65. Maximizing Your Conference Experience (Part 2)

Ready to level up your conference experience? Join me, Inga Hofmann, MD, as I unveil actionable tips and strategies on how to take full advantage of your time at conferences. I'll guide you through the art of setting intentions, staying focused on your goals amidst differing priorities, and capitalizing on networking opportunities for career advancement. Whether you're a seasoned conference-goer or a newcomer, my insights are designed to empower you to make the most of every moment.

I'll guide you through strategically setting intentions, navigating conflicting priorities, and seizing networking opportunities tailored for your career growth. Whether you're interested in optimizing talks, networking, or presenting, I'll provide practical tips to enhance your academic conference experience. Tune in to discover how to stay energized and mindful of personal needs including practical tips on enough rest, and hydration. Take a listen

00:00 Introduction to the Conference Experience
00:20 Understanding the Importance of Conferences
02:20 Setting Your Goals and Intentions for the Conference
05:25 Staying Focused and Respecting Others' Time
09:14 Maintaining Your Health and Well-being During the Conference
14:12 Honoring Others and Creating a Positive Conference Environment
16:11 Preview of the Next Episode and Closing Remarks

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Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:00

Now you have arrived at your conference, and what to do now? How do you make most of your time while you're at this convention or conference? That's what we're going to talk about in this episode. This is a continuation of last week's episode, so stay tuned for after the music and we will be right back. Welcome to the Academic Revolution Podcast, where we are creating a movement to change the future of academic medicine forever. I'm Inga Hoffman, a Harvard-trained pediatric hematologist, oncologist and a passionate leadership coach with over 20 years of experience in academic medicine. This is the first podcast for academic physicians that will show you how to achieve higher productivity, become an impactful leader and create a highly successful career doing what you love, without sacrificing your personal life. You and I know that the traditional system is broken, so it's time to say no to the old, published or perished mentality and say yes to lasting change. Join me as we transform academic medicine from the inside out, one physician at a time, starting right here with the Academic Revolution Podcast.

Speaker 1: 1:20

Welcome back to another episode of the Academic Revolution Podcast, and I'm your host, inga Hoffman. We are in the midst of a series on how to have a good meeting experience, how to prepare for it, how to make sure that you have a good convention experience. Again, when I talk about meetings, it's not about meetings, a one-hour meeting at your hospital. No, it's about those awesome conferences that you travel for usually and how to make most out of that time. In part one, we focused very much on the preparation phase and the planning phase, and for today, I really want to make sure we focus on the parts of now. You're here, you're at your meeting location, you're at that new city. How do you get most out of the time you spent there so that it is worthwhile your time and your money and your time away from your family and to your work responsibilities, so that you can get most out of it? So I've entitled this how to Make Most Out of your Time While you Are there, and that is part two of the preparing for your meetings and conventions series. So let's start writing. This is actually straight, I would say, from pillar number one. These are practical tips I'm sharing and I hope they serve you. Also, if you have feedback or comments on what resonated with you, or if you have personal tips you say hey, this is my secret nugget Share that with us, either in the comments on the podcast platform or on my social media accounts at Inga Hoffman MD on Facebook or thriving academic physicians on Facebook and my various other social media handles. Share them, because I would love to hear them. You can also always email me at Inga at IngaHoffmancom.

Speaker 1: 3:13

Alright, let's dive right in. So what do you do to make it a great meeting experience? Number one you want to set your intention and remind yourself of your goals that you have for this meeting. We talked a little bit about this in the preparation phase, that when you set out to plan for your meeting that you're going to attend, that it is very worthwhile to look ahead of what you want to get out of this conference. Maybe a glance at the schedule, maybe you want to meet some people, those type of things. So I don't want to reiterate that. Go back to the last episode. But it is very important, when you actually have arrived, that you go back and remind yourself why am I here? What were my goals for myself for this meeting, what is my intention? And set your intention based on that for the time you're here, for the few days you're here. And one way you can do this is ask yourself what will make this a good meeting. What would a win look like at this meeting? Or, when I get back home, how would I say this was a great conference, because and there should be something that comes up specific, that could be anything really that is important to you at your career stage and that will look different for everybody.

Speaker 1: 4:40

There might be people here that say, well, for me, right now, the most important part is I really want to gain expertise in this area because it will help me with my research project. So I'm going to listen to these talks. Or, for me, my most important thing is I got a talk. I am here to present something. We actually didn't talk about this last time, but obviously that would be a whole, another separate topic how you prepare for that. But let's say you are a presenter of an abstract of a lecture, invited lecture or even just a poster. Actually, there's not such a thing as just a poster. A poster is a great way to connect with people. How do you prepare for that? Maybe that is your intention for the meeting to give an excellent presentation and that would likely actually take mental space up until that event is over. And that's okay. That's your goal, that you do an excellent job with that.

