11 Tips About How to Deal With Tragedy at Work

11 Tips About How to Deal With Tragedy at Work 11 Tips About How to Deal With Tragedy at Work For Americans and many around the world, the Kennedy assassinations, the Challenger and Columbia shuttle explosions, the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, the bombing of Pearl Harbor, the bombing of the World Trade Center and Pentagon, the devastation of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans and Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria, the mass shooting in Las Vegas and other mass shootings are high on the list of America’s incomprehensible tragedies. Personal Tragedies Affect Workplaces In your workplaces, more personal tragedies also occur regularly. Coworkers and their family members die. Customers file for bankruptcy and leave hundreds unemployed. Manufacturing plants burn down. Friends are diagnosed with terminal illnesses. An incident of workplace violence leaves coworkers dead. While not as riveting and all-encompassing as the major, national tragedies, the more personal, closer-to-home tragedies and the national, bigger-than-life tragedies have much in common for people in workplaces. National Tragedies Affect Workplaces To start, you frequently find out about national tragedies while you are at work. You gather with coworkers  and watch the  national news unfold on televisions and computer screens. You gather in groups and talk about the event. Who can ever forget where you were when the Challenger space shuttle explosion killed  Christa McAuliffe  and her six crewmates? Same with the planes flying into the World Trade Center and the assassination of President Kennedy? You know where you were when you learned about these events that are indelibly etched in your mind. In these circumstances, employees share information and talk incessantly. They reach out to understand how the tragedy is affecting their associates. Coworkers look out for each other. As an example, many of you watched the planes crash into the World Trade Center while at work. More Personal Work Tragedies Affect Your Employees Deeply With the more personal tragedies, your actions and wishes are likely less public, but there is that same sense of wanting to do something to help and not knowing what to do. In most instances, for positive mental health, coworkers reach out to each other for friendship and support. Sometimes, its the personal tragedies about which you feel the most inadequate. After all, they are occurring right here- and you feel like you should be able to help. A national tragedy or a personal tragedy has a huge impact in the workplace. And, organizations can help people successfully weather the tragedy. They can ease the passage people experience during a tragedy. They can help people deal with the helplessness and grief they experience. They can provide a support system to help prop people up during grief. These ideas will help you help your employees as they experience either a national tragedy or the regular, life-changing tragedies that occur within your own workplace. Recommended Actions During Tragedy in Your Workplace 1. Make Sure People Are Safe If the incident is happening in your workplace, make certain people are safe before you do anything else. Implement your disaster plan, ring the fire alarm, do whatever your company emergency evacuation plan prescribes for safety. The plan should designate a meeting location, where attendance can be taken, so you know the members of your workforce are safe. 2. Cut People Some Slack People cannot return to productive work immediately upon hearing about a tragedy. If you expect them to continue working, people will make errors and mistakes because they are distracted by the events or information. Dont pretend. Just tell people that it is all right to focus their energy on the happening. If you do this, most individuals will return to productive work more quickly when their need for information and interests are satisfied. 3. Assess the Personal Involvement of Employees If the tragedy impacts an individual personally, offer release time, support, a ride, help obtaining information, and anything else the individual appears to need. For major and direct impacts on your workplace, you may need to decide whether to continue paying employees, even though they are not working, for a period of time. You may offer shelter, relocation, or other forms of compensation during a tragedy, too. 4. Give People Information If you can do so without totally disrupting work, provide televisions and computer screens so workers are informed about events as they unfold- even if only in break rooms. In more personal tragedies, give all employees as much information as possible, as soon as the information is available. (This does not mean providing employee confidential information, but other information is essential.) Information helps people process the events. Turn on radios, broadcast breaking news over your speaker system and recognize that people will call friends and acquaintances to share information and compare notes. The closer you are to the tragedy, the more people will want to know. 5. Provide Places for People to Gather and Talk Many people take comfort in being close to other people when tragedy strikes. You can informally provide opportunities for this interaction by leaving conference rooms with televisions unused. Wheel the television into a break room. Bring in lunch for your staff so people are encouraged to spend time with each other for encouragement, shared grief, and support. Suggest a potluck lunch for the second or third day, depending on the nature of the tragedy. Many people talk incessantly during a tragic event; others suffer silently. You will want to draw your silent people out when possible. Central gatherings will help. 6. Schedule a Meeting to Share Information In a national tragedy, people want to know the latest information about what is happening. They want reassurances that they and their loved ones are safe. In more personal workplace sorrows, correct information is also important. Without breaking the confidentiality of the people involved, and with their permission, tell people as much as you can. The more legitimate information people have, the less likely they are to depend on rumors and gossip, the less time they spend seeking information. 7. Give People Something to Do to Help In times of sorrow, when people draw together for sustenance, many want something to do to help solve the problem or to ease the situation. In the instance of the terrorist attack on America, stories of volunteerism, sharing of food and space, giving blood and helping out neighbors and friends abounded. The same kind of stories dominated the Gulf Coast residents response to Hurricane Katrina. People want to bring a casserole to the bereaved family, send flowers to honor the dead and the living, send memories of the employee to the family, and make donations to favorite charities. Many companies held company meetings to bring people up-to-date and share how to donate to relief and the location of the nearest blood donor center during the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, for example. Others hold company raffles, with the money designated for donations to whatever disaster relief is needed; they purchase raffle items with American Express travel points and employees donate other offerings for the raffle. Many employers match the amount collected. Some companies match employee donations up to a certain amount of dollars with a receipt from the charity. Surely, you can imagine more ways to help that are congruent with your workplace culture. 8. Make Managers and HR Staff Available Supervisors, managers, and HR staff members are critical company members during a tragedy. In a study done years ago by the American Psychological Association, employees overwhelmingly listed personal attention from the supervisor as one of the most rewarding aspects of work. Free up your calendars when tragedy strikes and spend time walking through the workplace and meeting with people who need support or just a listening ear. Be visibly available. 9. Offer Employee Assistance If your company has an Employee Assistance Program or counseling available via your health plan, make sure employees know it is available for people who need it. Some programs offer counseling in the workplace. Explore possibilities. 10. Be Prepared Before Disaster or Tragedy Strikes Every organization needs a disaster plan. You also need plans for fire, tornadoes, hurricanes, earthquakes, and any other natural disaster that can occur in your area. All employees should be trained in the specifics of the plan. Prepare people about what actions to take if they are confronted with a potential injury in the workplace. Think about whatever is likely to happen and make a plan to handle it- in advance. 11. Make Grief Training Part of Your Training Program When tragedy strikes, people are uncertain about what to do. As an example, the spouse of a coworker dies. Close work associates attend the funeral or remembrance ceremony. They may supply the family with food and time. When the employee returns to work after their bereavement leave, however, few fellow employees know what to do.Should they offer sympathy or encourage the person to talk about their loss. The employee is often isolated because people dont know what to say or do, so they say and do nothing. Teach your staff members about grief, the stages of grief, how to deal with grief in self and coworkers, how to tell children about a tragedy, and more. It will support your workplace positive morale, build employee self-confidence, and lessen the long-term impacts of tragedy. Tragedy does happen in this world. From major national tragedies to more intimate, personal tragedies, all people experience sorrow and tragedy in their lives. Implementing these ideas will help you address those that occur or unfold in your workplace more effectively.

