When I was a brand new staff member at my institution—my first full-time, 40 hours a week “big girl” job—I remember the feeling of validation and pride when I was approved to attend a professional conference.
“They trust me and believe in me enough to spend actual US DOLLARS to put me on a plane and cover my hotel expenses and invest in my professional development? What?!”
It all felt very glamorous. (And yes, I was definitely flying coach on the cheapest 5 a.m. flight available, so don’t get any wrong impressions here.)
To be honest, I still get a little thrill when I have a conference on the horizon. It helps that I love to travel and visit new cities. Even though conference sessions usually take place inside anonymous hotel ballrooms and breakout rooms, I enjoy taking exploratory walks in nearby neighborhoods, seeking out new restaurants and coffee shops, and soaking up what I can of my fresh surroundings. And something about the environmental change of pace seems to jumpstart my brain into a mode where I’m alert and sharp and ready to learn.
But I understand that not everyone feels this way. For some, the anxiety of being away from home is an impediment to those warm, receptive feelings. Or maybe you’ve gone to a handful or two of conferences in your field and find yourself wondering, “Is there even anything new to hear about anymore?” If you find yourself in one of these camps, this post is especially for you.
The benefit of attending a professional conference can vary wildly depending on how much you’re willing to put into the experience and the action you take upon returning home. Here are a few tips for getting the most out of the next conference you attend.
Ask yourself the question, “What if we HAD to do this at my home institution?” I’ve been in many conference presentations where my knee-jerk reaction was, “Well, this would never work for us.” Too many students, not enough students, not enough resources, different campus or community profile, you name it—it’s easy to come up with an excuse as to why the presentation topic “won’t work” for you. Suddenly, you’re tuning out the rest of the talk. But let’s just pretend you were mandated by your President or Chancellor. You’d have no choice but to figure it out, right? What changes would make the idea feasible? How would you turn it on its head so that it made sense on your campus? What additional resources would you need? How could you customize one kernel of the idea to propose something new to your team? A mindset of curiosity and “no bad ideas” makes for fruitful brainstorming and can lead you down some pretty interesting roads.
Keep track of your lightbulb moments. You might think you’ll remember all of your sudden ideas, questions, or the stats you want to look up later, but if you’re anything like me, you just won’t. Write things down when you think of them in whatever format makes the most sense for you. Handwritten notes, a stack of sticky notes, or an app on your phone can all work for this. Personally, I’d recommend staying off your laptop if possible in order to reduce distractions. (I know I can’t usually resist taking a quick peek at my email when I’m out of office and then it’s all downhill from there…) At the end of each day, take a moment to sort through your notes and prioritize the ones that remain interesting to you and will require a follow-up. These are most likely to be the seeds for future inspiration!
Gear up for the networking. There are definitely folks out there who thrive off of meeting new people and working a room. For many others, talking to strangers at a conference is at best nerve-wracking and at worst, induces crippling fear and dread. But take a deep breath and make a goal to talk to just one or two other people. Even if you’re not ready to dive into the cocktail hour head first, come up with a couple go-to conversation starters that feel natural and easy. Here’s a few to tuck in your back pocket:
- What’s been the best session you’ve been to so far?
- What’s the most interesting idea you’ve heard about?
- Tell me about: what you do/your institution/your department.
Ask more questions to keep the conversation flowing. Most people will turn the questions back to you and give you a chance to share your thoughts and experiences.
Commit to the follow-up. The hardest part about being out of office is the catch-up work that inevitably awaits when you return. It’s all too easy for the inspiration you might have felt at the conference to wear off as you get back to the daily grind. It takes real commitment and discipline to rustle up your notes, questions, or new collection of business cards and do the follow-up work. But this is where your conference experience really pays dividends. You’re putting what you learned into action. You’re fostering a new relationship with someone you met from another institution. You’re chasing down answers that will help you be a better and more knowledgeable member of your campus community. Report all of your activities to your supervisor and let them know how you plan to move forward and what you want to investigate further.
If done the right way, conferences can be incredibly validating, thought-provoking, and motivating. The next time you have the opportunity to attend a conference, prepare your mindset to take full advantage of the experience and commit to taking action—don’t let those ideas go to waste!
