WFF 2011

In April of this year I was given an amazing opportunity by my former employer to attend a Womens Leadership Conference in Orlando. I went with a co-worker who I admire, BJ. She is very sweet and has always been encouraging of me both personally and professionally. It was great to have her at the conference with me to share notes and talk about how each talk may specifically relate to us or our jobs. I had every intention of reviewing the notes I took and implementing the good ideas into my life and work but I got distracted and so I am finally making it priority so in my new job I can be as effective as possible.


There were a lot of great speakers. The rest of this post will probably be scattered but I'll try to organize as I go through my notes. 


Dr. Bertice Berry: A very hilarious and encouraging speaker. Dr. Berry is a sociologist and author with a very sad life story that she willingly shared. I wrote down a lot of quotes of hers.
-"Our purpose is to feed and to lead... be the change you wish to see"
-"Clean your filter" in regards to a dryer filter, you have to keep it clean or it causes damage. Same with the people you have in your life. "You can't go through life holding somebody else's stuff"
-"Love is not what you get but what you give"
-"Success is not what we have but what we leave behind"
-Being professional doesn't mean being tough but being smart with a heart.
-"When you walk with purpose, you collide with destiny"
-Be constantly learning new things and things we know nothing about.
-Learn from one another.
-The gap between knowledge and wisdom is what we can teach. You're not competent from what you know, but rather what you can teach.
-"When women do well, the world does well"
-You can teach skills but you can't give someone passion or purpose. When someone has it, use it!
-Gratitude is the foundation for all virtues
-"You have friends who do the work and friends who dress up and attend the party. Have both but don't confuse them"


David Rabiner: Gave a talk titled "Mastering the art of influence".
-There are two reasons people say yes. 
1. They have to (management environment). This is the biggest mistake new managers make. Creates resentment.
2. They want to (leadership environment). People will do what you ask. They will do more and they will appreciate you.
-Influence is the understanding that the stimulus creates the response.
-Negativity is the single biggest problem in the workplace. People get fired for being late but often negativity goes undealt with.
-Constantly be working on something. The moment you feel you don't need to learn anything is the moment you become average.
-Take time to fix the qualities you're bad at. Disqualifying characteristics make the good ones not matter. Ex. John Edwards.
-What do you want people to say about your at your retirement party? Start showing it now.
-"Stress is the absence of control"
-Measure your happiness and success on what you put in, not the outcome.
-Make it a point to exert the qualities you like and want whether or not they work. Make qualities values!
-Arnold Palmer story: Still practices for hours on a putt. You don't make it in the PGA to have time to practice, you make time to practice so you belong in the PGA.
-1. Be great in your current career. Build competencies. 2. Have a plan. 3. Have a voice. Be an advocate for yourself.




I will post more later. I realize how much I learned and valued the conference as I'm going through my notes. More later...