Sarah Breymeier
In a previous newsletter, I made a strong case for bringing a “study buddy” to your next educational conference. There were multiple reasons why… check out that article here for a refresher….
BUT here’s another tip if you’re lucky enough to have your friend/colleague join you on the road.
First – divide and conquer.
Many meetings have multiple tracks and it’s physically impossible to go to every session; you may even have to make the hard choice of selecting one while sacrificing another you really wanted to attend if they are running at the same time.
So, go through the agenda with your study buddy and determine who goes to what. Now you have the opportunity to take pearls from lectures you weren’t able to attend because your partner is there to do the work for you. Afterall, sharing is caring.
Second – share your notes in person while they’re fresh.
Often, we think we’ll remember everything we heard and there’s no need to have a discussion immediately after the fact. Wrong. You will forget. And if you’re like me, you might not even be able to translate your notes because your handwriting looks like you’re jotting everything down and riding a roller coast simultaneously.
So, meet with your buddy right after your lectures have concluded and share your notes. Take it a step further and share your notes verbally; almost as if you are giving the lecture yourself to ensure you both fully understand the concepts.
This will ensure you don’t forget any of your brilliant thoughts, you will be more likely remember what you wrote down if you can’t read your handwriting and BONUS – your buddy may even have some thoughts of his/her own. Now you’ve created a useful brainstorming session to take your meeting experience to the next level.