Choosing a Resume File Name

Choosing a Resume File Name Choosing a Resume File Name Wondering what is the best resume file name when you are applying for jobs? Well, when you are selecting your resume file name, it is better to include both your name and the word ‘resume’ in the file name so that the hiring managers can easily distinguish between yours and others. Using anything less significant may result in the situation that the hiring managers do not even read it. While sending your file as an email attachment, the name of the file is the first thing they see. They should know what and whose it is to check it further. So be sure to make that crystal clear. How to Select your Resume File Name? Though there are many names you can give to your resume so that it is identifiable, still, it is better to be short and to the point while naming one. Rather than saving your resume file as simply ‘Resume’, I would recommend to specify your name in it too. For example, you can just name it ‘SteveHarringtonResume’ instead of just ‘Resume’. It is much more preferable as it gives the recruiters a clear idea about the resume. Tips for Choosing Your Resume File Name Do not use all lowercase characters Saving your document using all lowercase characters not only tell the hiring managers you are lazy but also make you look unprofessional. Using some capital letters is not really a big deal, but not using that will definitely make it one. Also, the file looks more presentable if the file name can be read more easily. For example, instead of ‘johnresume’, use ‘JohnResume’. Choose a suitable file format If the company has mentioned the format in which your resume has to be given, do follow that. Otherwise, learn how to choose a file format for your resume.

