My wonderful staff decided to throw me a surprise party for my 61st birthday. Here are some pictures from that day.
Because my business has my name, I often encounter folks who think I am doing the events all by myself. No, I am not. In fact, I rely on an amazing and talented group of people to bring these huge events to life.
My job is strictly to design these events, present and sell them to my clients. (I still love doing this after many years.) Besides being the boss, I see myself as being (at times) a friend, counselor, or whatever they need me to be. I attribute most of my success to this very dedicated group of folks with whom I work.
My Creative Director and CFO.
A few members of my amazing floral design team.
So, what I do not understand is why some people resist taking proper care of their employees. For me, it is very simple. My clients are technically my bosses. I expect respect and proper compensation from them, which is the same thing I then give my employees.
If you have a company or staff, here are a few suggestions (some are must-do’s–I’ll let you decide which ones) to keep your employees happy:
- Pay them properly. I sincerely believe that salaries should be higher than just bare minimum. We should all remember that we get as much as we give.
- No micro-managing. If you have the right folks for the job, you need to give them a lot of room to be creative. Of course, this will be a huge benefit for you too. (Less time on your part, and higher quality results from your employees.)
- Don’t forget that you generally spend more waking time with your company than with your family. Treat them accordingly and you’ll be surprised at the results.
- Trust them. Your employees should always be trusted to represent you with the same care and concern you give your clients.
The hardest thing I find is losing one of my valued folks, except, of course, when they are moving on to start their own journey like the fantastic Sean Low. Next week we’ll discuss what to look for in a great assistant.
George Bernard Shaw once said: “You see things and say, ‘Why?’ But I dream things that never were and say, ‘Why not?’” That quote embodies how Preston Bailey approaches every event.
Alan Smithson
June 10, 2010
You rock! You are an inspiration to an up and coming event producer. I have been a DJ, Entertainer, MC, Host, Event Planner, AV Specialist for years and now I am realizing that I can produce events way better than my clients have been doing in the past. The staff I have now have really given me the opportunity to realize my potential. Without them, I would be stuck doing all the tedious work and not using my God given creative and technical talents.
Having the right staff and treating them like family is the key to being successful. Oh, and do what you love!
Thanks for making me realize this about my staff today.
Alan
christine
June 10, 2010
I love the inspirational words you have said about your staff, it is so true show them respect and they will show you the same, and your clients would be twice as happy.
Thanks for all your thoughts
Christine
Brian
June 10, 2010
Love it, miss you!
daniel
June 10, 2010
Hi,,,Hola,,
all ur creations are a drem,,i ts a surprise to me,when i see new pictures about your work,,its wonderfull,,its a dream,,,its my most big inspiration to continue in this business,,hope some day i cant be part of your team,,dios te bendiga preston!
Nadia Elia
June 11, 2010
you are my inspiration, and I love what you do, and I respect you because of the way you treat your staff , I can understand what you do because I have a team too . We are events organizer ….I did work in one of the royal wedding which you did the stage along with the artist Daniel Ost which I love his work so much and I did work with him in some of his event in abu dhabi and qater…I love to meet you in person one day and have the honor to work within your team in the gulf region and middle east.