Have you ever sent an email involving confidential event details to the wrong client? Or promised a client your last white, queen loveseat without realizing you’d already rented it out? That sinking feeling in your gut after making an error at work is something everyone can relate to.
Yes, we’re human and mistakes happen. Studies have shown that humans make between 3-6 errors per hour, so nobody is perfect. But when these errors regularly and negatively impact your business and your clients’ experiences, something’s not quite right. It’s in your best interest to eliminate as many avoidable mistakes as possible, to create ease and efficiency for your team and put on successful event after successful event.
From staying organized with team operations and event logistics, to investing in software that can do a lot of the work for you, we’re covering all of the tips for removing human error from the equation.
1. Create a Positive Work Environment
It’s no secret that your work environment drastically affects your passion, productivity, and enthusiasm.
Nearly two-thirds of employees feel chained to their desks, and in one survey about the psychology of human error, 61% of respondents state that there is a culture of presenteeism in their organization that leads them to work longer hours than needed.
Presenteeism is when employees work despite being sick or burnt out. In other words, they feel they must “present” a look of productivity even though there is actually more of a possibility for error, burnout, and lack of efficiency. A culture of presenteeism can harm your business financially as well. The total cost of presenteeism in the United States is estimated to be more than $150 billion per year — which far surpasses the cost of a team member taking a mental health or sick day to regroup.
A positive work environment can mean different things to different companies. But some examples might include activities to boost morale, positive reinforcement, and time to focus on experimental projects or continuing education.
Think long term: When you cultivate a business culture where employees feel appreciated for their work and are not terrified of losing their job if they make an error, you will actually lessen the chances of an error occurring.
2. Communicate Effectively
Part of creating a positive work atmosphere is encouraging open communication within your team. If people are afraid to ask questions or speak up about a challenge they’re facing, they’ll likely resort to guesswork, increasing the volume of mistakes and resources expended. Communicate to both new team members and current team members what is expected of them, then make certain they know they are supported and have help from their colleagues.
Miscommunication can also lead to missed meeting times, incorrect delivery drop-offs, contract errors, and other mishaps that can be avoided nine out of ten times. Evaluate your business’ internal and external communication, and take feedback gracefully from your team about what can be improved, so you can limit errors.
Give praise and credit where it’s due, and create a feedback-oriented environment rather than offering unconstructive harsh criticism. A positive and community-oriented work environment will promote excitement for the job your team is doing, increasing focus and decreasing mistakes.
3. Use Software to Automate Processes
If it’s not already ingrained in your processes, confiding in technology to help you keep track of booking dates, inventory, payments, or contracts, can feel overwhelming and hard to put your trust in. But the reality is that integrating your business with an all-inclusive event rental software might be the best way to reduce human error yet.
Event rental software like Goodshuffle Pro helps stop conflicts, like double bookings, before they happen, while keeping contracts, inventory, and payments in a visible, organized space. These types of softwares alleviate the pressure of having to keep track of everything manually, where error is bound to happen.
Software also makes automation for companies that have been relying solely on human input. Besides limiting human error, automation processes can actually raise productivity growth globally by 0.8 to 1.4 percent annually.
4. Put Detailed SOPs in Place
Let’s say you’re on a deadline but have a burning question about your project. Unfortunately, the team member you would ask is out sick and can’t help. Having a variety of detailed standard operating procedures in place will eliminate delays and guessing game errors.
It’s important to learn how to write comprehensive standard operating procedures for your team, and there are document management systems, like Google Drive, where you can put SOPs in one organized spot for easy access. This way, team members can find what they’re looking for, and have answers ready for questions they might not even have yet!
5. Offer Security Trainings for Your Team
Security training should be a high priority for your business, because one small click can have great consequences. Oftentimes we put security on the back burner, thinking we’ll never fall for a sketchy email or no one will hack our passwords. But clicking on innocent-looking links can cause data breaches and leak classified information.
One in four respondents (25%) from the same survey said that at some point during their career they’ve clicked on a link in a phishing email at work. This might be due to lack of security awareness. However, 85% of team members also feel there is an expectation to reply to emails quickly, increasing the chances for making a mistake and responding to a phishing or scam email with information that is precious to the business. Let your team know that it’s more productive to take time and read through things rather than answering immediately.
It is also imperative that you don’t share passwords. Sharing passwords can lead to widespread confusion. If team members share accounts, one person may change something without someone else’s knowledge, increasing error possibility, or accidentally block someone from accessing the account, wasting time. Moreover, if a team member is terminated with confidential password knowledge, there is an even larger chance of a malicious data breach. The use of a password manager can keep individual passwords vaulted away, as well as create randomly generated passwords that are more difficult to hack.
6. Lead with Organization and Time Management
Organization and time management are really the key players in reducing human error, whether or not you are using an event management software like Goodshuffle Pro to help. Even if you follow all of these tips to eliminate human error, you have to lead with organization and time management to see the positive results you’re after.
Share with your team how they should be organized in order to eliminate errors like not being privy to project deadlines or being late to an important client meeting. If you are using software, integrating Google Calendar that all team members have access to, helps to schedule things clearly and keep events on track for success. You can also use schedule tracking sites or to-do list managers, like Asana, to assure that deadlines are met and team members are on the same page for any shared tasks.
Mistakes Will Happen, But…
Inevitably, there will always be mistakes. But there are ways to reduce and even prevent human error from drastically affecting your business operations. Small mishaps can lead to big consequences and it’s important to stay prepared, so you can derail the possibility of errors before they happen.
This is a Guest Post from Good Shuffle Pro. Goodshuffle Pro is your one-stop shop software to manage your event rental business and increase profits. The modern, all-in-one software empowers event and party rental companies of all sizes across North America. Goodshuffle Pro’s industry-leading training and support coupled with their clean, intuitive interface makes onboarding a breeze, so you can get up and running fast. When you partner with Goodshuffle Pro, you don’t just get the best software — you get the best team.
About Allura Event Furniture
A subsidiary of Shelter Structures America, Allura Event Furniture is an event furniture and equipment distributor and manufacturer serving the event, tent, and hospitality industries. Shelter Event Equipment serves companies and venues needing essential products for a turn-key event experience including tables, chairs, generators, tent accessories and HVAC units. Shelter Event Equipment maintains distribution centers in Los Angeles and Chicago with offices located in Los Angeles, Virginia and Florida. For more information please visit alluraeventfurnituret.com.
Media Inquiries:
Stacie House
stacie@alluraeventfurniture.com
Related Links:
www.shelterstructuresamerica.com
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