We can't solve today's and tomorrow's problems with yesterday's thinking says Dan Pink. Most of us only know one way to address our challenges. Our problem solving skills, our communication strategies and our capacity to bend our ideas as we bridge gaps have not evolved fast enough. We think there is only a right and wrong way to do something. We've been taught that the one who pulls and pushes the hardest wins. We believe in black and white answers although life is full of contextual … [Read more...]
Conferences During Hinge Times
We are living in a world of hinge time. Our conferences are planned to educate attendees for an era that no longer exists. The challenges our attendees face are vastly different from the ones of the past. Most of our conference attendees were educated on how to be right. We focus on individual and collective attention on deficits—cognitive, emotional, financial and industry-related says says author Dawna Markova. Rarely have we been taught how to collaborate effectively with people across … [Read more...]
Confusion And Brain Strain Are Freakish Factors Required To Learn
Whenever possible the brain operates on autopilot. That’s why for example you can fold laundry while having a conversation. Your brain goes on autopilot to fold clothes so you can focus your thinking on the conversation. When you do something over and over again, your brain picks up the pattern and reverts to autopilot. This impacts the traditional conference lecture. We’ve been to so many lectures that the brain coasts on cruise control. The Challenge With Most Conference … [Read more...]
21st Century Leadership Skills Require Collaborative Learning
Are 21st Century conference organizers trying to create success using outdated 20th Century skills? According to a 2012 Skillsoft survey, too many professionals today are trying to lead with last century’s abilities. Then they wonder why their business, or in this case their conference, is not thriving. Skillsoft’s findings illustrate that 21st Century leaders must be more collaborative, creative, flexible and innovative than their 20th Century predecessors. Encouraging Outdated … [Read more...]
Five Myths Of Interactive, Participatory Learning For STEM Conferences
It’s one of the most common excuses I hear from STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics/Medical) conference organizers today… “As ______________ (insert appropriate STEM word) attendees, they won’t participate in interactive sessions or discussions. They don’t want to be actively involved. They don’t like to talk. They came to hear from an expert. We can’t leave them to their own learning.” In short, these conference organizers and their teams are convinced that they can … [Read more...]
Are You Prepared To Lead Your Organization Into The Future?
Many organizations continue to view the future as a linear progression from the past. Their leadership thinks they can predict what happens next. Nothing could be farther from the truth. The Myth Of Organizational Linear Progression Authors Jeanne C. Meister and Karie Willyerd discuss why this belief is fiction in their book The 2020 Workplace: How Innovative Companies Attract, Develop And Keep Tomorrow's Employees Today. They posit that an organization's linear progress is a myth … [Read more...]
