working toward a common goal. Breathe……