QUESTION TO MY READERS: Let’s say you were in a club, and this club was hosting a dinner for 20 guests. You had offered to bring all the mashed potatoes for the event. Then two days before the event, you decide that you don’t have time to peel, cut, cook, and mash the potatoes. What do you do?
A) Decide not to bring anything because you just don’t have time.
B) Order mashed potatoes from a restaurant or grocery store to take to the event.
C) Show up at the event with scalloped potatoes.
D) Contact the coordinator.
E) Enlist the help of your family in peeling, cutting, cooking, and mashing the potatoes.
F) A combination of the above.
I ask this question because I watched the results of three of the above decisions today. The coordinator handled the situations well. However, she could have used her time more efficiently had the volunteers contacted her.
The question posed is the issue. We have all had situations arise that prevent us from accomplishing what we planned to do. In those situations, I feel that the best and most considerate option is to (D) contact the coordinator. Even if you plan to (B) order it and bring it or (E) get help to finish it, you might still run into problems. If the coordinator knows your situation, she might have another option. For example, someone else may have offered to bring something, or the coordinator may adjust the menu to something else easier for your schedule. For me, it is just considerate to inform the coordinator, so she can be working on a backup plan.
To me the worst solution is (A) decide not to bring anything. This choice was revealed today. The coordinator graciously sent another helper to the store to purchase the needed item. This action wasted time. Had the coordinator known that a side item would be missing, she could have made it last night, picked it up at the store, or had someone else bring the dish. During the time of executing the planned activity is NOT the time to be running to the store for more food.
A less than perfect decision is choice (C) bringing scalloped potatoes. This solution was also evident at the meal and did meet the needs of the event. When a coordinator plans the menu, she has much to consider: color, type, consistency, and taste. Changing one item may or may not change other items. Again, contacting the coordinator prior to the morning of the event would help her adjust. Without a heads up, the coordinator just makes it work and adds another item if necessary.
Having attended and watched this coordinator rearrange her menu on the fly, I have a greater appreciation for dependable people. I realize life happens. But when a coordinator is depending on you and you drop the ball, someone has to pick up the ball. Just admitting to the event coordinator IN ADVANCE that help is needed or offering a substitute menu item will significantly reduce the amount of time taken to add or correct the items brought.
So what is my answer? Save time and money by (D) keeping the coordinator informed. I would contact her, explain my time constraint, offer suggestions, and wait for her to respond. If she then needed those mashed potatoes, then I would enlist the help of my family, neighbors, or friends to get those spuds peeled, cut, cooked, and mashed. In the end, I will be dependable and help that coordinator give the best event possible. My hat goes off to today’s patient coordinator, who handled each situation with calm, clarity, and class!