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Experiences from the Emerging Leaders Alliance Conference

By James Whitaker posted 03-05-2019 08:06 AM

  
Team_photo.jpgThe 2018 Emerging Leaders Attendees from SPE: Rodrigo Rueda Terrrazas, Laura Weeden, Blaine Horner, Ross Taylor, Neha Porwal, Patience Abia, 

Emerging Leaders Alliance Conference 2018 (Falls Church, VA, November 4th – 7th, 2018)
Author: Ross Taylor - ELA Alumni 2018

The 2018 edition of the Emerging Leaders Alliance Conference provided a unique opportunity to learn and network in a professional setting with the like-minded individuals from across the globe.

 The Conference had been kicked-off by Bob Heavers’ seminar called “Personal Vision: Becoming an inspirational leader”; the session focused on having a clear ‘personal vision’ and aligning it with one’s company values.

Rahul Dogra took floor next, discussing the shift from technical roles into management positions; providing an overview of common challenges related to such transitions and personal skills for overcoming these difficulties.

During the final session for the first day Bob and Rahul talked the participants through the Social Styles theory and demonstrated techniques for applying it at work - to capitalise on individuals’ unique personalities, improve teamwork and to fully unlock individuals’ true potential.

Tuesday started with the lecture on ‘Five Behaviours of a Cohesive Team’ by  Dr Jan Ferri-Reed, who explained how to create a more organised and successful team by identifying patterns of group behaviour and preferences.

Rahul Dogra’s session followed, regarding optimisation techniques for virtual team meetings;  with numerous practical tips like setting agendas efficiently – key is to establish those early, even before each meeting starts!

Group photos were taken next, followed by group exercises, one involving a technical and group communication challenge. Final session of the day was given by Brent Darnell and focused on practical recommendations for innovative and creative thinking for technically-minded people.

Third and last day of the Conference consolidated the subject of presentation styles with every participant giving a three-minute presentation based on their chosen topic. Feedback was given by the ELA staff and the audience – one of the major lessons learned was trying to increase energy levels for engaging with the listeners fully.

For the SPE group, the Conference opened up a platform to share personal experiences from regional SPE Sections, discuss highs and lows and give each other new-found energy boost to drive future changes in our home Sections.

On behalf of the 2018 SPE team, we would like to extend our thanks to the ELA Conference Organisers and to Other Groups - for hosting and participating in this wonderful event.

Ross Taylor - ELA Alumni 2018

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