We bring you the third post from our newest guest blogger, Geoff Hart. Geoff is a veteran of many conferences, including a number of STC Summits. We’ll be publishing a weekly post from him on Surviving the Summit: tips on how to get the most out of the Summit, or any conference you attend.
If you’ll be attending a conference that, like the STC annual conference, provides copies of speaker notes or even formal papers before the actual presentations, skim this material before the sessions you’re planning to attend. This not only confirms your belief that the session will be worth your time, but also primes you with enough context that you can spend more time listening than taking notes. You’ll also be surprised at how coming to a presentation prepared focuses your subconcious on thinking about what you’ll hear, leading to more and better learning once you’re listening. This exercise will also help you to come up with intelligent, focused questions about topics that weren’t covered in the handouts.
That being said, take copious notes, but don’t just record the speaker’s words, particularly if they’ve provided a detailed handout that already contains those words. Instead, link the most interesting bits to your workplace or your life to make those thoughts meaningful and memorable. Budget some time at the end of the day to organize and clarify your thoughts. I used to prefer taking notes on paper, but my laptop is more efficient because I don’t have to transcribe handwritten notes. The saved time can be used to edit my notes; what seemed perfectly clear while I was listening to a speaker with most of my attention rarely seems so clear a week later, but it usually still makes sense at the end of the day, when the information is fresh and I have time and energy to clarify the unclear. If I’m still not sure, I can always track down the speaker and ask for help.
Communication should flow both ways, so don’t just listen. Share your expertise when it’s relevant. Some of my best conversations have occurred between sessions when someone took me aside to discuss the point I raised and ask for more information—or conversely, when I ambushed someone who spoke up to make a clever point. Ask questions. The cliché that the only dumb questions are the ones you didn’t ask is very true. (If you’re worried that they’re really dumb, email the speaker. Then only the two of you will ever know.) Apart from filling gaps in your knowledge and correcting misunderstandings, you’ll be complimenting the speaker. When I present at a conference or give a workshop, questions are signs that I’ve stimulated interest and gotten my audience thinking. Few things scare me more than speaking into an echoing silence; it may mean that I’ve described my topic so well I’ve left no question unanswered, but more often it means I’ve lost my audience.
Next week: Why you should socialize, and how.
Geoff Hart is the grizzled veteran of dozens of conferences, and has emerged exhausted (but mostly wiser) from this experience. Visit him online at http://www.geoff-hart.com.