Guest Editor – Monica Gillison
At #LTEN2023, you’re not in Kansas anymore
Inspiration and motivation and fun …oh my!
Workshops and networking and fun …oh my!
Recognition and awards and fun … oh my!
One of my favorite films is The Wizard of Oz, and this may be a stretch but follow along with me. I’m going to share how the LTEN Annual Conference relates to this classic movie and might even make you feel like you’re “somewhere over the rainbow.”
Going Places
Dorothy was on a mission, one that may be the desire of training professionals: to escape their current environment and go to a magical place where they have greater powers and opportunities. The LTEN Annual Conference has served as that place for me.
The event provides the chance to be inspired by keynote speakers who have overcome amazing challenges, to learn from industry leaders who are sharing new and reinvented ideas, to be recognized for your work, to see what others are doing and to meet new people and connect with peers. And did I mention you get to seethe latest technology and advances in learning and development from some of the best supplier partners in the industry?
Over the years, I’ve met great people who have helped me solve problems and bring my initiatives to fruition.
Valuable Lessons
Like Dorothy, I’ve found a few things that have stood out on my journey down the LTEN yellow brick road:
- Learning is important: “Experience is the only thing that brings knowledge, and the longer you are on earth the more experience you are sure to get.” — The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
Now while you probably won’t encounter the Great Oz, you for sure will get to meet and learn from a wealth of experienced professionals who are willing to share tips, strategies and even a few magical tricks to help you become a better learning leader. - Even the bravest people get scared: Have you ever been in a place where you were unsure of how to proceed or scared that training wouldn’t be well received? I have, but one thing I found was that the LTEN Annual Conference was a great place to meet other people who expressed those same fears and shared valuable and tangible information that helped me to successfully deal with tough situations.
- Relationships are really important: During the last conference in 2022, I was struck by hearing about a learning leader’s personal journey and how when faced with unforeseen difficulties the LTEN community was there to support through tough times and even came through with a job after reallocation. That story stuck with me and made me realize how important having the opportunity to network with industry professionals can be.
This year’s conference also will provide an excellent opportunity to do just that, with genuine top-notch people.
Off to See the Wizards
I could go on and on, but hopefully you’re already planning to join us at#LTEN2023 — you’ll find all kinds of seemingly magical people doing amazing things.
I will leave you with this thought: You can be whoever you want to be as a learning leader, and LTEN can help you get there. The conference is a great place to start, or to be reenergized.
As Glinda said, “You’ve always had the power my dear. You just had to learn it for yourself.”
See you over the rainbow — in Phoenix!
Monica Gillison is director, product and sales training capabilities, for SK Life Science and a 2022 LTEN Member of the Year. Email Monica at mgillison@sklsi.com.