Telephone Interview Tips Any Manager Can Use Robert Half

Telephone Interview Tips Any Manager Can Use Robert Half Telephone Interview Tips Any Manager Can Use Robert Half The phone interview can be a time saver in your candidate evaluation process. Applicants' answers over the phone can allow you to quickly identify the most promising candidates who you may want to bring in for an in-person interview. Here are some tips for getting the most out of a phone interview: 1. Do your homework Once you've reviewed resumes and have your applicant pool narrowed down, dialing up candidates to ask some initial questions â€" and further narrow down your list â€" can be more efficient than inviting them all in for in-person interviews. But since talking on the phone is very different than meeting in person, you may need some telephone interview tips to follow when calling your top job candidates. Here are a few: Prepare and practice. Before you pick up the phone, make sure you’ve reviewed the candidate’s application and have it in front of you. Having reviewed the job description and discussed with your team the staffing needs going forward, be sure your notes and the questions that you want to ask the candidate are within arm’s reach as well. It’s a good idea, before picking up the phone, to get comfortable with what you want to convey, so that you don’t stumble over your words or clutter your speech with “um”s. A quick practice run should be sufficient. Cover the background material. When the candidate is on the line, thank him for his time and let him know what you plan to discuss during the phone call. Introduce yourself and briefly discuss what your organization does and the role of the current open position. Let the candidate know how the position fits within the organization’s goals. Robert Half has been helping companies with their hiring since 1948. Let us help you. REQUEST TALENT 2. Act as if you were meeting the candidate in person Do as you would with an in-person interview. Be punctual, show enthusiasm; also ... Speak professionally. Yes, the candidate is the one being evaluated on the call. But the way you talk matters, too, because it says a lot about you and your firm. Speak as professionally as possible. It’s fine to be friendly and relatable, but don’t let down your guard too far. Leave out jargon and slang. Take good notes. Since you will call more than one candidate, take the time to write down notes right after each phone call. Memories can do tricky things, leading people to later forget what actually happens during a telephone interview. Instead they rely on general impressions when making final choices as to whom they’ll invite in for in-person interviews. Taking notes helps you avoid this common pitfall and increases your chances of making a good hire. 3. Let the phone interview provide an added layer of insight During the phone call... Address any concerns about resume red flags. The phone interview is the perfect chance to fill in the blanks. Give the candidate a chance to explain these types of red flags before you form any premature negative opinions about him. Be consistent. While you’ll want to tailor questions to each candidate based on his resume, you may want to ask some questions of everyone you interview so you can fairly compare job qualifications. For example, you might ask each candidate what interests him most about the job to see whether each has taken time to think about his skills and the job’s required tasks. 4. Practice proper interview etiquette Your manners in handling the call and bringing the conversation full circle reflect on you and your company so be sure to dot your I's and cross your T's. Close the conversation. Thank the candidate for her time and ask if she has any questions for you. Let her know the next step of the process, such as when you plan to follow up and whether she should expect another interview. Follow up. Raise any concerns you may have written down when you reviewed the candidate's resume. Did he leave out any mention of a software proficiency that you specified on the job description? Is there an employment gap in her resume chronology that you want to know more about? We hope these telephone interview tips give you a boost of confidence and help you to make the most of your time when you next pick up the phone to call a candidate.

