The Best Lessons Learned May Be Outside the Office

Professional Conferences Offer More Value Than You May Realize

While confronting a heavy and demanding workload, it may be difficult to justify the time and expense associated with attending an industry conference. If guilt and anxiety related to deadlines and responsibilities are clouding your thinking about the value of out-of-office learning experiences, it may be time to examine the benefits of continuing education. Conferences and industry meetings offer unique and hard-to-replicate learning opportunities. As any avid conference attendee knows, conferences and meetings contribute to professional development, and with a little extra effort, participants can easily apply what they’ve learned in the office.

Before You Say Yes

Conferences play an important role in the life of a professional. They offer opportunities to engage with colleagues and access to cutting-edge information and new schools of thought as well as provide insights into trends within the profession. Of course, such valuable information comes with the price of registration, and it is, more often than not, money well spent.

In an economy in which budgets are tight and the staff is multitasking, carving out time and finding the financial resources to attend a meeting or conference can be difficult. Conference expenditures may feel like discretionary spending, but conferences and meetings are smart investments in professional development. The key to making a wise investment is to find out as much as possible about a conference before you register. Carefully review the topics and familiarize yourself with the speakers. This pre-conference recognizance work will allow you to make an informed decision about whether the conference is a good fit with your professional needs.

Once You’ve Made the Commitment

Sometimes the thought of putting the office in order before leaving to attend a conference seems highly inconvenient. “Conference remorse” is not uncommon. Conference remorse entails an internal pre-conference dialogue that weighs the costs and benefits of attending the conference. Avoid the temptation to listen to the voice suggesting you will be more productive if you remain in the office. Experience has proven that time spent in the office does not necessarily yield better returns. In fact, my colleagues have noted that conferences are beneficial because they allow attendees to:

• Acquire a new perspective on their work by talking to peers and listening to their feedback.
• Explore new strategies for dealing with issues that may have stymied and confounded them previously.
• Focus exclusively on the topics being discussed without being sidetracked by office distractions.

How to Enhance Learning

When choosing a conference, it is helpful to look for an agenda that includes practical sessions that provide information you can use as soon as you return to the office. For example, the VHMA’s Annual Conference includes a session covering customer satisfaction. To improve the applicability of the concepts discussed, the session’s moderator offers a 10-point assessment tool that participants can use to evaluate their customer service. After the evaluations, participants can apply the practical techniques presented during the discussion to improve customer service.

Some conference attendees may find it helpful to keep a list of action items. Upon returning to the office, the action-item list makes it easy to immediately apply suggested strategies without having to review and shuffle through notes.

Strengthen Relationships with Colleagues

Whenever the VHMA polls conference attendees and members, they indicate that spending time with colleagues at conferences is very important to professional growth. Although technology has greatly enhanced the ease and speed of interacting with others in the field, the energy that flows from brainstorming and sharing and supporting one another has a dimension that may not be easily captured in online communications. Professional meetings put participants in touch with new colleagues and provide opportunities to expand your circle of professional contacts.

While conferences often have a relaxed quality about them, don’t make the mistake of treating it as a “day at the beach.” Talk to your colleagues and get to know them. Network with a purpose. Use the face-to-face time to address the office issues that may be keeping you up at night. Listen to what your peers suggest and be open to new suggestions.

Hey, Partner!

Spending time with exhibitors is another important way to educate yourself about your field. By understanding what exhibitors do and offer, you are in a better position to use their expertise or product to enhance your practice. Making new deals, finding new resources, negotiating revenue-generating partnerships: These are just a few of the business results you can expect from a professional conference.

At the VHMA Annual Conference, organizers have made provisions for lunch with exhibitors. Also, roundtable discussions will focus on vendor relationships.

Make Time to Relax

Although professional conferences are filled with educational programs, activities and more, be sure to take time to rest and relax. Conferences provide time away from the office and other personal and professional demands, so enjoy the hotel room, check out the spa, and build some down time into your schedule. Recharge your battery so you return to the office refreshed and invigorated.

Yes, conferences are an investment of time and money, but more important, they are an investment in your professional development. Choosing a meeting wisely and following through on what you learn can ensure that the conference yields a big payoff: your continued professional growth.

Christine Shupe is the Executive Director of the Veterinary Hospital Managers Association. The association is dedicated to enhancing and serving professionals in veterinary management through superior education, certification and networking. For more information, visit www.vhma.org.