Searching for a Workshop with Meaning
Saturday - July 19, 2008It happens all the time. You’re attending a convention. It’s the 10:30–11:45 AM time slot. Five different breakouts are offered at the same time. They all sound great. How do you choose?
You think you have problems?! We’re signed up to attend the annual National Speakers Association Convention this August 2 – 5. It’s called “NSA Rocks.” It should be called “NSA Explodes.”
The breakout sessions are jam-packed. There are literally 13 or 14 different choices for where to park our earnest little learning behinds (and that doesn’t include the hotel pool).
Of those, 3 or 4 are inevitably conducted by people we already know. This means, even if Sheryl and I split up, we’re still going to offend half of the speakers we already know. And, if we both opt to go see someone new, we’re going to offend everyone we already know.
So, how are we to choose?
Well, a couple of years ago, after the Orlando convention, we wrote an article called “When Speakers Do Their Job.” In it, we made this promise to ourselves:
“Next year we need to find the workshops on how to foster creativity, promote diversity, encourage dissent, develop relevant content, minimize sales hucksterism and help combat the trivialization of our society.”
But, we have to admit that we haven’t delivered on that promise. Instead of doing our homework ahead of time – and trying to find the workshops that match one or more of the topics above – we have continued to choose our breakout sessions at the last minute.
And, too often we’ve been landing in workshops primarily about creating salable products, crafting more persuasive marketing materials or using technology to create passive income streams.
Now don’t get us wrong, those are legitimate topics – and NSA, after all, is about the business of speaking. But, the National Speaker Association is also about the mission and purpose of speaking, and the workshops we’ve been landing in have been a tad light on those topics.
So, we thought we’d ask the workshop presenters ahead of time. Based on this 2-year-old article that we admittedly haven’t lived up to – “When Speakers Do Their Job” – should we attend your workshop? And, if so, why?
See you soon in New York – this time with our pre-work completed.
Decisions, decisons!
If a friend is leading a session and I’ve not heard him/her speak on that particular topic, I’ll go to support him/her (especially if he/she is a grammarian and insists on pronoun agreement). Otherwise, I’ll say I want to hear someone new and will report back to him/her about that session.
If someone new, how to decide?
First, I carefully read the session descriptions — being wary of “10 secrets for this” or “5 secrets for that.” There are no secrets. Nothing is new.
Pain is very seductive. If a speaker promises to share what he did wrong (with examples to back it up), I’m there!
Check out a few of the presenters’ websites. If they’re well organized and interesting, chances are their sessions will be too.
And if a speaker reaches out to me before the conference, that speaks volumes. The more information I have without digging, the more informed choices I can make.
If there’s no PowerPoint, I’m very interested. I don’t need someone reading 187 slides, or showing me pictures of his cranky neighbor (no matter how funny).
We need a backup plan if our PowerPoint fails, so why use it in the first place? Paint pictures with words. I poke my head in session rooms before they begin — if I don’t see a projector, chances are it’s going to be a good program!
With so many choices, we’ll still miss some excellent sessions. So I buy the CDs afterward. Not only do they give me valuable info I missed, they help me decide whom to see at future conferences.
Nicely done, Todd,
You’ve given our readers much food for thought – and offered a good place to start some vicious discussion about PowerPoint and those “10 secrets.” What are those 10 secrets, anyway?
We do have to stand up for Microsoft’s presentation software, though, since we use far more than 187 slides in our sessions – and more than a few NSA folks have told us we don’t suck. Maybe that’s because we don’t read our slides (and all of our neighbors are mellow). Or, maybe that’s because we can’t read (or understand pronoun agreement).
The worst thing about your comment, though? We now have another category of people we have to seriously consider skipping the pool and actually attending their session – those workshop presenters who write comments on our blog.
Thanks – we think!
Oh, and what’s a back-up plan?
I’ve been asked to comment here by the blog hosts. My breakout session, I’m told, is in a room that seats 300. All are welcome. There will be charades and I’ll play the bagpipes while compiling a book on favorite parakeet stories.
By the way, if you can emerge from the NSA convention with just one great idea from someone who has actually been successful doing it with clients (not just selling it to speakers!) you’re doing fine.
Session descriptions tell you nothing. Find out from people you trust whom to go see. Buyers act in the same way, through peer referrals. And, yes, I do have some “secrets.” Here’s one: We build on success, not by correcting weakness. You don’t want “pain,” you want unbridled success with pragmatic ideas on what you can do to adopt those practices. Telling yourself you’re your own best friend, for example, isn’t very pragmatic.
That was my last secret, darn….
Alan Weiss
http://www.contrarianconsulting.com
Thanks Alan,
Perhaps the worst kept secret in NSA is that you shouldn’t miss Alan Weiss – in the hall, in the food line or in one of those 300 seats – if you can at all help it.
How do we know that? From people we trust.
What hath you wrought?
Find out on Sunday morning at 10. You see, the feedback CO chapter members gave me following my presentation of “Life Is Far Too Short – What Are We Waiting For?” profoundly changed my presentation. I’ll deliver the new, vastly improved talk in NYC. So, there are three reasons I believe it’s worth scheduling yourself to be there:
1. I think you’ll be fascinated to see how the speech has evolved since you heard it. So many changes, so much improvement, and such pride of authorship…for you! Your comments made it better.
2. Here’s a model for professional development. Some think that CPAE speakers simply rest on their laurels and give the same talk again and again. You’ll see how diligently one can work at improving his craft.