Is Your Career the Best Factor to Determine Self-Worth

Is Your Career the Best Factor to Determine Self-Worth Is Your Career the Best Factor to Determine Self-Worth Other survey highlights include: -45 percent of workers are still searching for the right career, and more than one-third (37 percent) plan to change careers in the next two years. -Younger workers are the most interested in transition, with 66 percent of workers in their 20s still searching for the right career and 55 percent planning to change careers in the next two years. -The youngest and the oldest working adults are the most likely to quit a job if it decreases their feelings of self-worth, as reported by 69 percent of workers in their 20s and 72 percent of workers age 60 and above. -54 percent of employees surveyed believe that pursuing additional education would increase their feelings of self-worth. A 2013 USA Today article supports the findings of this current study. The article, “At Work: Job, self-esteem tied tightly together,” references a Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index of 100,000 Americans, which revealed that 11.4 percent of unemployed Americans   last year were depressed compared to 5.6 percent of those working full time during the survey period. Another 16.6 percent of Americans not in the workforce were depressed at that time. “It is possible that there is something about employment that contributes to lower depression rates, or it could be that those who have depression are less able to seek out and retain employment,” Gallup wrote. The USA Today article quotes a psychotherapist who supported this concept. It reads: “Being employed helps you feel wanted and that youre contributing to your finances, says psychotherapist Elizabeth Lombardo. It also gives you social support - a buffer against depression. In his practice, psychotherapist Jonathan Alpert sees a lot of unemployed people who are depressed. He describes them as usually feeling hopeless and helpless, their sense of identity greatly diminished. Employment provides a sense of purpose, … of belongingness, he says. Those who are unemployed lack that purpose. The article also quotes another psychotherapist, Charles Allen, who believes working and self-esteem are closely aligned. The article reads: “When you have a job, you have a continuous source of feedback that you are a contributing member of society, he says. Thats not to say you go to work thinking, Hey, Im a valued member of society. The idea is largely subconscious. You feel it in the depths of your brain, he says. Allen notes that this idea of self-worth and career is “largely subconscious.” Many things in our world play on our subconscious, and one’s career is no different. Think about how our society is setup: We’re told to go to school, get a degree and get a job. Degree=money and opportunities (to make more money) Money=stability, ability to support oneself/family Stable family life=happiness A degree also symbolizes an accomplishment, and there are varying levels of being deemed “accomplished” in society. A high school graduate is accomplished compared to someone who earned a GED. And a person holding a doctorate degree is held to a higher esteem than one who earned a BA in English. So then we transfer this title and/or accolade definition of success to our careers and self-worth. A job equals hard working, but unemployed equals lazy. And the more distinguished the role, the more distinguished the individual. Dr. Jane Doe is held to a much higher esteem than security guard John Doe, even though both are college educated and employed. Yet, both Jane and John are “higher up” and/or superior to Jim, Pam, and millions of other unemployed persons, especially those who have been unemployed long-term and receive government assistance. Of course, the above example is just a brief snapshot of our society’s hierarchy and not a complete depiction (nor does it represent everyone’s views) but it does offer one simple explanation of why people define so much of their self-esteem by their occupations. Most of us have been trained to follow these ‘steps for success’ and these societal standards and definitions of success have been driven into our subconscious since we were little. I say we have to make the decision to define success for ourselves. Not every worker equates his or her self-worth with his or her job. Having a college degree, owning a company or even having millions in the bank are not universal signs of success and accomplishments, although we’re pushed to believe this. Success is objective, and this holds true for one’s occupation. Think about what makes you happy, fulfilled and accomplished as an individual, and then pursue that. Define success for yourself and on your own terms, and don’t attach your sense of self-worth to any one thing or person- especially not a job or title that could literally be yours today and someone else’s tomorrow.

Marine Corps Combat Marksmanship Coach MOS 0933

Marine Corps Combat Marksmanship Coach â€" MOS 0933 Marine Corps Combat Marksmanship Coach â€" MOS 0933 The Marines have some of the most highly-trained and skilled marksmen in the military. The sayings Every Marine a rifleman and One shot, one kill have become part of Marine Corps tradition, and all devil dogs take it very seriously. So it  stands to reason that this branch of the service would invest a lot of time and resources into training these shooters. Thats where the marksmanship coach comes in. Marksmanship coach is categorized as a free military occupational specialty (FMOS), meaning its open to all Marines, regardless of what their primary MOS is. Most FMOS have requirements separate from those of a Marines primary MOS. The Marine Corps categorizes this job as PMOS 0933. Its open to enlisted Marines holding a rank from private to sergeant. Most are recommended or volunteered for this training by their commanding officer only after showing talent with a weapon. Duties of Marine Marksmanship Coaches Marksmanship coaches train shooters in both dry and live-fire exercises in all phases of the Marine Corps marksmanship program, during both qualification and re-qualification. They also assist in the operation of firing ranges. Its up to these Marines to make sure marksman trainees are getting training thats suited to their skills, so theyre learning and improving at an acceptable pace. Marksmanship coaches work closely with marksmanship instructors, and in fact, many marksmanship coaches are instructors-in-training. Marksmanship coaches train lower-grade Marines in using the M16 rifle, the standard Marine Corps weapon, as well as the M9 pistol. Coaches spend a lot of time on the firing ranges helping novice shooters improve, and experienced shooters prepare for recertification tests. Its worth noting that as with many instructor jobs, a good shooter doesnt automatically make a good shooting coach. It takes patience and the ability to explain the technique clearly to Marines of all ranks, regardless of how well or how poorly they shoot. Detailed knowledge of the weapons used is key to success in this job. Training for Marine Marksmanship Coaches Active-duty Marine Corps combat marksmanship coach trainees take a three-week course at the Marine Corps Base Quantico in Virginia. Its an intensive program, with classes taking anywhere from eight to ten hours a day. Reserve Marines have longer instruction days of up to 14 hours over a two-week period. But all are fully trained as coaches when they complete the training program. Marines on active duty  seeking this job must have a minimum of one year of time in service (TIS), and at least one year remaining on their contract when they graduate from the Combat Marksmanship Program (CMP).   Also, Marines need to meet current height and weight standards and have vision correctable to 20/20 to qualify for MOS 0933. Job Requirements for Marine Marksmanship Coaches Before you can serve in this FMOS, you must be qualified with a service rifle with a classification of sharpshooter or above. Youll need to take the Marine marksman course (MCI 0367A), and a marksmanship coach course (MCC) program of instruction.

