Christmas time in Chicago..is there a better place to spend a December weekend? Mary Lawrence and I spent last weekend living it up in Chicago. Of course, we were there to attend the AADE Leadership Forum but there was plenty of time to play as well. The conference started Friday morning and adjorned Saturday around noon. We had the pleasure of listening to some fabulous speakers, both professional speakers and colleagues, while there. I'll just give you the highlights.
In the first session, we learned how to create happiness and build strength. The speaker, Denise Eaves, focused on 5 keys for high performance teams: trust, willingness for conflict, commitment, accountability and attention to results. Marcie Stern taught attendees how to create a culture of coaching in session two. Using the acronym RESULT (rapport building, evaluating the current state, solving the issue, uncovering barriers, listening for understanding and tracking), we learned how to set the coaching framework. I learned MYAADE NETWORK optimization skills from John Tyler at AADE. After attending his session I knew how to create a blog post and when it is relevant to post! Other leader attendees also gave great motivational ideas on how to use the network to promote LNG/CB involvement.
On the second day, we heard from two key speakers. The first Peggy Hoffman presented ways to embrace the unofficial leaders in our own CB and LNGs. This tips were extremely helpful and I can't wait until the next board meeting so I can share these ideas with everyone. The second presentation was conducted by Marian Long and Jackie Bellan. Their focus was on the do's and don't's of planning your next event. Who knew there are so many things to consider. At least we have AADE to review contracts for us!
I'm grateful for the time I was given to spend at this conference. The information was invaluable and I'm looking forward to putting the excellent ideas into action!