Excitement is building as we count down the days to INTIX 2024 in Las Vegas. This conference is poised to be our biggest ever, with experts in every area of ticketing, live events, leadership, technology and more slated to attend.
Sonja Baker
Many of these experts will also share their wisdom in INTIX conference workshops. One notable example is Sonja Baker, Assistant Director of Box Office and Patron Services at Interlochen Center for the Arts. Baker will present “Fire Yourself: The Art of Effective Delegation” at 12 p.m. PST on Thursday, Feb. 1. The workshop is part of the INTIX UPLevel Leadership Program sponsored by Tixly.
“Effective delegation is the only way to scale your job, reach your professional goals and reclaim your life and sanity,” Baker says. “It is too easy to add more and more to our plate until we burn out. This has become such a problem that people are now ‘quiet quitting’ because they just can't take it anymore. That tells me that we are not effectively leveraging the unique talents of our teams.”
While these are strong words, ticketing professionals are always up for a challenge and a solution. In this case, it means letting go of certain areas of responsibility and instead sharing them with other team members. What are some of the tasks that make the most significant difference when they are delegated?
“If a task can be duplicated and documented, there is no reason why it cannot be delegated. Answering the box office emails was a huge hassle. By documenting clear policies and examples of responses to the most frequently asked questions, I was able to turn that job over to my box office associate. Now she only has to ask me about the very odd requests,” Baker says. “Another example was handing the weekly calendar meetings over to my coordinator. In the summer, these meetings sometimes ran close to two hours. Now, not only do I have those two hours back, [but] my coordinator also has firsthand knowledge about calendar changes, which is much more relevant to his job duties than to mine.”
Education plays a vital role in elevating skills for leaders and up-and-coming professionals. It offers essential knowledge, fosters critical thinking and promotes adaptability. These are all key attributes that help move a team forward toward shared success. To that end, just like the INTIX UPLevel Leadership Program, Baker’s workshop applies to ticketing professionals at all stages of their careers.
“Those of us in the ticketing world tend to be driven individuals who like to solve puzzles. We get excited about making the patron experience better. However, we tend to hold onto false beliefs that limit growth. We hoard information and take on all the tasks because we think we are the only ones who can do it right. Or we think we are making ourselves indispensable to the institution by being the only one who can take care of things,” Baker says. “In reality, we are hobbling ourselves from seeing progress in our departments and our careers. We simply don't have the time to focus on growth when we are trying to do it all. Being open with information is an important lesson at all levels because information hoarders can never take a day off.”
INTIX UPLevel Leadership workshops are designed to go beyond practical programming. They also offer inspiration and thought leadership for everyone in live entertainment ticketing.
“You will walk away from this session with a mindset shift when it comes to the importance of relying on your team,” Baker says. “Just as importantly, you will have concrete plans in place for how you are going to implement these strategies to quickly make a difference in your team.”
She adds, “By looking closely at your operations and systems, you can empower your staff in a way that allows them to have satisfaction and growth while allowing you to reach your higher-level goals.”
Baker says that learning to trust her team changed her life. “That is not hyperbole,” she says. “I am happier, my career has progressed, and my boss is happier. But even better, my teammates are happier, progressing in their careers, and are more connected to our mission. That is what trusting and empowering people will do. Believe me, when you give them the room, they will surprise you in ways you can only imagine.”
Baker busts the myth that you must do it all with that statement. She says that everyone can learn effective delegation, and her workshop will teach you how. Attendees will also learn the types of problems that take up the most time and walk away with a customized action plan to implement when they get home.
But before heading home, Baker is looking forward to many things about INTIX in Las Vegas. These include connecting with like-minded ticketing peers and having fun around the vast conference learnings.
“I am always surprised at how alike all of our stories, frustrations and triumphs are,” she says. “I remember Maureen saying that nobody decides to become a ticketing professional. Instead, one day, we wandered into a box office and never left. Also, blackjack. If you need to find me in the evening, just look for the nearest low-minimum table. I'm the lady drinking way too much coffee and cheering on the table a bit too loudly.”
If you haven’t already registered for INTIX 2024 in Las Vegas, what are you waiting for? Click here to register today!
You May Also Like
Want news like this delivered to your inbox weekly? Subscribe to the Access Weekly newsletter, your ticket to industry excellence.