A No-Ego Approach to the 5th Annual Skift Global Forum
Our Forums have grown incredibly in size and scope over the last five years. When I started at Skift two years ago, our employees numbered in the 20s, and now, we’re at 54, so you could imagine that our Forums are likewise amping up. One executive recently emailed Skift CEO Rafat Ali to say, “It seems to me that your team isn’t just getting bigger, but it’s also getting better.”
We couldn’t agree more.
For a bit of context, Skift Global Forum — our original travel-centric event here in New York — is our largest of the year. We now also have Forums on various topics in California, Europe, and Asia, plus Skift Restaurants Forum in New York, and there’s more to come.
We just held our fifth annual Skift Global Forum in September, and according to Skift Video Producer Richard Chen, who joined the company four months ago, our tight-knit camaraderie and lack of battling egos pointed us toward success. “Everyone was very on-point. There was a great flow,” said Chen of his first Forum experience, during which he captured tons of video footage and directed a crew to make it happen.
“It’s almost like playing team sports, where nothing needs to be said but we all know what needs to be done,” said Chen. “And that’s something you can’t explain to other people about the culture. It’s something you feel and experience together with your crew … That sense of no-ego brings everyone together.”
When the pressure is on and obstacles arise, your fellow humans are your most valuable asset. “When you have one person in a higher role who’s just watching the chaos happen and not leading by jumping into the field with their colleagues, it changes the team mentality,” said Chen. He would rather say, “Even though it’s not my job, what can I do to make the overall work smoother for my team?”
For example, Chen was filming the opening night of Skift Global Forum, an event at the Mandarin Oriental that included our first Air Pitch competition and an interview with Puerto Rico Governor Ricardo Rosselló. Chen knew that his C camera (i.e. his third camera) would only record in 30-minute intervals, and some quick action would be needed during a speech. Chen alerted our developer Mike Linden, who assisted Chen that week, and the two were already on the same page.
Chen said Linden handled the change-over quickly and seamlessly: “Swap the cameras, swap batteries, swap SD cards, and re-roll on that C cam. And this all happened with sign language.”
The best part? Supporting one another empowers everyone to take chances that might really pay off. Due to the support of his team, Chen was able to direct the crew to try some risky shots backstage that turned out great, and next time, he wants to try more dynamic shots.
Check out some of Chen’s video work here, and stay tuned for videos from the fifth annual Skift Global Forum:
We’d love to see you at our next Forum, and there’s no need to wait a full year. Check out our full slate of events here.
— Sarah Enelow-Snyder, Assistant Editor
