Reflection written by using the STARR method

In this last year I  have actively found various event experiences to achieve my smart goal 7 ''work on my leadership skills'' I have set this goal because I wanted to be prepared to manage before starting my internship in September. My goal was to become a more trustable event manager that is prepared for the with role with real-life experience and taking responsibility in different job roles. These experiences have helped shape my capability of being a manger and strengthened my professional development. Extrema outdoor is a techno festival in Belgium were I got the experience to work as a bar manager for four days. I started on Thursday were they had extrema special this is smaller version of the event for people with dissabalities and people that live in the surrounding neighbourhood. This showed me how important it is to create inclusive spaces and that it is really important to communicate clearly with the community in the area of the events. On Friday the ''real'' festival started and I had to manage a bar with three seperate barcontainers and around 30 people of staff this required me to come up with a system because with three seperate bars there was no clear overview especially on sunday with closing. To be able to tun the bars smoothly I checked every bar to see who worked the most efficient and instructed this person to ''manage'' their bar so I instructed them to instruct the others at the moments that it was too busy for me to be able to  stay in control during peak moments of three places. I had to/learned how to deal with high pressure, motivate staff, work with untrained staff and have patience, stock management and to be strict but friendly in my briefing and instructions. Especially since I am a girl and quite short I sometimes needed to be very stern for them to listen. During Dutchweek in Gerlos I had to stay in close contact with other staff this was a more a situation were both of us were managers and needed clear concise information and communication from each other.

This helped me improve my assertiveness, professional communication, and language skills (Dutch, English, and German). This role  tested my ability to handle multiple responsibilities, and made me realise how much I enjoy artist handling. It also perfected my understanding of time management and coordination. At Ballorig I was projectmanager and marketeer for a childrens event with Danny Pouwels for his new kids book. My tasks consisted of event planning, space setup, and social media promotion. This gave me the chance to lead both production and promotion, and showed me how to go from preparation to execution. During this I had to make sure staff did what was expected from them and followed the rules I was more a spy during the event checking everything went well from spaces people wouldn't notice me and provided staff with clear instructions to work. Lastly, I organised a private birthday party wich allowed me to explore leadership on a small scale. I had the responsibility  to set up the event, get the bar started by preparing cocktails, decoratiom and time planning  this helped with the basics things needed to manage like: preparation, structure, and quick decision-making. Even when we had time pressure, I had to stay calm, guide others, and adapt to last-minute changes. I had 5 people who I gave tasks the whole day of set up. The most important thing I learned is that you need to put others to work first before you can do something yourself.

These experiences helped me to reach my smart Goal 7 work on my leadership skills. I took on roles that required me to have leadership skills, show initiative, and have responsibility. By volunteering with different organisations in different roles I expanded my network and grew my experience, but also learned to create my own leadership style based on the people, time and environment I am in. These experiences prepare me to be more confident and have more knowledge and understanding of what I am doing! These jobs achieved my professional skills by improving my verbal communication skills with different audiences and different languages.

 Whether it was giving staff feedback, dealing with high-stress situations or communicating with external parties I learned to act responsible have understanding and patience and most importantly professionalism at all times. I know feel prepared for my inetrnship with a solid basis of leadership