Your Event Is Not Over

...until you do a few things.

This post is about those things. I've talked about them before. But I find that redundancy (yeah, redundancy) is a great tool in the utility belt of improvement.

So here's the few things:

1. Your event is not over until you've cleaned everything up.
Typically, I define cleanup as the space that you used looks like you never used it. Or else it looks better than when you arrived (that one will get you a star next to your name). And everything gets put away...in its place...so we can find it when we need it again.

2. Your event is not over until you've thanked those who made it possible.
Write a note, send a text message, do something. Make sure THEY know that YOU know that it couldn't have happened as successfully as it did without THEM.

...and there's one more that I'd like to add...

3. Your event is not over until you've reflected on what you learned from the event.
Why go through all that effort, planning, preparation, and execution - and just walk away at the end? You've got EXPERIENCE now. So take a few moments and jot down some thoughts about what you learned from the whole thing
    - What went well?
    - What went wrong?
    - What would you have done differently or the same?
    - How well did you lead others?
    - What advice would you give another student leader who might lead the same event  again next year?

Everyone can have an experience. It's only those who take the time to evaluate their experience that actually learn something from it.

SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT: Did you ask yourself any of the questions above following your event?

SOMETHING TO TALK ABOUT: What's another good question to ask that can help someone learn something from an experience?

: : : :

Tim Milburn
Student Leadership Consultant & Speaker
www.studentlinc.net