Planning an event

Read a dialogue where three people negotiate who does what to achieve a task.

Do the preparation task first. Then read the text and do the exercises.

Preparation

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Reading text

Event planning team

online

All right, so I've divided up the tasks among the three of us planning this event like this:

@Jen: make guest list, schedule social media announcements, arrange room set-up, organise musicians
@Ed: book catering, send out invitations, design posters, book speakers
@Mike: reserve rooms, design invitations, write and publish blog post, get emcee

But please don't feel like we need to stick to this. If you prefer to do something else, feel free to say so.

Mike, 14:41

Yeah, I was thinking, as you are project leader @Mike, maybe it's best you make the guest list? I've got experience in graphic design so I'm happy to design the invitations.

Jen, 14:50

@Jen, do you mind designing the posters too? I'm not very good at designing.

Ed, 14:55

Sure, it'll be fun. If I take the poster design off you @Ed, do you think you can organise the musicians?

Jen, 14:56

Absolutely, I know some really good musicians that do events like this one. And I also know a really good emcee. Do you want me to take over getting the emcee too?

Ed, 14:58

@Ed I actually already have an emcee in mind, so I think I'll handle that. I'd appreciate it if you could write and publish the blog post about the event though.

Mike, 15:01

That's not a problem. I quite enjoy online marketing tasks.

Ed, 15:01

If that's the case @Ed, do you want to schedule the social media announcements too?

Jen, 15:03

I can do that ... if someone books the speakers.

Ed, 15:04

I'll book the speakers. And since I'm making the guest list, I should send out the invitations too. @Jen, are you still OK with arranging the room set-up?

Mike, 15:08

Yes, let me do the room reservations as well.

Jen, 15:09

Good idea. That would work nicely.

Mike, 15:10

Task 1

Reading B1: Planning an event – 1

Task 2

Reading B1: Planning an event – 2

Discussion

How are tasks usually divided in your project teams?

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Language level

B1 Intermediate

We usually divided tasks according to the decision of groop leader.How to assign depends on the member's skills,passion,trustworthiness,already tasks and characteristic.I think division of tasks has huge impact to performance the team,this is because if the member had the task which different from his ability,he couldn't show high performance absolutely.

In my project team tasks are usually divided by our project manager. I can't say it's always right but something like that, anyway. We have a quite strict structure in our company, so all the tasks go down from the director to the heads of departments and further to the team leaders and finally to the doers. Yeap, the very long chain which includes both vertical and horizontal links. Any initiative doesn't meet acceptance. Sadly, but it's true. Anyway, I always try to have an influence on my task if needed, to be able to do it as best as I can. Even if my boss seems not very happy about that.

How to divide and share tasks is always a little hard decision. We would divide tasks based on skills or characteristics the members have. I would like to assign the tasks according to the loads.

When I divided tasks, I usually discuss with friends and decide each role. There are a lot of role to success the project. Among them, the leader is carefully decided. I think the leader is the best important role. The leader must be someone who can put all team members and their opinions. The leader must take advantage of member’s good point and activity discuss with team members. It can be said the leader determines success of project. If the leader isn’t able to lead all team members, the project will fail. But, don’t leave everything to the leader. It is important that all team members cooperate.

I think that the leader is the most important. Leaders have to divide tasks and organize opinions. Leader has to decide by team members because they have to do tasks efficiently. So not only the leader but also other members have to take responsibility. I think that it is the most efficient to do tasks that suit their personal abilities. And cooperation is also very important. If we work together, we will have many opinions and values. From these things, how to divide tasks is important to do tasks efficiently.

Above all, I believe that success of any project depends on the well behaved and fair leader. In my project, if I were a leader, I would have divided up the tasks according to talents of group members. Because everyone hasn't equal features. Someone can write a code, or someone can meet people well, or someone can be perfection making a catering and service tasks. A leader should realize the organisations by examining the same events. This can lead the different ideas. And I think someone should be tasked with looking for the another same organisations.

I think we need a leader who can lead the group to accomplish the task. Without the person, the group would fall apart. But it is a mistake for only that leader to say opinion. A person who can respect the opinions of others is also good for leaders. So we have to talk with the group, respect each other’s opinions, and work carefully. I also think leaders need to identify and make the most of the strengths and weakness of other members. So when I become the leader, I listen to everyone’s opinions and put them together.

I think it is important not only leader but also other members. Of cause project team needs leader because there is a need for someone to listen to everyone and put together the content. But the teams in which the leaders have power are not good. Therefore, it is important for everyone to share their opinions equally. I want to be a leader who can listen to everyone in the team, put them together, and collaborates with them so that we can do the best projects.

We usually divided tasks according to the characteristics of the members. For example, a person who have leadership is a leader. A person who have imagination is an Idea man. It's important that making use of each special skills.

The organization should be planned according to the skills each one possesses. Everyone has different skills.