For a lot of people who attend Expo, it appears that much of what happens in Vegas stays in Las Vegas. That may be reassuring for some folks, but for most of us, there are still ideas and communications from our Expo experience that we need to follow through to completion.
Every year our industry packs its gear and heads to Expo. At this exciting event, they meet the best of the best in our profession and learn great ideas from experts in other fields like management, business building, leadership, and sales.
The feeling at the end of Expo is one of happy numbness from information overload and a lot of fun. At that point, we’re like a field of acorns: No trees, just the potential to grow trees.
There’s an important, in fact vital, extra step needed: reflection. We need to make time to review our notes, reflect on our experiences, and discuss our new learning with others.
You and I sit in meetings, listen to speakers, watch demos, examine new tools and products, and talk with vendors and colleagues. As we do that we get great ideas, many of which we fully intend to use.
But if we don’t take time to process that learning and initiate action on those ideas, then our ring binders with all that great information just go into the office and become “Shelf Help” programs. That’s right: They aren’t helping anyone. They’re just holding up the shelves above them.
In my own company, my staff will often say, “Oh no! Jim’s gone to another meeting. Now he’ll come back and want to change things!” And they’re right: Every major event that I attend fills me with new ideas of easier, more profitable, or better ways to do what I’m already trying to do.
Some of those changes are simple and even save me money. Others require careful implementation and some investment. But all of the ideas that I’ve embraced over the years have added to my ability to advance the business, renew the commitment of my team, and stay vitally engaged in my company and profession.
All it takes to transform your shop into a thriving enterprise is the implementation of one really good idea. Notice, I didn’t say all it takes is the idea. Without the implementation, you’d be filled with potential and nothing would change. So let’s look at what you could do next.
What’s your best next step?
Make a plan.
U.S. President Dwight Eisenhower, regarding when he served as the Supreme Allied Commander in World War II, said, “Plans are useless, but planning is indispensable.”
The very nature of planning is the anticipation of circumstances and events that haven’t yet occurred. Even though situations are seldom exactly as we projected, the process of planning forces us to consider alternatives, isolate priorities, identify resources, and consider possibilities. That process makes you more ready and capable than any other known to man.
Examine your notes and handouts from a conference and pull out all your actionable or noteworthy items onto a separate and much shorter record: one piece of paper if you can do it. Then make notes as to whom you should discuss each item with and which items everyone needs to hear.
Next, speak to the people in person. Don’t send them a note; hand it to them and discuss it soon. Ask, “What do you think about this? Is there something new or different we could do?”
By having these in-person discussions, you’ll accomplish two important things:
- You’ll process the ideas and generate action.
- You’ll show that person that you value his or her input.
Once you’ve given everyone a chance to learn and consider the ideas, start an implementation plan. Determine which actions to take and in what order. Don’t try too much at once; you’ll overwhelm your team. Just pick the best ideas and make the changes immediately.
The effect of this short process of reflection, discussion, and implementation will be the ongoing growth of your company and your team. We’ll all be able to sit in the shade of your forest of oaks that grew from that field of acorns.
Expo-sure to learning isn’t enough… what you want is:
