We live in a world that is rapidly changing, and to flourish we need to keep learning new skills. Here’s what we do at Flying Ruby Events.

I’m a huge believer in having a learner’s mindset. It doesn’t matter if a business is small, medium or big, it creates progression, it encourages retention, and it’s always inspiring. Building a workforce of lifelong learners is critical for organisations to respond to a changing business environment. It’s a no-brainer, really.

The way I’ve run my business for many years is, right from the outset, no matter what our roles are or where we sit on the org chart, we all work on every large-scale event. One person will lead as the event director, and we then tier the roles under that in different areas so that each individual will own an area outright.

We might all turn up to a meeting and listen to the bigger picture, but one team member will be focused on the food and beverage element, while another will be in charge of styling, or the venue, AV or entertainment. This means that while we’re giving some of the junior team members’ stretch goals, they still feel completely supported on-site because we’re all there. I believe there’s no better education than just ‘doing’; being hands-on is the best way to fully understand what the job is all about. It’s also the way we manage COVID. If a staff member is sick and can’t attend the event, the others can pick up the role and already understand where they are, rather than needing to be briefed on the entire project. It also allows the client to feel comfortable having a team around them, rather than one individual.

That’s not to say a little training doesn’t go a long way. Being in events, you need to be a bit of a Jack Of All Trades, so I believe it’s key to always be learning. You need to understand design and AV, styling, production of event collateral, media walls, screen content, briefing videographers, photographers, producing MC scripts – there are so many different areas to cover.

Because of this, I sit down with each team member every six months, and forward-plan for the next six, to work through where the company is going, how each team member is personally tracking; that kind of thing. With the senior team members, we’ll discuss the inner workings of the business and I get their feedback all the time. But mostly I want to know from all my staff where their motivations lie and what their professional desires are. We then talk about the areas they’d like to develop in.

I’m really keen on helping my team develop skills because that leads to progression. Perhaps even one day, if they start their own business, they’ll use the invaluable skills they learned at Flying Ruby. What’s more, they’ll have the extra confidence that comes with adding another string to the bow.

I think it’s so important, above everything else, to create a safe space where the team can ask questions – as many as they want – and not be afraid to make a mistake. You don’t need to know everything – in fact, you can’t. When you have a question, ask the expert, whether that’s someone within the team or one of our suppliers, who are like our extended team. We work with some amazing AV/lighting techs, and I like to make sure that my team can get the opportunity to sit at the AV desk and really soak up as much knowledge and learn from the best in the business. Again, it’s the hands-on experience which you gain the most from.

This is what I love about having a small team – everyone is so involved in every detail. In a large company, you might just have one role and you stick to that for years. In a small company, you’re across so many more aspects of the business. Even better is when you have amazing staff like I do – everyone leans on and trusts each other.

It’s not sunshine and roses all the time, of course. You have to love this industry to be in it. There are long hours, it’s unpredictable (hello pandemic!), you have to be all-in. Recent statistics have shown that the more you love your job, the more likely you are to suffer burnout, which means events and burnout probably go hand-in-hand.

It doesn’t help that there is no such thing as work/life balance in the events industry. It is impossible to try and plan an annual calendar for your company – it doesn’t work like that. As a result, you need to be really good at taking the time out to relax and revive yourself. It can be little things like making sure that if we’re doing an evening event, the girls will come in for a half-day the next day. We often do early morning events, like ANZAC day, which is a 4am start, so we’ll finish about midday and then we’ll go and get massages.

These little random acts of selfcare aren’t a nice-to-have, they’re a need-to-have, in my eyes. It’s showing compassion for what people are going through and helping them get a little bit more balance in their lives.

We like to do lots of random, fun, team-building things too. We’ve done cooking classes, shark dives, annual getaways, long lunches… We just did a Blackhawk helicopter mission over Sydney Harbour, which was incredible. We had six events, back-to-back, over a two-month period so I scheduled the helicopter ride so the team could take a break, with a day off to have fun. There’s relaxation and good times among the hard work. I feel like scheduling these things in are as important as taking time for the weekly WIP.

I don’t want our working environment to be a case of pushing everyone really hard all year and then trying to make up for it at the end with a Christmas party. I want to be there all year for them. I know and appreciate how hard they work and I want to show them that. I push them to take on new things but I never give them more than they can handle.

It’s about showing true appreciation – the odd lunch is just not enough these days. It’s also about being a bit more personal with gifts. Acknowledging everyone is different.

It’s not hard to understand what your team wants and needs if you pay a little attention. If you really are in touch with your staff and you care enough to listen, giving back, showing your appreciation and encouraging them to grow, learn and flourish is really very simple.

Three Steps To Build A Learner’s Mindset

1. Add Learning To Your To-Do List

If you’re serious about learning (and you should be), then do something about it – every day. Whether that’s reading an article on a particular subject, listening to a podcast, or doing a new task or attending a class, put in place a recurring, daily reminder so you don’t forget. Not only will you be learning something new every day, but if you have it on your to-do list, you’ll also feel great when you get to cross it off your list, which will encourage you to keep going. It’s a win-win.

2. Get Out Of Your Comfort Zone

Want to really learn? Do something that makes you uncomfortable. Research suggests that learning takes place only when people stretch outside their comfort zone. When people work on tasks they aren’t entirely comfortable with – say, public speaking, if you think you’re terrible at it – they are said to be in their learning zone, where they acquire new knowledge and develop and practice new skills.

3. Commit To Learning For Life

As there’s no such thing as a ‘job for life’ anymore, people are now expected to work for many organisations throughout their career – and maybe even for themselves at times. With this in mind, it’s imperative that you invest in your learning and take charge of your future. This means setting yourself learning goals, measuring your success at regular intervals and working with mentors and seeking feedback. Finally, it’s also about investing some time and money into yourself because, at the end of the working day, you’re worth it.