Welcome back from the NACADA National Conference! With so many new ideas, inspiring conversations, and practical tools buzzing in your mind, now is the perfect time to capture that energy and channel it into actionable steps.
After returning from a conference, it’s common to feel inspired. However, this excitement may not transfer to meaningful action without a clear plan for turning inspiration into action. Without intentional steps, even the best ideas risk being forgotten or pushed aside by daily demands. To make the most of what you learned, it’s essential to channel that post-conference energy into a structured plan.
By identifying key takeaways, setting actionable goals, and committing to regular follow-ups, you can transform conference insights into lasting improvements in your work, benefiting both you and your organization.
Here’s a checklist to help you maximize the benefits of the conference while everything is fresh.
1. Review Your Conference Notes
First, go through your notes and highlight the ideas or insights that resonate most with your advising approach or institutional goals. Prioritize the ones you can implement or explore immediately. Then, write a brief summary of each session that stood out to you, capturing essential points and actions. This will make it easier to reference later and share insights with colleagues.
2. Set Personal and Professional SMART Goals
Identify any professional goals you may have considered during the conference. For example, you may want to integrate new advising strategies, enhance student support systems, or pursue a professional certification. Break down each SMART goal into smaller, manageable steps. If you plan to improve your advising practice, list specific actions, such as adopting new questioning techniques, utilizing career assessment tools, improving faculty advising training, or setting aside regular time for assessment, continuous improvement, or reflection.
3. Share Knowledge with Your Team
Arrange a team meeting to share key takeaways with colleagues who didn’t attend. Highlight the latest trends, tools, and resources discussed at the conference, and encourage group discussions on how these can impact your advising practices. You may also consider creating a “Top Insights” document: Summarize your main takeaways in a shared document or a presentation. This can serve as a resource for your team and contribute to continuous professional growth.
4. Follow Up with New Connections
Don’t let those valuable connections fade! Send follow-up emails or LinkedIn messages to people you met, expressing gratitude for the conversations and reiterating your interest in collaboration.
5. Integrate New Tools and Technologies
Review any tech tools or platforms introduced at the conference and test them for potential use in your advising practice. For instance, if you learned about new software for tracking student progress, set aside some time to explore its features. If a particular platform stood out, consider requesting a demo for your team. This allows everyone to get hands-on experience and ask questions before integrating it into your workflow.
6. Reflect on Your Professional Development Path
Reflect on areas of advising where you’d like to improve. Perhaps you attended sessions on student success coaching or appreciative advising that sparked your interest. Request funds for a certification program for your and the rest of your team.
7. Plan to Present a Future Conference
If the conference inspired you to share your own practices and experiences, consider presenting at the next NACADA regional or national conference. Or look for local or state conferences. Review the proposal deadlines and start drafting a potential session or poster idea. Talk to your department early about the financials for attending next year’s conference.
8. Celebrate Your Growth
Give yourself credit for the time and effort spent on your professional growth at the conference. Celebrating small wins can re-energize you and help you maintain a positive outlook. Consider keeping a journal to track how your advising approach has evolved. Reviewing these entries over time can be a powerful motivator and help you stay mindful of your growth.
With this checklist, you can harness the momentum from the NACADA National Conference and turn it into meaningful actions for yourself and your team. Here’s to a successful academic year filled with fresh ideas, improved practices, and continued professional growth!
