Last week I attended a two-day conference sponsored by the Society of Corporate Compliance and Ethics Professionals. Since I paid the fee early, I was able to attend two pre-conference sessions and two post-conference sessions. The difference between online learning through social media platforms and paying for professional continuing education is the benefit of listening to many larger-than-life experts and participating in conversations you would not otherwise have. The experiencegenerates excitement within all generations of attendees, whether from the United States or 33 countries around the world.

Clearly, the level of generated excitement depended upon the expectation of the attendee. While we often are asked to provide feedback, most Speakers reminded the attendees that they sincerely wanted to hear the thoughts of the audience. The follow-up survey was brief and to the point for each session and each individual speaker. There were many instances of treating the Customer, each attendee, with gratitude for their attendance and addressing the business issues attendees dealt with at their place of business.

While we can think about the take-aways from any business event, the question becomes for many of us, “How do we carry forward the generated excitement from a prior week?” A few ideas to consider:

• Following-up with people you met who were like-minded; or
• Writing an up-date for the staff who were unable to attend; or
• Giving your thoughts to the conference planners as to why you believe some sessions were better than others; or
• Reviewing your checklist of why you planned to attend and confirm whether your expectations were met; or
• Think about what motivated you at the conference. Write it down and place the concept or a quotation on your office desk, as your personal daily mantra.

Whatever generated the excitement keep it with you as you Choose Who You Want to be Known As this week. Have a great career week!

“Jo Ann” M. Radja, Career Management Coach and Change Agent

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