Maximizing Education at Professional Conferences – Part II

By Walt Palmer, CFE, CFI, CPP
President
PCG Solutions

Attendance at an industry conferences offers several opportunities – education, networking, vendor exhibit halls, one on one meetings with other attendees, and, of course, many receptions and social events. Each of these activities can bring value to your professional development, but, this week, I want to focus on how you maximize the amount of professional education you achieve at a conference.

Educational Sessions

Unfortunately, too many attendees give short shrift to the educational sessions. At events like FMI, NRF, and RILA, you will probably have twenty or more sessions to choose from over the course of 2-3 days. At bigger trade shows, like ASIS or the Society of Human Resources Management (SHRM), the sessions actually number in the 100’s.

Now, will every session appeal to you? Of course not. Most associations intentionally try to cover a spectrum of topics to ensure they address the concerns of a somewhat diverse attendee list, but there may be slots where you feel like there is nothing particularly relevant to you or your organization. Here’s my recommendation in that situation, “Attend a session anyway!”

Maybe, just maybe, it is possible that a session on developing an effective training program on safety in the distribution network might yield some insights for you as you develop a training program for the stores on shrink. Perhaps a session on managing investigators in the field might ring a bell with you as to a technique or method you can use to manage direct reports at the corporate office. Hearing what someone is doing in the grocery store business relative to spoilage might lead you to different thinking on how you manage damages in your environment.

Too often, it seems, we want solutions wrapped up in a nice bow and given to us in exactly the place and time we, and our organization, are living in. If that is your expectation, you might as well stay home because it is an unrealistic one. As audience members, you have to do some work to find a way to apply the message from the session.

In addition, who knows what responsibilities you might have in the future? Maybe you will be promoted or maybe you will change companies or maybe you will go from big-box hardline retail into mall-based apparel specialty retail. A session or lesson that you might not be able to apply today could be a key issue for you in four months.

The Naysayers

Let’s address the most common negative comments you may hear about the educational sessions and I’ll give my take on each one.

The speaker was awful/monotone/unprepared/a dufus.

Does this happen? Yes, of course. The nature of having volunteers present on a big stage sometimes leads to less than perfect presentation skills. The industry associations do their best to run quality control, but it is an inexact science. Can it be painful to sit through? Yes, of course. But, try to get past the style and focus on listening for the substance. There are some really bright individuals in the business world who are not polished speakers. And, yes, I have actually heard attendees describe a speaker as a “dufus.”

This is going to be more and more of the same ol’, same ol’

Do I ever get bored of hearing another presentation on training programs or what it is like to be a new Director or ORC or fill in the blank? Yes, of course. But, sometimes I’m also surprised at a new insight that I have not heard before. Or, maybe I’m reminded of something I’ve heard in the past but had let slip from my attention. Maybe I hear a familiar message but get to know a little about the presenter that I have not met before.

Don’t you think professional athletes get tired of doing the same basic fundamental drills over and over again? But, they do it because we all need to be reminded of the fundamental building blocks of our craft and profession.

A “Secret” Tip to Learn More

What about the session that you attend that is really good, has great applicability to your organization, and is something you want to take back and implement? What can you do to learn more?

It is simple. All you have to do is go up to the speaker after the session and exchange contact information and set up a time, while you are both still at the conference, to ask some additional questions. Ideally, this happens right at the conclusion of the session. If the speaker has another commitment they have to go to, try and set a specific time and place to meet that afternoon to talk further.

You will almost always find the speaker is willing to spend some time with you. Chances are they are passionate about the topic (that is why they were on the dais to begin with). They have spent hours and hours on this topic and the presentation and most assuredly were not able to cover every bit of knowledge they have on the subject in the allotted time. They probably have more examples of what they have done in their organization and may also be able to refer you to additional resources.

If you are not able to meet at the conference, wait about four days from the conclusion and send a polite email complimenting them on their presentation (every speaker likes to hear this) and asking for some time to chat with them on the phone.

It is Up to You

Ultimately, you have to decide how much value the educational sessions have to offer you. Perhaps you, unlike me or most of the folks I know in our business, know all the answers yourself and within your company. If so, kudos to you and enjoy your time at the pool or on the golf course. Otherwise, I’ll see you in the sessions.

Bio:  Walter Palmer, CFE, CFI, CPP is president of PCG Solutions, a loss prevention training and awareness firm. Prior to founding PCG, Palmer spent sixteen years in retail in LP, inventory control, and operations. Palmer is cofounder of LP Magazine and LPjobs.com and serves on multiple industry advisory boards. He is a frequent speaker at industry event both in the U.S. and internationally. In addition, Palmer is a member of the American Society for Training & Development, the International Society for Performance Improvement, and the Society for Human Resource Management. He can be reached at wpalmer@PCGsolutions.com.
 

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Testimonials from Attendees:

 “The RILA Retail AP Conference is differentiated in many ways. The meaningful topics and subject matter experts that lead the discussions, the commitment to excellence and the balance that RILA leadership purposely drives between the retailers and the vendors, ensuring that both are receiving value from attending.”
- Libby Rabun
(Vice President, Loss Prevention – AutoZone)

“At the RILA Retail AP Conference, breakout sessions are assigned into tracks that allow you and your team to pick what interests you to learn or network. I like the session tracks to pick up new ideas and the vendor show room to see what is new in technology. Additionally, I bring my team to the conference for the tremendous learning experience.”
- Stan Welch
(Vice President, Loss Prevention, J. C. Penney)

“RILA was the first group to really encourage the interaction of practitioners and the companies that support them by inviting everyone to attend the great educational sessions. Sitting next to a LP leader during a presentation gives me an unprecedented opportunity to truly learn and understand the challenges they face now and in the future. As a result, my company can better deliver solutions that help those leaders be successful.”
- Cheryl Blake
(VP of Business Development, Verisk Retail, a Verisk Crime Analytics brand)
 

2013 Thought Challenge

Implementing Change

By Samuel Edge
Regional Director Loss Prevention
Barneys New York

When was the last time you evaluated your current controls and processes and asked yourself... Is it time to implement change? An effective Loss Prevention leader is ahead of exposures, minimizing opportunities for theft. To begin implementing change, start with the phrase “This is how we have always done it” and change it. Daily routines expose vulnerabilities and create opportunities for internal theft. Make changes in your location to keep dishonest employees on their toes, forcing them to always think of a new way to circumvent your controls, which in turn will position you to isolate the activity and zero in on dishonest employees.

Implementing change requires having a fresh perspective. In order to keep yourself fresh and energized recruit ideas from your team and other employees in your building. Everyone has an opinion and an idea, be the one who listens, adopts the idea, refines it and implements it. The best way to get a great idea is to get lots of ideas.

In order to implement change you need to have creditability and partnerships within your building. You gain this by being visible, personable and having proven results. Start with a small change, gain your credibility, show your abilities and track your results. If your change isn’t working, own that, and know that first, be the one who points it out, don’t let others point out your failures. You’re only as credible as how you handled your last project.

As you begin evaluating your locations and attempting to implement change, be prepared for push back. “If it’s not broken, why fix it?” The answer... When it breaks its too late, now you’ve already incurred loss and now you’re chasing change. Challenge yourselves everyday by thinking of the new “That’s the way we’ve always done it”.
 

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