Your team is struggling during a live event. How can you effectively address performance issues?

Yes things can go wrong, and we have all seen the videos of when it goes horribly wrong, my experience is that often the audience doesn’t even notice unless you have a showstopper, then everybody works hard to patch up with usually gaffer tape, then struggle through to the end, audiences and staff seem to react very well in this situation, audiences feel they witnessed a miracle, and Groundhog Day is more interesting for techies. Show must go on.

Identifying the problem and assessing the time sensitive nature of the issue is key. Prioritize safety for the patrons as well as your crew. If there is time to do so, run your solution by the key players involved and then formulate a game plan with your crew. Stay calm and diligent and typically you will have the best remedy and outcome.

I keep small bottles of water nearby. When issues pop up, taking a moment to hand over a bottle of water creates a pause in chaotic energy and a physical brief human touch connection which is grounding. That allows for a beat to reset and make an assessment to move forward.

Be fast and kind. Keep calm. If you are the EP...then its your fault not theirs. There will always be technical stuff go wrong...but if its your team...then its your fault. So fix it fast, calm and kindly.

Clear communication becomes essential during a live event to effectively tackle performance issues. It allows the team to quickly pinpoint problems and implement targeted solutions, ensuring everyone understands their specific roles and responsibilities. It is the one tool that reduces confusion, minimizes task overlap, and ensures that everyone is aligned on all the priorities. By facilitating real-time feedback and necessary adjustments, clear communication helps maintain focus and composure under pressure. Eventually, it ensures that issues are resolved * efficiently * + * effectively * while also providing valuable insights for improving future performance.

Clear and concise communication is paramount when resolving issues that arise during live events. Once issues are identified, giving clear instructions to team members. Ensure they each know their task and responsibilty as any further issues will impact an event already with it's issues. Clarity with clear communication is key.

When you’re dealing with performance issues during a live event, clear communication is everything. You’ve got to be direct and understanding at the same time. No fancy jargon—just plain, simple language that everyone gets. And don’t forget to listen, really listen. Your team might have the insights you need to fix the problem. When everyone’s on the same page, you can move fast and hit that issue head-on together.

Stay calm and focused. Use concise, direct language. Identify the problem quickly and provide simple instructions or updates. Make eye contact if possible and ensure your body language is open and composed. Adjust your tone to remain calm but assertive. Repeat important information and check for understanding to avoid confusion.

When your team’s under pressure, the last thing you want to do is freak out. Panic just makes things worse and causes more screw-ups. Instead, keep your cool—breathe, stay confident, and lead by example. Your calm energy will keep the team grounded and stop things from spiraling. And here’s the deal: have a game plan for when the heat’s on. When the team knows the playbook, they won’t crumble. They’ll lock in, follow the plan, and crush whatever problem’s in front of them. It’s about training and trust.

Stay calm Take time out Breathe Meditate Ground yourself and others And do a happy dance Then refocus And recenter - readjust as new ways of thinking and doing will come about And it shall too pass

As leader it is important to always keep an eye on the welfare of your team. Notice when they are struggling, notice when they are quiet. Some members may speak up, some not and act accordingly. Pre-planning is also important..meticulously run through the programme highlighting and calling out when peak stress moments will arrive and be prepared

Being able to maintain composure is what separates the support staff from the leaders. It's why leaders become leaders. It's not something you simply apply for, it's the process of understanding the situation while remaining calm and keeping everyone else on-site calm. In the event world, hysteria can breakout exponentially and can be a massive problem in keeping teams on task.

When you are the leader in any situation, panicking is the worst thing you can do. A drop in your composure will compound performance issues of your team. When performance drops or crisis happen fall back to pre-established stress protocols that you developed before the event. Much like an athlete utilizing muscle memory to hit a free throw, these protocols will provide them with a familiar framework to rely on. As the leader you should also work to minimize external factors or distractions that may be affecting performance so your team can focus on the tasks at hand.

There are somethings people are born with and quick thinking is one of them. It's all about observing the little details of who all are involved, what is going on and why is this situtaion has come to pass. Once you can identify the 3Ws you will be able to answer the How to solve this: - stay calm - make informed decisions - work to solve the problem with your team not against it

When your team is struggling during a live event, it’s important to address performance issues quickly and constructively. Start by identifying the specific problems and their causes, whether it’s miscommunication, lack of resources, or unclear expectations. Provide clear and immediate feedback, and offer solutions such as reallocating tasks or providing additional support. Maintain a calm and supportive environment to avoid escalating tensions, and ensure post-event debriefs to prevent similar issues in the future.

