My sister likes to talk! Saying she like to talk is an understatement. I don’t think she ever stops talking except when she sleeps. She is not that much different from my father. He likes to talk and talk and talk. And a couple of my very close friends are like that too. They all like to talk about their experiences—good and bad. And after some reflection, I guess I like talking about myself too. I’m doing it right now in this blog post. Sharing Information Gets Us High There is a … [Read more...]
Smarter Attendees Make a Smarter Conference
We have known for a while that networking is one of the top reasons people attend conferences. But who knew it actually makes them smarter? According to a new study published by Scientific American on 5 ways to Maximize Your Cognitive Potential networking was cited as one of the best ways to expose yourself to new ideas, perspectives and knowledge that results in cognitive growth or becoming smarter! Grow Your Attendees’ IQ Conferences offer attendees the opportunity to meet new people … [Read more...]
Social Learning At Conferences: Moving From Passive Attendee To Active Participant
Have you ever received the elbow nudge during a workshop or conference? If you're like me, you've even given a few to colleagues and friends. The Ubiquitous Elbow Nudge The elbow nudge occurs when a peer decides to emphasize something a presenter said. Suddenly you feel an elbow in your rib cage as your contemporary wants to draw your attention to the information being presented. It's usually a friendly gesture although when a spouse or supervisor does it, it feels very awkward. The elbow … [Read more...]
Understanding New Trends In Educational Technology [Infographic]
Trying to keep up with all of the new buzzwords in the booming educational technology sector can leave you feeling like a kindergartener in a calculus class. Here's a cheat sheet infographic created by Boundless that can help. How many of these education trends is your organization implementing? Which of these trends is your organization using? What trends are missing from the list? … [Read more...]
How To Use Your Meeting Space To Create An Ownership Experience
Have you ever been in an Apple Store? They are bright, open spaces with lofty ceilings, sleek design and great technology to play with at your fingertips. They offer a variety of services from the private one-on-one Genius Bar consultations to how-to classes to events to roving staff that are more like personal assistants than sales clerks. What's interesting about Apple Stores is that the space and their services are inseparable. You can't describe the Apple Store by just describing the floor … [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...]
The Rise Of Informal Learning: Is Your Organization Capitalizing This?
Most organizational education is face-to-face in formal training programs. Or it is online in boring elearning text-based courses. Or it may occur at conferences where we try to condense as much content as possible and pour it into our brains. Filling our heads with facts, information and knowledge is ineffective. People forget most of what they hear within a matter of hours. Our ROI of information transfer is low. Really low. Passively listening to lectures without ever thinking about what … [Read more...]
Conference Curiosity Didn’t Kill The Proverbial Cat. It Awakened The Attendee
Imagine a conference where every attendee was learning, a world where what the attendee wondered was more interesting than what the expert presenter knew, and curiosity counted for more than certain knowledge. (With nods to a quote from The Cluetrain Manifesto.) I don't know about you. I certainly want to attend a conference where what the attendee wonders is considered at least as important as what the expert presenter knows. What a profound affect if we rewarded and applauded curiosity about … [Read more...]