Speaker 1: 5:35

Really reflect on what would make this conference a win for you and then do your best for whatever goal you set, whether it's educational, whether it's networking for career opportunities, whether it's connecting with old friends or having some space to retreat and get some work done Again. Maybe that shouldn't be the 100% only thing while you went to that meeting, because honestly, you could just book at a hotel room in your town and make it much cheaper and maybe more fun. So think about that. What is your intention? And there might be multiple things you want to get out of it but reflect on that and then try to stay true best you can to those plans and those intentions. Why make a point of this? Because I know once we get there and we see all our friends and colleagues, that's super exciting.

Speaker 1: 6:32

That's one of my favorite parts of going to the meeting is that sometimes those people have very different intentions, or perhaps no intention, and they can kind of derail your intention and your plans and again realize that you are a different season in your life than they might be. Maybe you have young kids at home, your priorities are very different and that is okay. Just be mindful of that so that you don't leave the meeting at the end and you feel like you got off track or you've kind of fed into the social pressure of doing something else. That wasn't what you intended to do. Just be true to yourself what you want to achieve during that time there and then focus on those things. If it's talks, make sure you attend most of the talks you plan to do. Sometimes it gets a little much and oftentimes we kind of overbook ourselves and then also realize that it's okay. You know what my brain is overloaded. I plan to go to these 15 talks I only made it to 10 or to 8 and be content with that as long as you got something out of the 8.

Speaker 1: 7:37

For example, if it is your focus to connect with people, to set up meetings and then seize the opportunity meaning seize the opportunity that you get with meetings and people to have one-on-one time or face time with meetings we need to prepare for those conversations. And also this is super important, especially if you're networking for job opportunities with people that are maybe more seasoned than you and even if they're more junior than you Actually it doesn't matter, it's our people's time. That is really important. That means you need to prepare for the meeting, just like you would have a very important meeting at your own institution or an interview. Prepare for those appointments, even if they are in a more relaxed setting. Honor people's times and schedules because a lot of them will have very, very busy schedules and really buzzing from one appointment to another and you want to respect that. I know in this relaxed conference atmosphere, especially when we are hosting things in social spaces like coffee shops and hotel lobbies, we kind of can get in a more relaxed mindset and that's fine. I'm not saying don't be yourself or going to be relaxed, but you still want to honor schedules and times and don't think you're going to sit here for three hours. So just realize that.

Speaker 1: 9:04

Set your intentions, stay true to those goals and intentions you had for yourself, whether it's talks or networking and then prepare for those things well. Just a side note on talks when you are in the talks in in the lecture, make sure you're actually paying attention. If that was your goal in the first place to sit in the room to learn something. Too many times I've done this also more times than I like to admit, but we all are at risk for that. Just catch yourself that you don't get on your phone and get distracted, or that you're just doing something else or talking to somebody next to you, and then other people don't pay attention A lot of times when people sit in these conferences, I mean, 80% of the room is usually half asleep or dead, and again, that is something you can guard yourself towards. I know it's hard when you sit in this dark room and you're tired and you're exhausted, then maybe your time would be better spent not attending that talk and doing something else. Just be mindful of that and take notes.

Speaker 1: 10:07

Okay, so number two this is also a very practical tip Know what your body and what your mind needs during that time. Conferences can be super exciting, but it also can be very exhausting and stressful, and so these are very obvious things I'm phrasing here, but I think they're obvious to state because a lot of times we're not doing them. Get enough rest and sleep. I used to burn the candles at both ends at those conferences, try to squeeze too much in the day, and I was so excited that I had a little bit me time at night and before I knew it it was past midnight and I want to catch a 7am talk, and that just didn't work with my sleep needs and schedule. So just be mindful of that and set yourself boundaries when you're like I really need to turn in and go to bed and get rest and sleep you needed.

Speaker 1: 11:08

Number two stay hydrated Also seems like super obvious. Like why are you telling me this? But here's what I know. Conference centers don't often have water readily available. Sometimes they have water fountains now, but often they are empty because everybody is thirsty and they don't refill them fast enough. And when you buy water it's outrageously expensive. So, yeah, your institution maybe pays for it, maybe they don't, maybe you don't have enough conference money, so then that matters. So just bring a water bottle. I made a habit of just bring a water bottle and carrying that around so that I have a backup option if I don't have access to water. Here's my secret tip Don't tell the hotel that if you are low on water and you're like I want to pay $5 for a small water bottle at the hotel. Here's my secret tip. So I hopefully don't get in trouble with this. If you have a water bottle that you bought from home, you can refill that at the gym, because usually they have a water cooler there in the gym. So, even if you don't use the gym for actual exercises, I have snuck in there at night to get some water, because why not? So that's my extra pro tip.

