I get asked all sorts of questions by email. Some are downright humorous and others are just plain dumb. But I got a sincere email from a user of my web site.

Question: I would appreciate it if you could give me some advice on the following matter.

I have just graduated from college 2 months ago and currently working in an insurance company. It's my 1st job, and I'm with the Events & Promotions Department as an Executive.

My manager has given me a big task, to organize the company's Annual Awards Presentation Night in a leading hotel. This event is held to honor and award the high achievers, the best performing insurance agents, with a lot of VIP guests and some entertainment.

My manager has asked me to prepare a list of 'to do' tasks and activities, ranging from "Pre-event, during event and post-event". I am not from events management background and I have not organized any events during my college days. Therefore, I am having difficulties on how to begin this whole thing: What to do/prepare before the event, What are the important stuff to consider, What are the areas to look into, etc.

Could you please help me out on this? Thank you very much in advance.

My Answer

I am not going to even try to help you plan the event. I know nothing about your company, you or the event, that would be just, well, wrong.

Sounds to me like you do not know what they want and do not have enough information. You need to learn how to ask great questions.

Questions are powerful and are the real key to leadership. Why? Because the person asking questions is in control of the conversation because the right question causes the other person to have to explain themselves and their answers reveal what they think and want as they answer your question(s).

You can find the answer to any problem if you ask the right questions of the right people.

Find out what they want?

What have they done in the past?

What worked?

What didn't work?

Do they have anything in particular that they like or dislike?

What is their vision of how they see the event?

How would they know that the event was a 100% success?

Ask those questions. If you do not understand the answers they give, say, "I am not sure I completely understand, can you please expand on your answer?" or ask "Why is that important?"

Jessica, if you find out why something is important you can rank all their answers in order of importance then give them feedback based upon ideas you get in the conversation. better yet, ask "What would you like to see?" "What has been your greatest learning organizing events?"

These conversations you have with them will confirm what they want. Make a list or mind map of everything you can think of (it will never be complete, do not worry about that).

Then all you have to do is create a timeline of what you need to do to accomplish this project month, by month. Then transfer the tasks to your daily calendar.

This will give you plan of action.