5 ways to attend a session effectively
Whether you are a Student, an Entrepreneur, a Business person or you are indulged in any other profession, you must have attended meetings, seminars, group discussions, gatherings, sessions, webinars etc. But is it really fruitful for us? How often do we really remember and work on the stuff that we get to learn?
So, here are 5 ways to attend a session effectively –
- Select wisely:
Often, we go to a seminar just because we want to. We are not meticulous with the agenda of the meeting or seminar and end up being bored and learning nothing.
It is always good to be prepared with what are the things going to be discussed. That is possible in meetings, but some seminars don’t share their agendas. In such cases, at least select a seminar related to what you want to be or what you want to learn. You can know about the speaker through various sources like Google, Wikipedia, and social media channels like LinkedIn and you will get a rough idea if the gathering is for you or not.
2. Always carry something to note down points:
This is a very common piece of advice, but very few people follow it. More often than not, we think we’ll be able to retain the information and lessons that we learn. But that won’t happen.
Some people carry something to note things down (like a notebook or mobile phone) but don’t write anything because they get engrossed in the meeting/seminar. But it is “highly recommended” that you take notes while listening. It helps you retain and when the speaker notices that someone is making notes, he feels valued too. You can definitely make notes on your mobile phone, but don’t get busy with WhatsApp in between the session. It gives a bad impact.
Sometimes, while we are attending a session, we might get some really amazing ideas. It can be about a piece of content or something that we would like to say for our next meeting. Whatever it is, just note it down! It would be really unjust if you forget it.
3. Ask your doubts:
Have got questions in the middle of a session? Ask them when the speaker takes a break to collect his breath. Do not interrupt if the speaker is still speaking, it distracts the speaker, breaks his flow and might make him nervous too.
Asking doubts also makes networking easier. You can easily connect to people when you talk about something that interests both of you. It is a great way to build relationships.
4. Network!!!
Don’t be hesitant to talk to people, whether it is asking doubts or whether you want to talk to someone matching your interests in general. People organize seminars and other types of gatherings to promote their products, share their expertise in their niche and to network with like-minded people. If you choose to attend a seminar, it definitely means that you are interested in the topic or agenda of that seminar.
The human being is a social animal. No matter how introvert you are as a person, you must try to interact with people. If you can’t talk to them face-to-face, you can speak to them over social media channels like Facebook and LinkedIn (if you know some brief details about them obviously).
5. Research after the seminar:
Do you think attending the seminar is enough? Knowledge is never complete unless you have implemented it. Seminars often give a brief review of a particular topic. You should always research about the topic once you get back from the seminar. It helps in getting deeper information about it and can keep your interest intact. It also helps you to find new opportunities in that field.
So, these are the five ways in which one can make optimum use of their time (and money) on attending a seminar. I hope these five techniques will give a boost to your career.
After all, one must act on what one has learnt.
