When People Connect and build Trust, Organisations take off.
Yesterday I attended a really well put together event organised by Mandy & Seema and the rest of the team behind Living in Nyon and B-Inspired.
What I liked was that the purpose was clear, bring people together, start conversations, encourage entrepreneurship, share useful information and, above all, build community.
There was plenty of time to network, but also simple icebreakers that helped people who did not know each other actually start talking. The panel added another layer, sharing experiences from NGOs and corporate environments and discussing where the future of work is heading, but the common thread running through the evening was people.
How do you bring them together, build trust, help people understand each other better and how do you introduce a new direction, process or strategy in a way that people actually understand and engage with?
That last point is becoming increasingly important.
When organisations are going through change, keeping people properly informed matters. An email or presentation can tell staff what is changing, but bringing people together gives leaders the opportunity to explain why, answer questions, listen to concerns and make sure everyone understands where the organisation is heading. This is really importnat as people deal with change far better when they feel part of the conversation rather than simply being told about it afterwards.
This is where well-designed retreats, leadership gatherings and internal events can have real value.
One comment in particular caught my attention: the importance of the corporate board.
Over the years I have supported board events across the airport, sport and internet industries, and one of the most effective things I have seen was surprisingly simple: making the board more human and accessible to the wider organisation. Creating opportunities for staff and community members to meet them, speak to them and understand their role, while equally allowing the board to hear directly from the people and teams they oversee.
It changed the dynamic for the whole organisation.
There was more understanding, more trust and a much stronger sense that everyone was working towards something together.
That is why at HOWARD&Co we see events as part of a wider organisational strategy, not simply something that appears in the calendar.
Whether it is an internal leadership gathering, corporate retreat, client event, B2B or B2C experience, board meeting or brand activation, one of the first questions we ask is: What do we want this event to change, improve or make possible?
From there, we can create the right environment, programme and experience around that objective.
Thanks Mandy and everyone involved for putting together such a useful evening and, more importantly, for continuing to create opportunities for people to meet, talk and build community.
If your organisation is thinking about how events could support your people, leadership, clients or change strategy, let's talk.
Howard
Founder,
HOWARD&Co
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