The Results-Oriented Conference Management Workplace

Conference management jobs, whether bookkeeping, accounts receivable or auditing, are involved in a lot of detail. When conference management people are so engrossed in the details of their jobs, it's easy for them, for anyone actually, to lose sight of the job's major contribution.

A Results-Oriented Conference Management Job Description is different from a traditional job description because it focuses an employee on the several job results that answer the question: What results must this conference management job accomplish for the organization?

Conference Management Job Standards added to job expectations tighten management controls by clarifying how well and when results must be accomplished.

Conference Management Job Objectives establish management and employee plans by highlighting important current and future results needed.

Job-specific Conference Management Employee Management Forms maintain consistent and legally sound management actions by basing manager-employee interactions on job results.

The Purpose of Conference Management Jobs

Stated in a results-oriented, three-line style, conference management jobs--

PRODUCE CONFERENCES by

conferring with organizers and planners; identifying conference requirements; allocating space; arranging and scheduling services and equipment; contracting with vendors; developing promotions; orchestrating events.

Types of Conference Management Jobs

Some conference management jobs plan events by talking with organizers to assess conference requirements, such as amount of space, related accommodations, equipment, and food. Other jobs work to deliver the plan as ordered-contracting with vendors for equipment, materials, and services, arranging for deliveries, hiring staff.

Somebody needs to develop promotion programs so attendance matches expectations, and somebody needs to track costs. And, of course, somebody has to manage and supervise the conference management people and processes.

Conference Management Job Management Tools

Here are actual job examples of how conference management job actions can be focused on results and kept on track using each of our job management tools:

Results-Oriented Conference Management Job Descriptions form the foundation of all job management tools. Our uniquely structured job descriptions focus on the result to be accomplished first and prominently, followed by the duties performed in order to accomplish the result. For example,

RECOMMENDS CONFERENCE MANAGEMENT ACTIONS by

analyzing system controls.

Conference Management Job Standards sharpen employee attention and management control by defining and communicating how well the conference management results must be accomplished and what benchmarks will be used to measure job results. For example, for the job result above, the job standards might be:

• Conference Management situations are correctly understood.
• All options are identified and evaluated.
• Conference Management recommendations are ready when needed.

Conference Management Job Objectives point the direction for employee actions by focusing job efforts on current and future conference management issues. Job objectives are written in the three-line, results-oriented structure. For example, for the job result above, a job objective might be:

SPEED-UP DECISION MAKING by

reducing time to deliver conference management recommendations by 10% by (date).

Conference Management Employee Management Forms tied specifically to each conference management job description are more helpful (and legal) than generic forms used for all different kinds of jobs. Job-specific forms are used to state job qualifications, guide job interview questions, orient new employees, plan job training, and appraise job performance.

Conference Management Job Qualifications are stated in the same terms used in the job description. They are not translated into generic (typically behavioral) terms. For example:

RECOMMENDS CONFERENCE MANAGEMENT ACTIONS by

analyzing system controls.

Conference Management Job Interview guide questions are inserted directly below each job result in the job description: For example:

• "What specific job responsibilities have you had in this area?"
• "Where did you have these job responsibilities?"
• "When did you have these job responsibilities?"
• "How did you go about accomplishing these responsibilities?"
• "What accomplishment in this area gave you the most pride?"
• "In this area, what were some of your biggest challenges?"
• "How did you overcome the challenges?"

The Conference Management Job Orientation guide reformats the job description sequence so that job explanations, policies, protocols, processes, and procedures are logical and complete and can easily be checked off. For example:

RECOMMENDS CONFERENCE MANAGEMENT ACTIONS by

analyzing system controls.

The manager might say: "Here's the procedure and format we use to analyze and present conference management recommendations."

The Conference Management Job Training plan guides a thorough examination of actual job knowledge, skills, and abilities as described in the job description that need improvement or that might be enhanced. For example:

RECOMMENDS CONFERENCE MANAGEMENT ACTIONS by

analyzing system controls.

The manager might say: "Analytical skills would be improved by enrolling in a statistical analysis class."

The Conference Management Job Performance Appraisal guide is a job-specific form. It is not a universal form used for all jobs. The guide adds an appraisal scale below each job result in the job description so that attention can be drawn to each job requirement and expectation. For example:

RECOMMENDS CONFERENCE MANAGEMENT ACTIONS by

analyzing system controls.

__ Great! Just want we wanted.
__ We have a problem.
__ Improvement is needed.
__ Much, much more than we asked for.

Comments: _________________

Conference Management Résumé Template

Potential employers want to know what a job applicant has accomplished in his/her conference management work career. They don't want to be bored with minor details. Our Résumé Template provides:

• an outline to help assemble personal background information.
• a Results-Oriented Job Description to provide the conference management job language-focused on results-needed to write an effective résumé.
• Conference Management Job Objectives to orient thinking in terms of accomplishments.
• instructions on how to use a Results-Oriented Conference Management Job Description and Conference Management Job Objectives to express job accomplishments.

Use the conference management job description responsibility statement as a base:

RECOMMENDS CONFERENCE MANAGEMENT ACTIONS by

analyzing system controls.

Select the conference management job objective that fits your experience:

REDUCE COSTS 10% by

improving conference management processes.

Combine the two into a résumé statement:

Reduced costs 10% by analyzing, identifying, and recommending new conference management system controls.

Conference Management Career Links

U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Meeting and Convention Planners

Learn about the training and education needed for meeting and convention planning jobs, earnings, expected job prospects, what workers do on the job, and working conditions.

Meetingsnet.com

Ways to advance a meeting planning career; job search strategies; salary surveys; professional development tips; meeting professional certification.

University of Wisconsin - Green Bay

Associations and resources; job listings on the Internet; organizations that specialize in event/meeting planning.

Meeting Professionals International

A global community of meeting and event professionals providing education, leadership development, and business networking at local chapters worldwide and at major international gatherings and education forums.

Career Prospects in Virginia, Meeting and Event Planners

Information and resources for a career in meeting and event planning; specializations; activities; certification; skills and knowledge; job outlook; job banks; earnings; links.

PowerHomeBiz.com

Information for starting a business in event and meeting planning; required skills; getting into the business; market segments; start-up costs; pricing services; marketing the business.