Who's Allowed to Fix This?

When something goes sideways at an event (and it always will) why does everyone freeze?

A line backs up. A performer is late. A guest asks a simple question. Staff look at volunteers. Volunteers look at staff. Someone says, “Let me check with…,” and five minutes later the problem is still standing there, arms crossed.

In this episode, Vicky digs into the real reason staff and volunteers hesitate to solve problems in real time. It’s not apathy. It’s not lack of initiative. It’s a system that quietly trained them to wait.

You’ll hear why hesitation is often a rational response to unclear authority, how micromanagement (even unintentional) conditions people to stop thinking, and why “just ask me” turns leaders into bottlenecks instead of builders.

This conversation connects directly to Episode 15: The Micromanagement Mess and Episode 20: Your Event’s “What If?” Plan, showing how decision authority, when designed intentionally, keeps events moving without turning them into the Wild West.

We’ll cover:

• The hidden fears that stop people from acting in the moment
• Why praise for initiative often clashes with post-event criticism
• How to define decision “boxes” so people know when to act and when to escalate
• Why volunteers freeze faster—and how clarity fixes that
• The debrief question that builds confidence instead of hindsight fear

When authority is clear, people step up. When it’s fuzzy, they freeze.
 Confidence isn’t just a personality trait, it’s a design outcome.

If you want events that feel calm instead of fragile, this episode is your blueprint.

Thanks for listening!

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