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What Is Your Get-Stuff-Done Strategy?

John C. Touchette, Jennifer Stack, and Sandy Fischler
John C. Touchette, Jennifer Stack, and Sandy Fischler
Photos: Henderson Bas Kohn (Stack), Courtesy of John C. Touchette and Sandy Fischler

“Handwriting lists. It forces me to really think through events from start to finish, rather than quickly typing a note and risk forgetting something important. I prioritize, delegate the tasks I can, and then strike through a completed task with a red Sharpie. The bold red lines remind me of my and my team’s progress and keep my focus on the tasks still at hand.”
Susan Pettersen, director of meeting and event management, E-Trade Financial, New York

“Lists, lists, and more lists. Also, using nuggets of time wisely: reading my email on the subway, writing articles on planes, and keeping very organized with my iPhone calendar and notes apps.”
Leslie Woodruff, event planner, the Conference Board, New York

“To quickly evaluate tasks at hand, anticipate the need, determine the urgency, and then execute. We engage more than 40,000 girls and nearly 25,000 adults, so we adjust our event plans daily to accommodate our membership.”
Velma Brooks-Benson, special events manager, Girl Scouts of Great Los Angeles

“Hire a virtual assistant, especially one who specializes in the event industry. A V.A. has the ability to set up room blocks, research venues, set up appointments, book travel arrangements, assist with invoicing and bookkeeping, as well as just about any other back-office work, which
allows you to focus directly on the event.”
Norma Murray, president and owner, Able Assistants, Oak Forest, Illinois

“I start with the smaller items on my task list so I can knock off multiple tasks quickly and get in the zone.”
Jennifer Stack, social media strategist, Community, Toronto

“The trick is to start each day with three mission-critical tasks that must be done that day. There also should be three longer-term tasks or goals that need to be accomplished each week. This has helped me really separate the wheat from the chaff.”
Sandy Fischler, founder, 4th Wall Events, Long Beach, California

“A Google task/spreadsheet. Every task gets a deadline and a follow-up date. You can sort your tasks by the date and follow up with each one accordingly. If you’re a visual person like myself, color code it—green when it’s completed or yellow when it’s still pending.”
Tatyana Guzeva, freelance event producer, Empire Entertainment, New York

“As a former DMC owner, I created technology to automate time-consuming back-office paperwork so my team could spend more time selling, which increased my margins significantly. I have since launched the technology on Eved with a product called e360.”
Talia Mashiach, C.E.O. and founder, Eved, Chicago

“To block time on my calendar for specific projects and tasks—but the reality is I usually wait until the last minute for the ‘must-do’ projects as other things always seem to get in the way.”
John C. Touchette, vice president of global meetings, events, and trade shows, Raytheon Company, Boston

Editor's Note: Some of these comments were shared by readers on our social media networks. Join our discussions on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, and Google+.

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