3. I believe it’s a damn good speech. If you didn’t attend the chapter meeting on May 9, ask around. Then add 50% to whatever you hear. And if you did attend, isn’t it time for a recharge? Life IS far too short. What are YOU waiting for?
George, wannabe CO chapter guy
Thanks George,
Sheryl and I were both at that NSA chapter meeting in Colorado. The speaker bill that day was jam-packed with folks talking about the business of speaking. The speech that touched us the most? George’s speech about the soul of speaking, not the business of speaking.
But, don’t take our word for it – go see him for yourself.
Being an “options junkie” myself, choosing which sessions to attend at this year’s NSA convention is an overwhelming task. Especially during the hour on Sunday afternoon when I’m presenting my breakout.
My goal is ALWAYS to get just 1 good idea from any session I attend. If I hear one NEW thing, or 1 idea presented in a way I have never heard it before, or if an idea “lands” for me in a way that makes even a microscopic change in my being… I consider the session a successful choice. I love being in a place of “whatever I choose, I win”. Life doesn’t often give us that good fortune.
I suspect that many of the attendees (myself included) will be buying the full convention CD set. I believe that it will contain over 180 hours of information, so I propose that we all take Sept, and October off after the convention to catch up on what we possibly missed.
If that is not possible, what I suggest, is trust your instincts. I believe that whatever I NEED to hear and whomever I need to meet, will be presented to me in an obvious and blatant way, so I won’t “miss” it.
I do invite you to my session… I will be using MINIMAL powerpoint, as I am not a fan, and clearly not an expert. But I have created a powerpoint so that those who are visual will not miss any points. I will be discussing the basic instinctual differences between men and women, and how as presenters we can overcome instinct or at least use it to our advantage.
Nothing in my session is so “secret” that it can’t be found in other peoples books and information (see any work by John Gray, Alan and Peggy Pease, and Alison Armstrong) but I believe it is put together in a way that something you hear will change the way you present or sell from the platform. At the very least, it may help you understand why your wife has to tell you everything the minute you walk in the door, or why your husband can not take the garbage out as soon as he is asked, I belive this information is helpful. For me, it has changed the quality of every relationship I have. Those with men and those with women.
I hope to see in NY, and thank you Michael and Sheryl for the opportunity to blog for my first time. The first time was not at all painful!!! In fact, I’m enjoying myself a bit too much. Namaste.
Hi Carolyn,
Hmmm… I think there is a blogger in you just waiting to get out.
So, folks, look for Carolyn’s new blog, “It’s Your Movie Blog” soon on an Internet near you.
Thanks so much for this content-rich blog comment – as well as your modesty, honesty and positive approach. Now I know why Sheryl can not take the garbage out as soon as I ask her!
You really shouldn’t attend my concurrent session…unless you want to learn to write your true personal stories with characters, scenes, action, emotion and dialog that will sell and get your message to millions.
Thanks LeAnn,
For the shortest pitch and the best reason – to bring out what you already have within you.
Isn’t it delightful that we all have this problem— which session should I attend? I have been an NSA member for 20 years and still wrestle with the choices. This is a good thing! Since I am presenting a breakout—actually I am moderating one—that does address their goal for this year, Michael and Sheryl asked that I comment on this blog.
First I will address the question regarding what to choose. Because this is my last year on the board, I am looking forward to actually attending breakouts again, as I will not have so many other meetings to attend. Before arriving at the convention hotel, I determine my learning focus. Will it be platform skills, writing, publishing, consulting, web design, blogging, etc.? Next I review the session descriptions and speakers and make preliminary selections. I also consider which sessions require a physical presence, vs. listening to the CD. I list the time, day and location of my choices on my Treo calendar along with any meetings I must attend. I always want to support the sessions of my friends, but it is impossible to reach everyone, so I attempt to connect face to face or by voicemail to let them know my soul will be with them even if my body is not present. Once on site, I just trust the moment. If I meet someone in the halls who needs my attention, or who I would like to get to know, I let go of my plan to go to a session or invite them to walk with me. I don’t stress over which sessions to attend once I am on site, because I know I can and do buy the CDs. It is more important to me to connect with people I might not see for another year. The substance is really in those moments of contact.
Now, having stated the above process, you might choose to buy the CD for my session on Sunday afternoon, but I hope you will want to attend it because we will have a great panel of experts sharing easy to apply tips to help you connect your message with your audience across ethnicity, gender, sexuality, age, religion, and different abilities while maintaining your own authenticity.
See you in NYC!
Oh Lenora,
You are just so organized! Do you really mean that scribbling notes on the NSA program during the lunch speaker isn’t a targeted strategy?!
But, your best suggestion is the one about throwing all that pre-planning to the winds if you find someone who needs face-time, especially since that can never be recorded on a CD.
We’ll miss you on the board – but will look for you in sessions, now.
I agree with Lenora — choose your focus and go from there. I see too many attendees run around trying to get everything — and end up with more ideas than they can implement, so they do nothing. It’s not the number of ideas you come away with. It’s the number of ideas you implement 30 days from the convention. That’s why my session focuses on market intelligence. If you know where the market is headed, then you know how to proceed and what idea to implement next.
Before buying all the CD’s ask yourself this question: how much time do you really have to listen to all that stuff? Here’s an idea to thin the herd: after each session, ask other participants what they attended and “is it worth getting the CD?” The answers will surprise you. Many times, folks will give you the one or two high points, or say “It was good, but the info really wasn’t anything new.”
Rock on, Vickie