There was no shortage of information, lessons, best practices, and thought-provoking conversations at the ATD Convention my team and I attended last week in San Diego. In case you did not see my Facebook posts, there were over 11,000 attendees from around the world; 300+ concurrent sessions; 400+ exhibits in the big convention hall, and an amazing networking night aboard the USS Midway! ATD stands for the Association for Talent Development and is the world’s largest talent development association.

I thought it would be fun to share with you some of the notes I took. Beyond my notes, think about how you can apply this information starting this week or at least start planting the seeds in your brain.

• Purpose matters. People want more out of work than money.

• Millennials are bringing purpose to the forefront of today’s business culture.

• Why does purpose matter so much today? #1 Empowerment (shortages in skilled labor; attrition of top talents; short tenures). #2 Engagement (is an effect, not a cause; engagement does drive outcomes). #3 Evolution of Human Consciousness (reinventing organizations)

• Purpose and meaning are not the same things. Purpose means intention, objective, goals based on your deepest core values. Meaning is of value, significance, and important to me.

• People with purpose are more comfortable with diversity.

• Purpose helps us through tragedy and loss.

• (From DDI research) There is no difference in skills between men and women. Women are better at focusing on their development. Men take on more international assignments; they are more confident.

• To help increase focus: #1 Focus on an important task for 20 minutes (chunking). #2 Minimize distractions. #3 Take a break to mentally rest between focused tasks.

• (Marcus Buckingham) You CAN find love in what you do at work. You will want to purchase Marcus’ book when it is released: 9 Lies About Work.

• (Masie Productions) We have to break rituals.

• (Rita Allen Associates) Emotional Intelligence in simple terms: #1 Identify your emotions. #2 Assess your emotions. #3 Control your emotions. We have to think of ourselves holistically—we have to take care of all parts of ourselves.

 

I have a ton more information to digest. I will try to share more great ideas on my Facebook Fridays. You can join me on Fridays at 10:00 am Pacific Time.

 

Make it an amazing week!