attitude July 22nd, 2007
To stay ahead of your competition you have to make learning an ongoing lifelong process. Conferences, Seminars and Workshops are beneficial forms of training, information gathering and networking. Some conferences may take you away for more than a day from the office. If you want to take full advantage of these opportunities to invest in yourself and your business, then the following maybe useful to you.
Prepare.
1. Study the agenda and identify exactly what you want to get out of the seminar or conference.
2. Talk to your colleagues about the program and ask them if there is anything they want you to concentrate on for them prior to attending.
3. Do any pre reading to increase your knowledge and understanding of the topic and prepare any notes for question time.
4. Find out who else might be attending the conference and discuss your thoughts and ideas with them.
Make a list of must do’s.
1. Be on time and be sure not to miss any part of the session.
2. Avoid any internal or external distractions – switch off mobile phone totally, not even on silent or vibrate.
3. Raise any issues of concerns you might have.
4. Feel free to disagree with any opinion you think is wrong.
5. Be open to ideas or approaches you would normally reject.
6. Step out of your comfort zone and start conversations with complete strangers during the breaks.
7. Stay attentive and avoid the temptation to daydream.
8. Be optimistic that a problem you may have can be solved at the conference.
Arrive early and network.
Metering colleagues and new people at a conference is half the fun, after registering; positions your self near the door or at a coffee service area where you will get to see most of the other people attending.
Remember the topic that most people enjoy discussing is themselves, exchange business cards and if necessary arrange a follow up meeting, later on jot down info about what you talked about on the back of their card. Most importantly don’t leave it too late to sit down, try to get a seat as close to the front as you possibly can.
Participate, listen and learn.
Introduce yourself to those seated near you, Listen to what the speaker is saying, take notes but be careful not to let it interfere with your learning, take notes of what you are going to do with what the presenter is saying.
Keep asking yourself what I can do with this information to improve my job or my life.
Also remember to jot down any questions you may have at the end for the speaker.
Share your information on your return to work.
What can you implement in the workplace? What can you change for the better consider ways to share your information, perhaps a memo, email circular or a staff meeting.
Use this opportunity to show how committed you are to professional and personal growth.
Set specific requirements if you send an employee
Before the event, inform those who you are sending, that you require a report within 48 hours of their return to work, the report could include responses to the following questions.
1. How can the business directly benefit from your attendance?
2. Would you recommend other staff attend the same conference in the future?
3. What immediate action should be taken to commit the dealership to an improvement process based on what you have learnt?