3 ways to create a safe and open work environment

3 ways to create a safe and open work environment 3 ways to create a safe and open work environment How important is it to have a  work environment that encourages  employees to voice their concerns?Consider the following examples.David is an associate at a professional services firm.  He is part of a project team for an important client led by one of the most well-known partners in the firm. In the morning meeting, the team makes  a quick but consequential decision for the client. David is  a bit surprised because he thinks  the data suggests another route, but he’s hesitant to state his opinion. After reviewing  the data, he still thinks the team may have missed something, but he is worried that if he speaks up, he  might not get invited onto another project. He decides to  stay quiet.Meanwhile, Kevin is a technician in a hospital operating room. During the close of a routine operation with a high-status surgeon, Kevin counts the sponges and notices that one seems to be missing. He is not entirely sure, but he immediately notifies the lead surgeon of the possibility that there may be a sponge remaining in the abdominal cavity of the patient. The surgeon is tired and eager to complete this final surgery of the day, but immediately checks the patient cavity in search of the sponge.Why does Kevin voice his concern while David hesitates?David spends  his time fearing negative consequences of voicing his concern and questioning the validity of his point. This sense of perceiving or fearing negative consequences based on taking interpersonal risk is what organizational scholars call a lack of psychological safety. Studies have shown that a team’s level of  psychological safety can affect  teamwork and the overall health of an organization.Building on a concept originated in research in the 1960s, a Harvard psychologist named Amy Edmondson conducted a  study  in the mid-1990s to understand the factors that affect errors in administering drugs to hospitalized patients. She interviewed a range of health care providers -  nurses, physicians, and pharmacists -   across eight teams from two urban teaching hospitals. Contrary to her hypotheses, teams where members felt safe to examine and report their behavior had  more  errors.At first, she scratched her head:  how can these findings make sense?Then  she discovered that  the best teams were  admitting  to errors and discussing them more often than other groups did. These teams didn’t want to make mistakes, of course. But they weren’t afraid to say aloud that they had. The best performing teams felt psychologically safe with one another. They weren’t afraid of the negative interpersonal consequences of speaking up, so they spoke up when they noticed an error. They weren’t as daunted by the worrying about the negative consequences of stating their opinion, be it a decrease in their self-image, status, or career trajectory.Two decades of research since then have shown that if people perceive a safe harbor, they are more likely to work well with one another by sharing information and ide as, suggesting improvements, and exploring new avenues for the enterprise. Employees need to know that their well-intentioned actions will not lead to punishment or rejection by their organization and their team.Work environments that are psychologically safe not only produce strong organizational performance, but they are also often described as more satisfying places within which to work.It turns out that leaders are particularly important in the  presence or absence of psychological safety. There are three main ways  that leaders can facilitate psychological safety on the job.1. Frame work as an environment for growthIdeally, not only are good leaders  able to hire and retain capable people, but those people become even more skilled and capable at their work over time. The organization and the individual have a shared interest in promoting skill and capacity development. As each employee becomes individually more capable of handling complex work with less supervision, the company needs to devote fewer resources to supporting and overseeing the work of that person.Over time, that person may come to supervise the work of others, thereby moving from being an individual producer into the role of management and leadership of the work of others. In a workplace that encourages growth and development, employees can take the long view, looking to increase skills over time, rather than just looking to check the box of task performance.2. Model openness and fallibilityNo one is perfect. Why should anyone pretend that they are?Having an  expectation of perfectionism  only makes  others look at you as unrealistic, unattainable, or inhumane. Showing that leaders  make mistakes, can take responsibility for them, and make adjustments in their  way of thinking and behaving is  crucial for others to understand that learning from failure is part of the process of excellence.Part of getting better means risking errors, learning how to avoid those types of errors in the future and learning from the experience. Too often, is it difficult to see how leaders have learned along the way. In an organization that wishes to promote an employee who takes initiative and learns from experience, it is important for that employee  to see the process in action.3. Embrace inclusivity and curiosityLeaders can do this by  asking questions, and inviting and appreciating others’ contributions. Leaders can show  that people are not kicked off the teams for making a mistake based on a risk worth taking.On the contrary, an effective leader invites people to bring up problems and tough issues and to take the rick to innovate. They encourage thinking differently or outside of the box. They value and utilize unique skills and talent.All of us  can  take a page from the psychological safety playbook and try to create cultures of openness. If we stick our necks out there (maybe a little each time), if we show willingness to contribute of our ideas and actions, if we ask for input and help, and if we give others the benefit of the doubt, we might not only model for others that they should try the same but we will also likely be more engaged at work.

