3 Comments to “Is “planner” a dirty word?”

1. Joan Eisenstodt Says:
   

   July 25th, 2008 at 12:15 pm

   “Manager” has certain implications, doesn’t it, within organizational hierarchy? If one were called a ‘Meeting Strategist’, would that work, or only if one’s job WERE strategic? If one does logistics, how would the title reflect that? If one selects sites and only that, then what? And a contract negotiator would be .. that? So are we looking at a soup to nuts job in making meetings happen? (Am avoiding the “P” word.) Hmmm…still thinking.

2. Sue Pelletier Says:
   

   July 25th, 2008 at 1:13 pm

   [I’m posting this for Jim Lewis, who had trouble trying to post this comment–Sue]

   Is “planner” a dirty word? Not in my book. As an Independent Meeting Planner, it is what I do I plan meetings. Its descriptive and it well known. If I was an Independent Meeting Professional, what does that mean to people looking to plan a meeting? Do I plan meetings, or work with meetings? Professional means I do a professional job and what I do, but what do I do? Try this ask a person who is not in the meetings industry or not a family member of someone in the meetings industry, “What does Meeting Professional mean to you?”

   Personally, in my mind the change from Meeting Planner International to Meeting Professional International in a way seem to expand who was included in MPI, because now if you are a Account Executive at a hotel you are now included in being a Meeting Professional. It broadened the definition of what is included under MPI, but did little do anything to expand the knowledge of what is involved in the meeting planning process. This is where the focus should go.

   Now lets break down “Meeting Manager.” If you are a meetings manager you manage meetings. How is that different from a meeting planner who plans meetings? It’s a word game, but it does not change the underlying beliefs and attitudes someone will have about that job classification. It might change behaviors because of the word manager is tied to higher level in the corporate structure. The next time someone gives you a hard time, explain nicely to him or her that this meeting you are planning has up to 29,000 decisions you have to make in order for it to be a success. Twenty-nine thousand, shall we go over them now and how this situation effect the planning process and if it is not done in a timely manner it will effect hundreds in not thousands of other decisions that have to be made for this meeting to be a success? (See EMBOK below for backup)

   Meeting Executive, well in my mind means that you are an executive with the company that helps plans meetings. Or you are similar to an Account Executive where you have clients who you are looking to sell to. Again how is that different from a meeting planner to people in the company going to your meetings?

   From what I know all of these changes are made to help deal with the lack of knowledge of what it takes to plan meetings, and gain respect for meeting planners and our profession. But making the word “planner” a dirty word will not change the underling beliefs and attitudes of people. It may change their behaviors slightly, but people who know what it takes to plan meetings already respect us. The people who don’t understand what it takes changing a title will not change their beliefs, attitudes and many times not even their behaviors.

   So what are we doing to attack the underlying lack of knowledge of meeting participants or our managers on what is actually involved in the meeting process? Start with Julia Silver’s work on the Event Management Body of Knowledge Project or EMBOK.
   http://www.juliasilvers.com/embok.htm

   This all comes down to “Respect”, we all wanted to be respected and appreciated for the time and energy that we put into our work. Just changing a title may work in the short term but it will not work in the long run, unless the beliefs and attitudes are changed.

   Jim Louis
   Moderator MeCo http://groups.google.com/group/MeCo
   Best Meetings Inc.
   952-858-8875

3. Peggie Thorsen Says:
   

   July 30th, 2008 at 10:38 am

   Wow! Lots of good thoughts on what I think has been an underlying issue that I have felt for many years. It does all come down to R-E-S-P-E-C-T!

   From the outset, let me say that I am an MBA and a VP in my organization and I also run its publications. I like the meeting planning process because it is an extension of my creative processes. However, I felt an undercurrent of disrespect at being a ‘meeting planner’ - somewhat akin to a ‘party planner’. I use my VP title on all correspondence with hotels and vendors. When people away from work ask me what I do, I tell them I manage the publications and conventions for a trade association, but I never call myself a ‘meeting planner’.

   There are some meeting planners who are very good at their jobs and some who are not so good at their jobs - just as in every other business function. However, I have met some planners who do not exhibit a take charge persona. I can see a hotel or vendor sensing that and using it to their advantage - and, perhaps, transferring their attitude to other planners, but that’s only my cynical supposition.

   On the other hand, the thesaurus lists synonyms for ‘planner’ as ’schemer,’ ‘plotter,’ ‘conspirator,’ and ‘conniver’. Double-wow! Talk about your negative connotations!

   I think we should call ourselves whatever feels right for what we specifically do. If your job is running conferences, you’re a conference manager; producing educational meetings, an education manager; running a meeting planning company, a meetings executive; etc.

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