As the leader, quickly adapting to performance issues or crises involves clear communication and decisive action. Start by calmly assessing the situation and gathering input from your team to better understand the root cause of the performance issue. Implement pre-established protocols to provide structure and guide their response. Encourage the team to share an open dialogue to ensure everyone is on the same page. Then delegate tasks based on the teams strengths to address the issues efficiently. Make sure the team feels empowered to contribute solutions to the performance issues as this will motivate them and likely improve the situation on it's own.

Words I have lived by since my days in school are "adapt and overcome." My High-School drama director was always impressed at how well we were able to adapt to situations with a sense of composure and willingness to learn by trial. Learn from your mistakes and grow so you can adapt to more situations at a faster speed.

A key skill for live events is to be able to adapt quickly. Having the flexiblilty to change timelines, flow, locations etc is advantageous on the day. Quick thinking and creativity are key for solving issues on live days.

Listen actively to your team, offering encouragement and guidance when needed. Foster open communication, ensuring everyone feels heard and valued. Lead by example, showing patience, empathy, and understanding in difficult situations. Provide constructive feedback, and recognize their efforts and successes. Help your team grow by offering resources and mentorship, while creating a positive, inclusive environment where they feel confident and motivated to succeed.

Part of being a supportive leader during a live event is knowing your resources. Understanding your staff and planning ahead to have an idea of how you’ll delegate tasking when the inevitable snags occur is paramount. Unless you’ve got a strange set of generalists, sending an expert in catering, security, and traffic flow to gather information on an audio error in the live stream is probably going to be counterproductive. Be prepared for when the preparation falls short, and if you can, cross-train your staff so they know their limits as well. Help with no clue can be a greater detriment than no help at all if you aren’t careful.

Delegate Tasks Efficiently: Assign tasks to team members based on their strengths and expertise. Clear delegation ensures that the right people are handling the right tasks. Motivate and Encourage: Remind the team of their strengths and past successes. Offer words of encouragement to boost morale and keep everyone motivated despite the challenges. Stay Positive and Avoid Blame: Focus on finding solutions rather than assigning blame. A positive approach fosters teamwork and a collaborative spirit.

If a team event is struggling, it ultimately falls on leadership. If you have leadership that merely places blame, rather than admitting they failed in some way (not hiring qualified team members, not planning ahead accordingly, lack of contingencies, lack of understanding, etc.) then the event was already doomed before it started. That said, if you are in the middle before this realization hits, an effective communicator to your audience can make or break the situation. Transparency in presenting solutions vs. problems will always alleviate a stressful or awkward situation better than trying to stop the snowball from rolling downhill by keeping up the current failures. If you hire a great communicator for any event, you are ahead.

An empathetic leader plays a crucial role when a team faces challenges. Instead of just offering solutions, take the time to actively listen and understand their concerns. Acknowledge the difficulties they’re encountering and validate their efforts. By doing so, you create a sense of trust and security that encourages the team to persevere. Beyond just boosting morale, being accessible and engaged allows you to guide your team through tough situations while fostering a culture of collaboration. The aim isn’t just to resolve the current issue, but to strengthen your team’s confidence and capability, equipping them to handle future challenges more effectively.

The squeaky wheel gets the grease, but the rotten apple gets pruned. It's always key to know your teammates well and to understand them at a personal level. Not to be their pal or best bud, but to understand what kind of situational awareness they have. It also goes a long way when you need to make quick changes to the team in order to keep it moving. It takes a lot of the guessing out of the decision making process when you know your teammates better than they know themselves. Make the changes needed swiftly or the whole patch can go sour fast.

Ultimately, addressing performance issues demands prompt and assertive action. After diagnosing the problem and aligning with your team, it’s crucial to implement solutions swiftly. This could mean adjusting technical aspects, reallocating responsibilities, or bringing in extra resources to support the team. Keep a close eye on the situation to verify that the solution is working, and be prepared to refine your approach if necessary. Resolving these issues not only saves the current event but also strengthens your team’s ability to handle similar challenges in future projects, turning each obstacle into an opportunity for growth and improvement.

On site is not the time to have an all out. As the Project Manager I am constantly looking for success and failures. I try to stop the fails before they happen and celebrate the successes. When someone feels appreciated they are more likely to be part of the team than against it. For those times action has to happen I tend to pull the person replacing the problem aside, tell them what I need and how and ask them to slide in as I pull the problem out. Once I am one on one with the problem I explain briefly the issue and then agree to speak after the event to review assess and hopefully move forward!

Remain flexible in the face of changing circumstances and lead with confidence through challenges. Acknowledge achievements, keep the team energized, and create a space where solving problems becomes a shared responsibility.

Part of problem resolution that’s often overlooked: Track your fixes. The types of issues that tend to occur at live events are rarely one time occurrences. If you find an instance you don’t have a solutions tree for, then consider a new task on the list.