Keeping It Local: Summary of Chapter 6

Planning and Implementing Successful Events

Do's

  • Do consider the Member’s style, preferences, abilities and weaknesses and pitch events that play to the Member’s strengths.
  • Do take into account how the district/state’s density, geography and constituent demographics can impact event planning.
  • Do create events that draw upon the skills and abilities of staff and understand their limitations before planning or committing to an event.
  • Do ensure that the Member and staff agree on concrete, measurable objectives for each event before proceeding.
  • Do encourage regular communication and coordination between all staff involved in the event, especially the lead coordinator and Scheduler.
  • Do evaluate the office’s overall event plan as well as the individual events to assess performance and learn from the experiences.

Don'ts

  • Don't rely on a single type of proactive activity — various events tend to draw different audiences, serve different purposes and offer different benefits.
  • Don't forget the tiny details when planning individual events. A comprehensive action plan that spells out every task will help prevent unexpected surprises and last minute glitches.
  • Don't neglect to use events as an opportunity to develop new skills in staff or draw upon their little-known or unused abilities.
  • Don't underestimate the importance of deadlines, which are critical in keeping staff accountable for their assignments and the event on track.
  • Don't create complicated event evaluations — overly ambitious or lengthy assessments are usually ignored or not completed.

Details

Copyright 2010, Congressional Management Foundation
Paperback: 244 pages
Publisher: Congressional Management Foundation; 3rd edition (March 8, 2010); Reprinted in 2017
ISBN-13: 978-1-930473-13-3
Dimensions: 7.5 x 9.25 inches

Pricing for Hardcopies

Price: $25.00
Bulk Price (10+ copies): $25.00 $22.50 (10% off)

 
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