How do you stay current with changing industry trends?

Collegiate athletics is as fluid as we’ve ever seen. Get off work and think life is one way only to find out that a late night board meeting flipped it upside down! I advise peers, colleagues, young professionals and fans - study topics like conference realignment, NIL, collectives, and the transfer portal. Misinformation is a killer. Accurate news and data is imperative. From corporate entities parlaying investments into growth opportunities to capital-level donors and even kids looking for role models — the needle moves through a corridor of true info. Get educated. Learn the language. Ask questions. Subscribe to industry journals and visit places like the D1 and D2 Tickers - a must for everyday reads that give by the minute updates.

In my experience this is super helpful but incredibly time consuming. I find if I am short on time but need some quick updates on the industry I can use different AI tools to summarize some of the longer industry reports.

Very important to stay updated about the trends so that our efficiency in that particular stream is always razor sharp, at the same time the source selection should be something where we need to be careful about, because its business everywhere.

To stay current with changing industry trends, it's important to regularly read up-to-date sources, follow industry news, attend conferences, and engage with professionals in the field.

Setting clear goals and having a plan of who you'd like to speak to will enable you to get the most out of the networking opportunity. It's essential to be genuine and authentic, you can do this by having an elevator pitch prepared or thinking about your online brand. Who are you and what do you want them to remember you for? It shouldn't feel transactional, there is nothing worse than feeling like someone is only talking to you in order to ask you for something or self promote. It's also quite tempting to talk alot, particularly if you are excited to meet the person, but active listening and asking thoughtful questions is key to building trust, respect and meaningful relationships.

Talking to people in your industry at different career development stages is gold. It is especially helpful when one works in an organization with limited access to professionals in similar roles, so getting perspectives from broader networks can not enrich someone's career but also create unique partnership opportunities for both institutions.

At a recent Professional Association conference I attended, I observed how some of the most well connected influencers networked successfully, working the room with positive body language, professionalism and confidence. It was apparent that with every person they met they would listen attentively, asking questions with genuine interest and also shared valuable opinions and insights from their own work. It should be a two way process. Maintaining and nurturing new and existing connections is important too, so following up promptly either by LinkedIn message or email to thank them for their time and contributions.

And do this in off times! The best relationships I have built have come after conferences or events. Taking the time to really learn about the person and engage them in what they do best. Create a real relationship not just a transactional one.

We learn and grow by innovating, experimenting and testing. These are the only ways through which we can make ourselves super efficient and make a powerful impact on other and our work as well.

This is probably my favorite one! Work with groups outside of the highered space to innovate and try new things! Partnerships cross-sector can add a ton of value if done with the right partners willing to try new things!

I'd add to the reflect step to invite people you work with to share their thoughts. Sometimes we get too focused on innovating just for the sake of it and dismiss things that are working fine. Also, this reflection can help other see the benefits of new ideas after you've applied them--specially if there was some resistance at the beggining.