Seeking Your Input on New Ideas for the Annual Leadership Conference
Posted on June 2, 2009
Filed Under Meet Purposefully
Tags: Annual Leadership Conference, Brigham Young University, BYU management Society
In planning for the Annual Leadership Conference, October 1-2, 2009 at Aspen Grove and on campus at Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah, we would like your input on the following topics under consideration:
- “Benefits of Being a Member of the BYU Management Society.” We propose this as the theme of the Conference. We are going to attempt to relate everything we do and discuss at the conference to elevate our awareness of the benefits of membership in the BYU Management Society. As a Steering Committee, we will attempt to gather as much information as possible before the conference to bring to you examples of these benefits. As explained below, we will also be soliciting “stories” from each of you demonstrating these benefits that you have either personally experienced or witnessed on a firsthand basis. We are considering videotaping as many of the sessions as possible to capture some of the stories as a starting point for a DVD containing a more refined version of these and other stories which could be used by chapters and individuals to recruit new members.
- More Interaction. In response to the evaluations from last year’s conference, which were extremely positive, we did see a request for more opportunities for participants to make comments, ask questions, etc. Also in consideration of the various learning models available, we believe that the more individuals are involved in the process, the greater the learning that takes place. It is often said that “the teacher learns the most.” Therefore, we are considering implementing these principles by asking those making presentations to shift the focus away from a “one-way” delivery of a preplanned message to that of being a discussion leader. The discussion leader will lead a discussion on a given topic by asking for success stories and examples from the participants that will teach the principles and practices which have been successful in the past, as well as “brainstorming” new ideas and approaches that have not yet been tried. Obviously, there will still be some “one-way” communication where we deliver information to those in the audience; however, we hope to see even more two-way communication during the sessions.
- Commitments upon Registration. Instead of just asking participants to sign up and listen to speakers, we will be asking participants when they register to commit to bringing stories, experiences and examples relating to various topics listed on the registration form as well as allowing registrants to suggest their own topics for consideration. The idea is that when people are expected to bring something to an event, they are more likely to attend and be involved in and get more out of the event.
Please let us know by way of comments below what your thoughts are regarding the proposed theme, more interactive approach and asking registrants to “sign up” to bring something in the form of stories, etc. As you can see from the above, we are listening to your evaluations and ideas and believe them to be very valuable. Click here to go to the website with registration information regarding the conference (online registration will be available shortly). Thank you for your continued support and efforts.
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9 Responses to “Seeking Your Input on New Ideas for the Annual Leadership Conference”
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Bill, I think these are all excellent ideas and I like our theme relating to the benefits of membership. One big benefit we don’t talk about much is the access we all have to the world wide membership of the management society. We actually have a number of unsung benefits that we should evangelize.
Love the idea of more interaction. You know, there’s no reason why we can’t make assignments to various individuals to do a vignette or mini presentation to provide real life examples relfecting the themes of our various presentations. The best way to draw a large crowd to this event is to give as many assignments as possible. Like bringing food to a pot luck. If you want a lot of attendees give them something to do. So, I would look to assign presentations to those other than the members of the national steering committee. You know we’ll all be there.
This is going to be a difficult year for many to attend so we need to give them a reason to show up. I suggest we brainstrom a “benefits of membership” document and turn it into a deliverable for the conference.
Here’s a trick I’m using with much success to generate more interaction when I do my public presentations. Pose a question to each table and have those at each table discuss thier answer with one another. Then ask someone from each table to report on their table’s conversation during the group part. This engages everyone around the table as well as those how lead each table.
Just some ideas. Joel
Joel, thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule to do share your thoughts with us. I am excited that you are excited. Rixa is going to get me an electronic list of every phone number of the chapter presents worldwide and I’m going to call every one of them and invite them personally to the conference. I’m also going to ask them to bring a few of their board members.
At the same time, I am going to ask them to tell me their success stories and if they don’t have any off-the-cuff I’m going to ask them to think about it and get back to me within one week with an eye towards assigning them to share their story at the conference, as you suggest.
I also liked your idea about assigning a topic to each table, having them discuss it and give a report to the group. Kim Clark wrote an article in the Clark Memorandum (http://www.jrcls.org/publications/clark_memo/SubSections/Spring2009/CM_S09_Clark.pdf) where he discussed the BYU-Idaho Learning Model, with the following steps:
• Step 1: prepare personally and in small
groups before class.
• Step 2:teach one another through discussion,
by presenting ideas, by sharing
results of experiments, by teaching a segment
of the class, and in many other ways.
• Step 3: ponder and prove by reflecting,
discussing, keeping a learning journal, participating
in assessment, and getting ready
for Step 1.
I was amazed when I read your comment because it reminded me of Pres. Clark’s article. Let’s try this out!
Bill
I need a seminar on “second wind”. Over 50s experience great changes in culture and communications. I need a jump start seminar to set me on the right path. Show me how to get started in social media. I need to go back to school and retool.
Bill–
I like the focal theme of benefits…that will help us with the marketing and recruiting and GROWTH of the society. I like the ideas of interraction and bringing successes. BUT, let’s not stretch this so much that new or ’struggling’ chapters feel excluded or alienated from coming.
I believe that we must recall that this is both a ‘rally’ and a training exercise. We always have new chapter reps come who need to be fed and trained and we NEED to provide ‘meat’ on our critical subjects.
My key thoughts are:
>make sure we deliver a ‘connection point’ on our values and cultural beliefs
>have practical and fundamental training on planning events and getting speakers; getting a board functional; networking; LDS employment.
>short presentation on Young Professionals
I think we can structure some time for choices:
some may need website training, others not; some may want scholarship info. and some not.
This will be another great step of progress for our society.
Brian Dixon
We might consider taking the “More Interaction” suggestion one step further by planning more opportunities to network with other participants at the conference. Last year, there were so many people, which was great, but it was difficult to meet the better part of them because the amount of time dedicated to that was relatively small. We should have more dedicated networking time.
I would enjoy training and discussion about using the social networking groups (like LinkedIn, Facebook, etc.) to strengthen and grow our chapters. I have been experimenting, but would really enjoy some specific guidance or success stories.
I remember last year’s database session conducted by Robert Gardner had an amazing amount of energy going around the room. If you are doing another database session this year, and I hope you are, please make it longer as we were too short on the time allocated. I would recommend a minimum of one hour. Thanks! This will be another great conference.
With 2009 being the bicentennial of the birth of our most moral and God-fearing American President, Abraham Lincoln, I would like to see how we can learn from his unsurpassed leadership, integrity, and accomplishments.
Ron, good point, the timing and theme are right on!