5. Learn from everyone. There are more people to learn from than just speaker/trainer. The other people in room can be a great way to learn. Tap into their experience and knowledge. Talk to people at your table or around you. Think of them as peer coaches. These people can help you learn during session and might become great people in your network after you leave. Be involved, participate and allow yourself to learn from everyone, not just person in front of room.

6. Build an action plan. At end of training, build an action plan. Review your goal(s) and build a plan to implement what you have learned. Reflect on your answers to golden question and resolve that you will apply those ideas too. If training has been really valuable, you may have several ideas. This is great, but be realistic on how much you can apply at a time. Build your plan recognizing that you ay be able to implement some things tomorrow, but that other things might need to be spread out over next week or more.

7. Teach someone else. If you want to really lock in what you have learned, share what you have learned with someone else. Talk to a colleague back in office. Share concepts with a friend. Not only have you helped other person, but you have increased your mastery and clarity of ideas in your own mind.

Bonus tip # 8 – Review your notes. If you want to really retain what you have learned for long term, set up a process to review your notes. Review them evening after event. Review them next day, and next day. Then put a note in your to-do list to review them one week later and one month later. Each review only needs to be five minutes long. You are simply trying to build concepts in your mind through repetition and giving your mind a chance to spark new connections and new ideas.

As you can see, these strategies don’t require any additional monetary investment, just an investment of your focus and approach. Applying just one of these strategies can have a major impact on your results. Applying them collectively will put you among learning elite.

Put these strategies some where so that you can review them before you attend any training event. Over time reminders will turn these strategies into your own habits – habits that will help you move towards your goals and potential.

Kevin is Chief Potential Officer of The Kevin Eikenberry Group (http://KevinEikenberry.com), a learning consulting company that helps Clients reach their potential through a variety of training, consulting and speaking services. To receive your free special report on “Unleashing Your Potential” go to http://www.kevineikenberry.com/uypw/index.asp or call us at (317) 387-1424 or 888.LEARNER.

Keys to Success

There are several ingredients to successful idea meetings. They include:

•Common understanding. Idea meetings work best when people understand where organization is going. Since goal is to create new ideas to help organization improve and grow, people need to know basic strategies and objectives that are in place. While some idea meetings might lead to questions about these strategies, for most part idea meeting is meant to create ways to reach objectives sooner.

•Open minds. Idea meetings are totally creative affairs. Because of that it is important that all ideas be honored, captured and discussed later. As with any creative process, negativity and cynicism need to be checked at door.

•Search for singles. Often times people don’t want to share their idea unless it is either a blockbuster home run idea or is completely formed and ready for implementation. Both are mistakes. An idea meeting may lead to a home run, but what you want to search for are lots of small incremental improvements or new things to try. Encourage people to bring ideas from things they are reading, have heard about or can adapt from some other organization. The idea meeting will score more runs for you if you keep searching for singles and let home runs come when they come.

•Keep a list. All ideas should be written down and saved. Sometimes an idea can’t be implemented now but might be able to be later. By keeping a catalog of ideas they won’t be lost. The bonus is that often by reading over this idea list in future, brand new connections and ideas will be sparked.

•Leave with a plan. Idea meetings create ideas, but without action you will create more frustration than improvement. Pick one or two ideas that can be implemented, set up a plan and take action. Never leave an idea meeting without clear next steps and accountability.

Summary

Idea meetings can be an important part of your organizations ongoing improvement process. Take concepts shared in this article and adapt them for your situation. When you do that next thing you will see is greater success.

Go ahead, call a meeting.

Kevin is Chief Potential Officer of The Kevin Eikenberry Group (http://KevinEikenberry.com), a learning consulting company that helps Clients reach their potential through a variety of training, consulting and speaking services. To receive your free special report on “Unleashing Your Potential” go to http://www.kevineikenberry.com/uypw/index.asp or call us at (317) 387-1424 or 888.LEARNER.