HOW TO GET MORE OUT OF A SEMINARS
Here are some tips to get more out of seminars.
1) Sit Near The Front
You won’t be distracted by the people in front of you and will pay
more attention to the speaker. You will also have a better chance to
talk to the speaker afterwards and have your question answered.
2) Ask A Question
Go to a talk with some questions in mind that you’d like answered.
You can gather the information you want while the speaker is speaking
and can easily follow up if all of your questions are not covered in
the talk. It calls attention to you in the crowd.
3) Take Notes
Always carry a pencil and something to write on. Even if the speaker
is dull, many times you will come up with an idea because you’re
focusing on the topic. And, by writing ideas and thoughts down, you
will be more likely to remember them.
4) Consolidate And Share
After the conference, go through your notes and write down the most
relevant information you learned. Sometimes this might be specific
technical information. Other times it might be more general ideas for
new ways of doing things. Put highlights that you’ve obtained from
the conference into a memo that you share with other people in your
company. Or make it a company policy that anyone who attends a
conference or seminar gives a “brown bag” lunch or other informal
presentation. This both reinforces what has been learned and gives
other employees some exposure to the new ideas or information.
5) Improve Your Networking
Drop brief notes to speakers you particularly enjoyed or other people
that you met. Follow through on any business cards you’ve taken.
6) Evaluate The Seminar
Develop an evaluation form. Require that everyone returning from a
conference or seminar fill out the form. It’s useful to have the
historical data when it comes time to make decisions about which are
the most valuable and is a way to easily share the information across
departments in large companies.