Reflections After the Moment

I just wrapped up a week-long conference with peers and industry leaders--full of strong speakers, meaningful messages, and genuine camaraderie. But I always like to take a step back and reflect, really; I think everyone should.

It is easy to get swept up in the production value, the energy in the room, and the emotional highs that come with these kinds of events. That is not a bad thing. But pushing past the surface and asking the right questions is essential.

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Did the speakers’ messages align with our company culture? Did I see it in action?

I immediately recognized the speaker's energy and how it blended perfectly with what I know about the company. It was engaging, and I could see why it resonated. More importantly, I heard leaders echoing that message just hours later, already discussing how to implement it. That was encouraging.

But I also know that not every leader who affects my day-to-day work exemplifies the behaviors described. Maybe, for them, these ideas are aspirational rather than practiced. And that disconnect between what is said and what is actually done can be disappointing. It is one thing to hear a powerful message; it is another to see it reflected consistently in leadership.

And am I putting the message into action? It's great to feel good about the message. It is quite another to enact that sentiment.

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Did I get FaceTime with the people I hoped to?

I went into this event hoping to connect with those in my department, especially the leaders. In reality, that did not happen the way I had hoped. Part of that is my personality-I am not the type to wedge myself into a conversation, so I often find myself on the periphery, waiting for the right moment. And in most instances, that is exactly where I stayed.

I had hoped this event might provide an opportunity to work through any lingering issues, but that did not seem to be a priority for the people I wanted to speak with. Did the behaviors employed to make people feel small in online meetings feel even more amplified in person? That can be a disappointment as you would hope in-person conversation would yield more humanizing results.

Did I reach for those connections? Was I active and intentional, or was I passive?

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Who surprised me with the connections I made?

On the positive side, I had the chance to talk with many people from different areas of the company-people I do not usually interact with. Those conversations gave me a better understanding of them as people and in terms of their work. Who knows? Maybe it will even spark an interest in exploring other areas of the company down the road.

I talked to people whose role within the company I thought I understood, only to learn that I had misjudged completely. Making those connections and getting outside a bubble of every day helps me see the big picture more clearly.

The Bigger Picture

This is not about being overly critical. It is about being honest. Events like these are often meant to serve as a reset, a chance to refocus and re-energize. But did that happen? Or did you leave feeling the same doubts and frustrations you had before?

For me, it was a mix. I saw leaders engage with the message in real ways, and I found unexpected value in new conversations. But I also felt some of the same disconnects I have noticed before-gaps between words and actions, between intention and follow-through.

That is why reflection matters. The value of these events is not just in how they feel in the moment but also in what actually changes afterward.

What sort of questions do you ask yourself after a company event?

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