Tales of failed implementations, budget upheavals and unrealised expectations are often the backdrop of the event presentations. Valuable lessons are learned, potential pitfalls are identified and management strategies are enhanced in a peer-to-peer setting that is mutually supportive.
But the war story image tells only a part of the picture, and for every one of them, with their invaluable reminder of the frailties of even the best laid plans, there are others that are beacons of good sense, of diligent planning and forward thinking. Irrespective of the approach, the opportunity for members to engage in structured informal learning that pitches directly to their experience is invaluable.
These informal learning opportunities should never be discounted simply because there’s no ‘Certificate of Attendance’ at the end of them. They are the most responsive and targeted job specific training available to anyone who is not actually standing in the workplace. Programs such as the ‘Events’ regularly staged by itSMFA are the perfect opportunity for Service Management professionals to enhance their learning of issues,
problems and opportunities the modern workplace is generating.
In summary, people should join their professional associations not simply because it is a good idea to be a member of the organisation that represents the industry in which you earn your living. Rather, they should join for the chance to forge connections across industry, to enhance their social networking, especially at a time when this very issue is so fraught with risk, and so they are enabled in their determination to continue what is called in the jargon of education ‘Lifelong learning’.
As was mentioned at the start of this article, these are challenging and difficult times, we are all of us better served to be working together to get through them. Mutual support, a willingness to engage and an outlook not simply centred on ourselves are vital in this age of uncertainty and stress. An organisation such as itSMFA provides just the context required to enable this for the individual at a time when people may well be feeling quite vulnerable.
There’s strength in numbers.