Retirement Party for Steve Weeks prior to making the surprise retirement party known to fellow employees in the company, I have been observing their strengths and weaknesses and scheduled a casual business meeting with Steve, in which I have told him I have not decided on a place for the meeting yet, and urged him to have his family attend. I made a list of important tasks for the individuals I decided on to perform. When there is four weeks remaining until Steve’s surprise retirement party, I call in the individuals I chose. I explain how it would be best to have everything set in stone one week before the planned date. I ask if each one feels comfortable performing the tasks I have chosen for each of them. We all brainstorm on the steps it will take to achieve the tasks effectively. At the end of the meeting I express to the members that they will have a light professional load for the next four weeks to accommodate the planning of the party. I also let them know that I have plenty of free time to meet with them during the process to discuss conflicts between different aspects of the party. One member of the team is responsible for determining a budget for the party. In week one he needs to communicate with the company manager to discuss a budget for the entire event. During week two he will consult with the other team members to determine how much money is allotted to each aspect of the party. In the last week of the planning process he will distribute the allotted amount of money to each different aspect of the party. Another member is in charge of the invites. During week one she is responsible for determining the graphics and layout of the invites. During the next two weeks she plans to distribute them internally by both email and hand delivery, this is to ensure that as many people as possible will get the party. During the whole process she is to communicate with the member in charge of the location of the event. The next member is in charge of the location of the event. During the first week he is responsible for making a list of possible venues and also making a list of how many people could attend at each venue. This member is to keep in mind that he not only needs to accommodate the attendees, but the catering service, Steve’s family and the entertainment as well. During the next two weeks he is responsible for determining the estimated attendees, and pinpointing a location to hold the event. When he determines a location for the event, he is to inform me so I can consult Steve with a decision for the meetings location. The fourth member of the team is responsible for planning the entertainment. During week one she is to engage in conversation with Steve about what kind of entertainment they enjoy. It is very important for her to keep in mind that she needs to be covert about the surprise party. During week two she is to make a list of local entertainment that relates to Steve’s interests. Last of all, in week three she is to pinpoint what entertainment will be provided at the party, and schedule it. The last member of the team is responsible for the catering. During week one she has a similar task as the team member in charge of the entertainment. She will be engaging in casual conversation about food with Steve, determining what his favorite type of food is. During week two she will make a list of local catering services in relation to Steve’s taste in food. In the final remaining week she will be determining which service will be catering to the party, and scheduling the service. Teamwork in schools teaches children fundamentals they will need to use in their adult life. It introduces skills that could be beneficial to their future career. I remember in school, when we were assigned to teams we had to determine the strengths and weaknesses of the team members, which taught us how to determine our resources within the team. We were also given a deadline, which taught time management. All during the project, we were given time to project our ideas and plans to the team, which taught us communication. We always had motivation from the teacher such as a pizza party or an extra recess, which taught us the benefit of reaching our goal effectively.
When it comes to the workplace, teamwork is crucial, but the motives are way different than those of more innocent days. It’s the real world now and not being effective as a team can have detrimental effects to the future of the organization. It is time to apply what we have learned throughout our childhood in the classroom. It is important to know what skills you are confident in that can benefit the outcome of the goal your boss or team leader has set for the company. If ideas are not communicated properly, people can get the wrong aspect as to what the outcome will be. Also if people do not use their time wisely to accomplish their assigned tasks, the entire team effort can go down the drain due to one person’s bad planning.
When it came time, the surprise party was a huge success. Steve arrived at what he expected to be a business meeting and was blown away by the element of surprise. Due to effective team work Steve was very happy with the entertainment and awesome food that were provided. It was an excellent way to conclude his career with the company. Way to go teamwork!