On Wednesday, educational technology giant Skillsoft held their annual Perspectives Conference in a unique fashion. The conference, which took place in this unprecedented time of distance communication and quarantine, was held completely online from various locations. The conference was free to anyone who registered and most of the keynote speakers and entertainment participated from the comfort of their own homes.
The breakout sessions and speakers for the 24-hour conference could be seen by participants live, or later via recording. “Attendees” were given the chance to win prizes by participating in a trivia game or earning points in an online challenge by asking questions to presenters, attending a customer case study or product session, and (among other things) filling out a survey after the event.
The event seemed to run incredibly smoothly thanks to the MC’s tireless 24-hour coordination and energy. The entertainment and speakers could be heard clearly through the quality video stream. The event overall was well thought out and planned.
There was a wide range of topics covered at the conference. Anywhere from how to lead a business, overall wellbeing, the impact of digital learning, to the use of video in education. The conference had something for everyone in attendance.
During a session led by Dr. Heidi Grant, Chief Science Officer for the Neuroleadership Institute, she addressed the topic of motivation. What is the best way to motivate someone to be successful at their job? Dr. Grant answered this question by going into what she called the “growth mindset,” and how a growth, versus a fixed mindset can motivate employees to be successful and innovative. Dr. Grant made suggestions on how a growth mindset could be accomplished, which included:
- Goal Framing – Using goals to frame your attitude. A culture of lofty goals and plans to achieve those goals produces a growth mindset and a positive attitude.
- Focus on Progress – To often we focus on the things that aren’t happening, comparing yourself to someone else who seems to have it all figured out. This is detrimental to your mindset, attitude, and progress.
- Be a Role Model – If you develop a growth mindset, those around you will likely develop one too. Draw attention to your mistakes and experiment publicly in order to cultivate a growth mindset.
- Frequent Asker Driven Feedback – Give feedback to those who ask for it. Ask for feedback yourself.
- Develop Talent – A business whose culture is built around a growth mindset will witness a lot of innovation. Employees will feel like they can experiment, learn and grow.
Every session had a similar list of instructional gems attached to it. Anyone who took the time to attend some of these keynote meetings would have left uplifted and motivated to make something happen at their place of work.
If you missed the conference and want to know what you missed, content from the conference can still be found on the Perspectives Conference 2020 website.
