The anticipation and excitement were palpable. And yet, in the back our heads, we thought, but what if it becomes a huge disaster?
On Friday, 8 May, we had the first part of our Career Relaunch Workshop and Forum. We brought in the same enthusiasm and proactivity we usually do.
This is not our first rodeo. We’ve hosted 4 of these events before, and we know the value our participants get from them. But there was a catch.
The circumstances we’re all painfully familiar with (if you’re visiting us from the future, we’re talking about the coronavirus pandemic of 2020) made it so we could not have our usual face-to-face, engaging, interactive, all-day workshop.
Instead, we had to go fully online.
We didn’t have much choice in the matter, but one thing is certain. When life gives you lemons, you better make some lemonade out of it.
The virtual Career Relaunch Forum & Workshop was our lemonade.
Here are five takeaways from our first session.
A great connection is a great connection, no matter how it happens
Knowing how are face-to-face events go, one of our first concerns was being able to foster that same level of engagement we are used to in those events.
We realized that the subject matter was already engaging enough in itself. The key was making sure the conversation was not one-sided and for our participants to be active players in crafting the journey.
The group had the opportunity to meet other people with diverse backgrounds, but all sharing the same shared mission of career relaunch. In many cases, they found some common ground!
The sessions of our workshop combined a mix of presentation, instruction, and concrete action points. Participants had the opportunity to engage in stimulating discussions with peers and mentors.
It was a continuous exchange of advice and wisdom that created some long-lasting connections that will be valuable in their career relaunch journey.
Technology can bring efficiency, but also help build relationships
While we love the engagement and rapport we’re able to build with our face-to-face events, it’s a lot harder to manage the tight schedule we have to keep.
Of course, we’re trying to pack as much value as possible in one event, but the discussions are always so interesting our participants want to keep going and going!
Technology has helped us tremendously with this one!
We provided insights and instruction followed by the opportunity to go into breakout rooms, work on the concrete exercise, discuss, give each other feedback, and when we needed everyone back, it was as easy as the click of a button!
Many of our participants wished they could discuss longer, which created a new opportunity to connect beyond the form and continue building the relationship.
In a way, technology brought the best of both worlds. Create that first relationship-building stepping stone and sticking to our schedule.
It's not only about the power of clarity but what comes after that
Having clarity of where you are and where you want to go is fantastic. A world of possibilities opens up in front of you. There’s always that sense of excitement of what may come.
But having clarity without and action plan is like wanting to travel to the Caribbean and not planning your trip.
Our workshop participants had the opportunity to understand how to achieve clarity in their career relaunch journeys, but most importantly, what to do with that information.
We presented participants with a specific tool to help them craft that action plan, an essential requirement to go from the current state to the desired future.
And further than just reaching that desired future, to make sure they make the process just as valuable as the actual result.
We're all in this together. All of us, really!
Some of our most perceptive partners and champions noticed our previous events were called “Leading Women – Career Relaunch Forum & Workshop.” And this one had a small variation.
You see, at the core, our mission is always the same. Your professional life can bring you joy and be in balance with the other aspects of your life. Sometimes that means changing direction. After all, one career is not enough.
We started with working moms with our My Career & Child brand, then realized there were many women out there, not necessarily mothers but still challenged to reinvent themselves.
With our virtual forum, we opened up a new door of possibilities with some of our greatest allies: working fathers and mid-level career men seeking the same clarity and action to bring harmony to their professional and personal lives.
So our new event is now “Leading Together – Career Relaunch Forum & Workshop.” Because we are genuinely all in this together.
Inspiring individuals need inspiring mentors
The opportunity to match with inspiring leaders is one of the most significant values for participants of this event.
We are privileged to have an all-star roster of mentors that brought their years of experience and insights into the service of our forum participants.
These mentors provided an invaluable source of ideas, guidance, and insightful commentary to the participants matched to them. Having that one-to-one time with mentors provided that necessary push many of our participants felt they need.
Most importantly, this first session proved no matter where you come from or where you want to go, we all have a great story that needs sharing. And in exchanging our experiences, we can build lasting connections that enrich our journey to new horizons.
Having the right tools, the action plan, and great partners along the way will bring our career relaunch journeys to a brighter future…
…and ahead!
