The "rules" say to never start with an apology, but I'm going there anyway. It's been more than a month since my last blog post. Sorry I'm late. No excuses, just late. Now let's go forward.
Two weeks ago many of you, and I, had the opportunity to participate in what I believe was an incredibly awesome week long event - Wipfli's 11th Annual Management Conference for Grant-Funded Programs. Over 1,300 folks were there and, based on what I've heard back so far, a lot was learned and shared. Thank you to all who attended. And for those who were not able to attend, I hope to see you there in the future.
I was incredibly impressed by the attendees' desire to learn and share their experiences so that others could learn from them. We work in a wonderful community of organizations. In the sessions I led, I heard much around the subjects of uncertain funding, concern about leadership and succession, desire to more effectively manage risk, etc. Some people were just looking for the answer. Others wanted to explore the possibilities and find information for their organization. In all cases, at least from my perspective, there was meaningful discussion and some really good solutions.
So here's my point. When you attend a conference, what is it you're looking for? For me, the answer is simple. I look for at least one new idea. That is, one new something I can bring back that will make my organization better. The idea can come from an instructor, a conversation with a peer in the hallway, or even a brainstorm I might have while listening in a session.
I believe our management conference provides many of these opportunities, in addition to the "meat and potatoes" subjects around the regulations and how to apply them (thanks for the food reference, Howard!).
Which leads me to my question for you. If you attended our conference or perhaps a different training opportunity, what is the one new something that you brought home that can help your organization? Let me know.