Sunday Side Event Management –
SE Manager (the Break Manager)
CIAO to everybody,
Our special guest and processes and organisation expert, Ivan Petkovic, continues his series about how to manage *Side events at Grand Prix*.
Today’s article is about an optional role, but very important one – the Break Manager.
Happy reading!
In previous articles, we have looked at an overview of the roles usually participating at running Side Events. Then we have taken a deeper look into Side Event Manager (part 1, part 2, part 3 and part 4). Today we are looking at a different role – the Break Manager.
Each judge judging on Sunday is usually entitled to one full hour break (lunch/dinner break) and a half hour one. Of course, if needed judges can take more breaks, but that is handled case by case usually by HJ of the event where the judge is judging. Breaks usually start when mid shift starts and after the initial handover, one of the first tasks of mid shift is to start enabling the early shift to go and take the lunch break. Same is usually true when the late shift starts with lunch/dinner break for mid shift. The Late Shift should have their dinner break before mid shift is dismissed.
As mentioned before this role can be executed by SE Manager or as a separate role.
How to handle breaks?
One way is to plan everything in the schedule. The schedule should reflect which judge goes on break when and who is covering for them. Crafting such schedule can be time intensive, but offloads work from the event itself.
Here is an example:
As you can see, either the judges within their event are taking care of breaks for themselves or specific individuals have their lunch and break times planned. In case the of the latter, someone from Flex team will cover for that judge. As an SE Manager make sure to make a plan who covers whom and communicate that (on schedule or during the day).
In case you have a detailed plan, please make sure that the plan is updated during the day as things change and deviate from the plan.
Alternatively, HJ can be instructed to handle the breaks within their events. This is especially true if events are large and have a couple of judges. In case events are smaller than the Break Manager should instruct HJs of a couple of neighbouring events to organise their breaks together (also, and also floor coverage <check if mentioned before>). In case HJs need more support, the Break Manager should send them additional judges.
No matter which option for handling breaks you choose, you should check with HJs and/or individual judges that the breaks have taken place. Some judges want to prove themselves (especially the first timers at GP) by judging extra hard and skipping breaks.
Floor Manager is if expected from SE Manager, responsible for updating any judge allocations to tournaments to represent the breaks. Please check with the SE Manager does he expect it or not.
That is it!
This one was relatively short. But nevertheless, this is one of the most important roles. Judges without (or poorly organised) brakes make mistakes and provide customer service with poor quality.
In next article, we’ll take a look at last role I will analyse in details – the Floor Manager.
Stay well, stay tuned!
I hope you enjoyed this article, and I’m looking forward to reading your comments.
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