How to Book a Venue for a Music Gig

How to Book a Venue for a Music Gig How to Book a Venue for a Music Gig Whether youre a musician booking your own shows or a budding music promoter booking their first gig, the first step in the process is securing a site. When youre farther along, you might hook up with a club that actively goes after and hires talent. But if youre promoting your own show, here are some tips on how to book a venue. The right locale is crucial for making the night a success. Choose the Right Site Its easy to get caught up in the idea of playing your favorite club or venue, where all of your favorite musicians have played. But in reality, you should look for a venue that you can fill. Think of it this way: Whats going to feel better on the night of the show, having the show sell out or playing to a huge, mostly empty room? Playing the small clubs are how you earn your stripes to play at the bigger places, so make finding a venue that fits in with both your likely draw and your budget the priority. Choose Desirable Dates Unless youre booking a gig way in advance, you have to be pretty lucky to stroll into a club and get a gig on your dream date. Before you book the show, come up with a window of a few different dates youd be happy with for the event. Oh, and you need to make sure all of the musicians are happy with all of the possible dates. Finding out that the drummer and the guitarist cant make the gig after youve booked the venue, is not ideal. Contact the Venue Depending on the size of the club, there will either be someone who handles all of the bookings or whoever answers the phone will pull out a calendar and write your name on it (while sounding incredibly bored and leaving you wondering if youve really booked the place). Either way, once you agree on a date, there are a few questions you need to ask: How much is the hire fee/rental fee? (See more below about negotiating)When can you load-in and soundcheck?At what time do the doors open?By what time does the show need to end?What technical resources does the venue provide?Are there any special rules? Sign a Contract Many times, very small venues will not demand that you sign a contract, but you should definitely ask about any sort of written agreement anyway. As you move to larger venues, contracts become more common. Youll often be asked to sign a paper confirming the date for the show, the price youll pay to lease the space, and any special arrangements you have made. Be careful when youre signing one of these contracts because if the show falls through, youll be liable for paying them the fee anyway after your name is on the dotted line. Negotiate a Price In club bookings, sometimes theres not much flexibility in the rental fee. Note that this rental fee is usually a minimum amount of money that has to be made on the door, not necessarily a check you have to write up front as if you were renting a wedding hall. Hopefully, the door money and bar money will cover this guarantee you make to the venue. Still, youre on the hook for the sum, so it never hurts to try and negotiate the numbers. There are two things that can help you get a better deal: Proving that youll bring in a big crowdProving that youll a lot of press before and after the show When you bring people into the venue and attract media attention, you help them do what they need to do to make money- namely, pack the place with patrons willing to buy drinks. Give them some evidence that the night will be a success on that score and you may be able to get a better price. Obviously, a demonstrated ability to may be tough to prove if youre still a young group. If there are no professional write-ups, even social media mentions, Facebook pages, videos, even Twitter chatter or Instagram images might help impress management.