As teams work remotely under more pressure than ever, James Tucker, CEO of public sector events and exhibition organiser GovNet, explores the value of communication and staff retention in your events business.
Effective communication has always been critical to the success of any business, however, this has taken on greater significance during the pandemic. Take our company for example: after running a substantial portfolio of live events for more than two decades, we have been solely organising virtual events for the past 15 months, where efficient communication with our customers – whether sponsors, exhibitors or delegates – has been imperative. During this period, many of our clients have supported or attended a virtual conference for the very first time, and it has been the responsibility of our team to support them with clear and concise communications throughout the entire customer journey.
However, it is not just customers that have witnessed huge changes, employees have adapted to this evolving landscape. While teams have been working remotely, they have had to prioritise positive and proactive communication in order to support each other, share success stories, and to deliver updates on the journey ahead.
s we navigate the pandemic, it’s important to not lose sight of the responsibilities we have to our employees and colleagues. It’s crucial to continue to support personal development through the learning of new skills and prioritise internal progression as you grow as a business. Commit to paying competitive wages and offering a range of benefits, while also being there to support your team if they are going through a difficult time.
While you should be committed to creating a working environment where colleagues are motivated and happy, you should also take the time to communicate what they could be doing to help enhance your company culture. Here are the responsibilities we believe employers and teams should have to each another.
Respect – There is no room for egos. Respect between workmates should be a given.
Autonomy – It’s beneficial to want to establish and replicate efficient ways of doing things, but people work in different ways, and everyone needs the room to find their own path.
Relentless support – One of the things I love about our culture at GovNet is just how much I see people looking out for their colleagues, both inside and outside of work. It is such a comfort to know I’ve got good friends at work who have my back.
Cheerleaders – We each have a duty to champion each other’s successes. Praise your colleagues. Go for a spontaneous beer to celebrate – and celebrate when you succeed as a business too.
Listen to understand – By and large, everybody wants the same outcomes, and when we don’t work well it’s normally because people have different styles of communicating. Therefore, listening and understanding the other person’s point of view is important.
Nurture relationships – Facilitate the important social aspects and be proud of the family environment you have created.
Find balance – Finding the balance is crucial in terms of mental wellbeing. Encourage teams to use work to support their life, not the other way around.
Make your impact known – Show what an amazing job you have done supporting your communities during this difficult time. For example, our events for the healthcare and education sectors have made an enormous contribution in terms of information sharing and best practice. Your team should take great pride in this.
By embedding these principles into your workplace, you can actively shape how you want to work as your business looks to the future. You want to be an events organisation that is focused on high performance, but one that is also fun, rewarding and as inclusive as possible. Finally, you should encourage your team to be curious, brave and go about their roles without fear of failure.