Speaker 1: 12:21

Then have enough food and snacks. I used to be in this bad habit that then I would run, run, run, run run and then I wouldn't eat, drink, rest and I'd get a migraine and then I was useless for the rest of the conference. So that's not helpful. So make sure you have snacks. Either bring them from home a granola bars, whatever you like, nuts, whatever you like, maybe chocolate treats, if that's your thing, like me or you buy them when you get there, so you don't have to buy things that you don't like or buy bags of chips that you don't care about or buy overpriced items there at the hotel or convention center, and have something that you actually enjoy, especially if you're really watching what you're eating, then that will be important to you. This is going to probably wrap people the wrong way.

Speaker 1: 13:09

Number four stay low on the alcohol. Sometimes there's a lot of social events in the evening and that's great. You want to connect with people and that's a wonderful opportunity to do so that you might not have when you're at home, especially if you have young kids at home, and I totally get that. But also be mindful what your body tolerates. So it's fine to have a cocktail or wine or whatever. Just don't get so hungover that you're useless after that. Just be mindful of that.

Speaker 1: 13:42

And why do I say that? Because I easily used to get migraines, especially after drinking alcohol. And it was fun when I did it and I enjoyed a nice glass of wine or cocktail and I never get drunk, don't get me wrong. But it was hard that when I then didn't function and got a migraine and then couldn't go to the top next day, or God forbid. If you have a presentation, you know you better make sure, especially if it's one of those grueling early morning ones, that you're rested up, hydrated up, slept well and didn't have any alcohol before so you're sharp and can deliver your best work that time, because it really matters that we show up with excellence. So where that personal boundary is for you, it's totally up to you.

Speaker 1: 14:29

And then the last couple of things are maybe you like to exercise, then make sure you pack for that and take time to yourself. Maybe you will need some time and downtime. That's why I like to have hotels pretty close to the convention center so I can walk back and take an hour to myself in the hotel room, check some email, maybe read something, relax a little bit in a more quiet setting, because there's a lot of hustle and bustle at these big meetings and sometimes people like me that are more introverts even it doesn't sound like that right now. I need some quiet, space and peace and quiet and get away from people, so just be mindful of that. And then the last bonus tip I want to give you a number three. So the last category is really something that I I'm very intentional about and you might be like what does that have to do with anything? And that is number three honor people while you're there, please.

Speaker 1: 15:25

When I go to a conference, I honor the people that are there to make my experience good, whether that's hotel stuff, conference, convention stuff. These are people that get hired to help you there, to ask for directions, to help you to keep the space clean. Honor those people and say thank you and be kind and not be, you know, sort of having a bad attitude around them. I've seen that and I find that very distasteful. Like, let us be the people, let us be the group of people in your practice, in your field. When you go to a place that they will say, wow, that group that we hosted for this convention or in this hotel is an honorable group. That was pleasant and we're glad to have them back. Because guess what, if people get really I'm not saying like totally crazy and inappropriate well, they don't get to come back, but you know it matters because that's how they will treat you in the future as well. So please make people feel welcome and appreciated and I think it will make your experience much better too. That's just me. I feel that has been making my time there really much more pleasant, especially because it is very it can be very intense, because it's busy, it's stressful, but being a person of honor and respecting others and honoring the staff and the people around you goes a long way to make your experience better, not just theirs. So just be a good witness to that. So I hope this served you.

Speaker 1: 17:12

Next episode this was a little shorter we will talk about what you can do while you're there, sort of diving a little bit on a specific group of people. If you are a young mom or a dad or your kids at various ages. How do you overcome that mommy guilt and the other conference? I just want to touch on some personal points that sometimes people struggle with as they go to meetings. Whether that's mom time, whether it's taking your children to the meeting or not, there's different considerations. So I want to speak to that specifically because I know that comes up for a lot of people and I've been there and I hear your heart and I hear your struggle and I want to speak into that. So have a wonderful day. I hope this was helpful. Get shared with others and don't forget to tune into the rest of the minute or so on this podcast to learn about special holiday promotions that you can take advantage of. Also, if this podcast has served you, please share and subscribe. It means a lot and it actually matters. Please leave a good review, because so more people can see it and you create a culture of sharing and caring by letting other academic physicians know hey, here's a resource I found helpful. Maybe this is helpful for you too, and it means a lot to me and it puts a smile on my face. So thank you so much from the bottom of my heart and have a wonderful holiday season. Thank you.

Speaker 1: 18:46

With the holidays just around the corner, I want to let you in on an inside scoop and on some special deals for holiday season this year, in 2023. I know that most gurus tell us coaches and people don't want holiday promotions because your value isn't any less during the holidays, and that is true. My value doesn't go down or how I help people doesn't decrease in quality just because it's Christmas. But I love giving gifts and I love celebrating the holiday season and I love you. So for that reason, I decided to run a bunch of special holiday promotions and there will be surprises over Thanksgiving, black Friday, christmas, etc. So if you want in on any of the details, you have to get on my email list so you actually hear about them. To do that, please go to inga-hoffmancom forward slash holidays 2023 to sign up Again. That is inga-hoffman-hoffmancom forward slash holidays 2023. I'll see you there and have a blessed holiday season. Hey there, friend.

Speaker 1: 20:03

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