Dear Colleague:
Personal growth, career enhancement, human relations skills, motivation, get rich in real estate, penny stocks, or with the lottery -- these are only some of the many programs and seminars available publicly today. Yes, public seminars for both individuals and corporations are a big business in this country. But do they work, and how can you make that work the best for you?
Of course there are good seminars, mediocre seminars, and poor seminars. However, the most important issue to you should be: What can YOU get out of the program by attending? If you just plain show up because your boss sent you, or if you merely spend the day in passive observation of a program, then you cannot expect to get any more out of the program than what you put into it. On the other hand, a little pre-program preparation can make a world of difference in what you can gain from the material, the speaker, and even the other participants. So what should you do when attending a seminar? Why not try the following:
1. Set Goals:
When the decision was made to attend the seminar, there must have been some expectation of what could be gained by participating in the specific program. Write down what benefits you would like to get out of this program.
2. Generate A List Of Questions You Want Answered:
Make your questions specific. There may be as few as five or as many as fifty. You may even consider giving them to the seminar leader.
3. Make Contact With The Seminar Leader Personally:
The earlier this is done the better for you. If it’s possible to meet him or her in advance, that would be the best. This introduction will facilitate communications after the program to clarify points or solve problems.
4. Meet As Many People As You Can At The Seminar:
Talk with the other participants. Discuss each others ideas, goals and areas of expertise in the regard to the seminar topic. Make a definite effort to do this during breaks and at meal times. Try not to spend your free time conducting business on the telephone.
5. Actively Participate In The Seminar:
Make yourself visible by asking questions and contributing to the program. This will stimulate your mind to work on information and solutions pertaining to the subject at hand. You will also be able to gain the expertise of others who will help to solve your problems. Remember, however, to use moderation and not dominate the time.
6. Take Notes:
The more detailed and clear your notes are, the more benefit they will be to you for future reference. Taking good, organized notes during the program will keep you more in concert with the material that day. Don’t worry about the rewriting your notes later, it won’t happen.
7. Identify The Changes Which You See Yourself Making:
Highlight the thoughts and ideas which are the most meaningful to you. Define how you see yourself applying these concepts. This will eliminate wondering what was meant of how you thought you would use the information later.
8. Enjoy Yourself:
It’s easier to learn, and you certainly learn more when your having a good time.
I’ll bet you thought that attending a seminar was a passive experience – the easy way to learn what someone else has to offer. Well that’s just not true. You are responsible for what you get out of any seminar. It’s no different than a lot of other things in life – relationships, careers, sports, books, and the multitude of other activities in which we all participate in a lifetime.
Attending workshops and seminars is certainly an important part or your growth as an individual and a professional. Many of these programs provide the environment necessary for the reassessing your present methods. They open up your mind to new ideas and techniques which will help you to reach your goals.
Unfortunately, retention levels fall off very rapidly once you leave a program. With knowledge of this fact. What is the solution to gaining lasting results from any seminar or workshop? The key is through reinforcement. Only seek programs that offer the ongoing support that will help you to know understand and apply the material to your situation.
“Man hates change”, and change doesn’t come easy. Most of us do not have the self-discipline necessary to implement the concepts and skills presented at a seminar without the help of others. If you believe this (because it is true), then you won’t try to fool yourself. Only then can you see that it is wiser and more economical to capitalize on the strength and expertise of others. That’s when you will seek out those programs which offer thee ongoing support necessary to integrate these skills into your life.
Cordially,
Steve Taback
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