What’s The Best Part Of A Conference?
Conferences are a great place to learn and connect with potential clients, colleagues, partners and provocateurs. That being said, conferences tend to have one thing in common, no matter the industry, format or location: The sessions are often delivered in a dry, un-engaging format.
That being said, all of us continue to attend conferences and have positive experiences. It’s not just for the content, but more for the connections.
Between sessions and after, we talk with fascinating people who have shared interests, often working on innovative projects. Through these organic connections, we delve into the niche areas and topics that we are curious about and/or challenged by. In a session, we are talked at on topics made available by the conference hosts. No shade thrown to the conference hosts, they provide great topics, but humans learn by teaching and discussing, far better than by sitting and listening.
The sessions provide the fodder for more engaging conversations after the fact, and the conferences provide the reason for far-flung folks with shared interests to come together. No doubt, conferences are valuable, but what if we could spend more time together, connecting around the issues we really needed to discuss? Not in a “group” setting of 5,000 people, but in a more intimate setting. One group that I know has been doing just this...
The Mastermind Group
Each year, after their annual industry conference, this group of peers from different organizations works with me to design a workshop specifically catered to their exact needs. In this more focused and intimate setting this group:
- Creates a “Community of Practice/Mastermind Group” across the sector to exchange, expand, and create knowledge, and develop capabilities)
- Provides an informal and confidential venue for peers to share, support and learn from each other
- Encourages honest dialogue about the realities, opportunities and challenges they face within their respective organization
- Supports collective leadership development and each other as managers and leaders of their respective teams
- More on Mastermind Groups groups here
The benefits to participants, and their respective organizations, has been huge and I believe most professionals, especially leaders would benefit from this type of experience. Through a participatory, thought-provoking and reflective process, the participants encourage one another to increase their personal and professional potential, share knowledge, best practices, feedback, and support,
By convening peers across your industry to explore common challenges, you can improve personal, professional, organizational and industry performance, and stay on top of industry trends.
Supporting groups to connect in an efficient and engaging manner to help each other is work I am passionate about doing. As an organization development consultant, it is some of the most rewarding work I do. Contact me to discuss creating a Mastermind Group, or to improve an existing one. I look forward to exploring with you ways we can enhance your work and effectiveness!