This last week I was reminded about the importance of attending Professional Development which is targetted at your work. The Australasian Society of Association Executives ran a two day Conference and Exhibition, and those of us who attended were privileged to hear Alex Malley, CEO of the Association for CPAs who challenged us to do some uncomfortable things, but I was expecting to hear from people such as Alex, and whilst he was quite outstanding, this was no surprise.
However, it was speakers such as Janette Wright, CEO and State Librarian from the State Library of Queensland who made it such a special time for me. I would never have 'chosen' to be at her talk, but given she was a keynote I thought I had better go along, and I am so happy I did. It is wonderful to listen to and learn from an expert, especially one who loves her job as much as Janette does. What she is doing for society, not just for the State Library, is nothing short of remarkable, as she works to engage the community by coding stories, and to digitise memories to ensure everyone can capture the history and spirit of our community. Janette was wonderful - shy, unassuming, and making a difference for everyone in Queensland, and I would have missed hearing her story if I hadn't gone along.
Later the same day I was privileged to listen to CEO of Getup! Australia, Sam McLean who talked to us about needing a low floor and a high ceiling for our members, to encourage all to come in and take high impact actions. He too would not have made my 'list' but made my time out of the office so worthwhile.
So this got me thinking - are you coming to our Leadership Symposium in Alice Springs in August? If not, why not? Too far, too expensive, to hard to get away? I learnt just how important it is to step out of your comfort zone and learn from those you don't think have anything to tell you - they'll make you think.......
See you all in Alice!
