CSIA conference 2015

CSIA Conference 2015 is over and I’m leaving Washington DC with a strong sense of frustration. Not because I feel to have spent poorly the money to attend it, but because I’m pretty sure I will not be able to take completely advantage of all the information, ideas and suggestions I collected in these three days. The CSIA motto, that I heard first in 2009 attending my first conference, is “Give one and get 10 back”. I’m not sure I gave one, but I got 100. I’m reading the notes I took during the various sessions, focusing only on the phrases I highlighted and categorized as ideas to bring home, and I realize there’s so much I need to do that I will probably never be able to complete the list.

Starting from the first sessions with Alan Beaulieu explaining the economic trends that will impact our companies in the next five years and suggesting  how to measure the company results to predict trends that could otherwise get you unprepared, to Nick Setchell explaining the good, the bad and the ugly of business management and teaching how to better manage the daily business life, to Ted Garnett speaking on how to nurture a culture of accountability and ending with Dr. Peter Martin talking on the importance to focus on creating value to the client, they have been three exciting days full of great content. So good that it really make no sense to methodically apply it to my company. Here’s the frustration. I’m pretty sure that as soon as I will be back I will be absorbed by the daily business activities, by the urgencies that it will be difficult to find time to address all the things that I should. I’m pretty sure in any case that the three days spent in Washington will be beneficial. The culture I’ve assimilated here will remain part of me and unconsciously drive my future behavior. There’s in any case one thing that make me relax a little: the awareness of having so many friends sharing my same pain and ready to support me any help I will need.

CSIA conference has always been a great opportunity to learn through sharing experience with people that you really feel being in some way part of the same family.