Logistical Miracle

Reflecting on a challenge I faced on my placement, I will use Gibb’s reflection model to assess my behaviour and communication (1998).

Description

Throughout my time as a Festival Assistant with the Open House Festival, I had the opportunity to work at a variety of events and I was supported by staff with verbal feedback throughout shifts. Despite this, it was not until my final shift at the Snow Patrol concert that staff and volunteers were mentioning event briefs, site plans, risk assessments and emergency procedures that circulated via email. In turn, I realised I had never been shown or given access to these event documents throughout the festival period. When I realised this, I raised my concerns with the Operations Manager, who reassured me that they would be forwarded to me. I regularly sent emails and gentle reminders to them and I eagerly waited for a response; Unfortunately, I did not receive one. I contacted my supervisor for support, and they worked with me to contact the Operations Manager, but they were unsuccessful too. This challenging scenario concluded with me receiving an event management plan from my supervisor for a different event from a previous year; It took me three months to receive this. 

Feelings

When I found out about these documents being widely circulated, I felt disappointed and frustrated. I was initially embarrassed because I did not ask the right questions to get hold of them sooner. Whilst waiting for the Operations Manager’s reply, I feared that I had been too forward with my request to view work that they spent numerous hours planning and finalising. When deciding to seek support from my supervisor to see this through, I was worried that I was insulting the organisation and its staff. From further reading, I have now realised that my motivations were underpinned by expectancy theory (Bowdin et al., 2006, p.170). When applying this to my circumstances, it suggests that I subconsciously had the motivation to complete the task as I expected to receive the event documents in return, thus justifying my efforts. I believe this helps me to understand why I felt so frustrated when I did not quickly receive them and needed to persevere to obtain them. 

Evaluation

The most effective way for me to evaluate this experience is to be thankful for the transferrable skills I developed for future employment. In particular, to have been able to consolidate my verbal, and written communication skills through sending emails and attending meetings with my supervisor. It was also important to feel confident enough to take initiative and seek support from my supervisor which was essential for the matter to be resolved. In relation to this, I believe I was successful in negotiating and compromising on which document outlines I would receive. Finally, I am proud of myself for believing in my ability to see a task through, no matter the timeframe. The most challenging aspect of the process was waiting for replies from the Operations Manager. Despite being determined and having a clear goal, I knew I needed to give them time and space to respond. It was also important to make sure that I did not cross boundaries by being too persistent with my request.

Description

I began to feel like I was an outsider and doubt any sense of progress I had made. Despite volunteering my time, I was not in the volunteer team nor was I a member of staff on the payroll. In hindsight, I was on neither mailing list for communications to be sent to in advance of an event. In addition, most staff in the organisation are freelancers so whilst the Operations Manager is not employed by the organisation during certain months of the year, they would not be obligated to reply to my emails.     

With the knowledge and experience I now have, I am uncertain if I would like to work in this industry as a freelancer in events management. Whilst it would be rewarding seeing your plans take shape, the reliance on social contacts to find work is something I would find anxiety-inducing (Gandini et al., 2017, p.17). The “networking obsessed” mentality reinforces the challenging aspect of finding work in this industry and the blurred boundaries between one’s work and personal life (ibid., p.20).

I can make sense of the situation by learning how to further refine my communication skills. I have identified that the challenge I faced was created by an environmental barrier, in this case the employee no longer working for the organisation (Adu-Oppong and Agyin-Birikorang, 2014, p.210). This helps me to have a clearer understanding of what went wrong. In addition, I am now aware of my responsibility as the sender of a communication, ensuring that I am considerate and do not use forward or abrasive undertones in emails or meetings (ibid., 2014). In addition, I have consolidated the importance of good communication in all settings by reading an online article by Raphael Oboravo (2022). This has reminded me to always be my kind and courteous self, especially when communicating verbally. Both articles emphasise the importance of good communication from both parties and how it can influence career progression. This is reinforced by Volz emphasising the need for staff who offer “a strong sense of ethics” which puts one in good stead for employment (2017, p.7). I believe that the skills I have gained from this experience would make me a valuable member of any team that I decide to join in the future. 

Conclusion

Instead of trying to manage the situation independently, I should have contacted my supervisor for support earlier, whilst the Operations Manager was still employed by the organisation. I believe that by taking a proactive approach instead of a reactive one, the timeframe of the task would have been reduced significantly. Furthermore, with the experience I now have, I believe I should have been asking more questions from the beginning and not being afraid to do so. 

Action Plan

Having experienced this situation, I am confident that if a similar one arose, I would use the communication skills I have gleaned and not be afraid to persevere until I achieve my desired outcome. 

Word Count: 1096

Bibliography

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