Welcome back! It's good to see you again. Please note that I am now publishing all new material at my hub site: In Context Blog

OOps! This post somehow fell through the cracks, I originally wrote it the second week of May, but I believe that it is still worthwhile.

After being away from home for 5 days to attend SOBCon in Chicago, there was a little bit of catching up to do.The interesting thing is that all of my digital/online connections stayed on-track because I brought my new laptop, but my lovely bride has not quite figured out the In-box concept. My desk was piled high with un-processed notes and mail. Sigh.

The good news is that everything is back where it should be, the In-box is empty, and my writing desk is clear. Now I can finally share some of the productivity lessons I gained from that incredible conference:

It’s Good to Mix Business with Pleasure

While the point and theme of the conference was “Biz School for Bloggers” the social component was inescapable. You’re the same person at home and online, but now you get to meet these other folks face-to-face! It’s good to share information about your work and how you are building a business, but it is also important to build personal relationships.

Learning about each other’s interests and passions can spark life-long friendships, and inspire you to new business opportunities. I learned as much at this lunch gathering as I did at any of the presentations.

Step Away from the Laptop

When your schedule is packed with meetings and presentations, it’s easy to lose sight of your broader goals and responsibilities. Break away once in a while and talk about the weather. Or your kids. Or the new building that Donald Trump is putting up in Chicago. It’s the pause that refreshes.

Evaluate Your Approach

Whether you’re a scrap-of-paper person or a Circa fanatic, chances are you’ve developed your own way of organizing your calendar, tasks and contacts. Many of us have holes in our “buckets”. Things sometimes fall out. And while your system might be familiar, you should give it a tune-up from time to time. Look at what others are doing, and be prepared to learn from them.

The beauty of this approach is that once you’ve written everything down and gotten it off your mind you can relax and let your imagination soar. One of the attendees was creating Mind Maps during the presentations, capturing his thoughts and impressions as the speaker gave his presentation. This is something that I definitely need to learn. (More on mind-mapping shortly!!)

Define Your Mission

The conference room was set up to create small teams of people in Mini-Mastermind groups. After each presenter finished, we were given time to collaborate on how to best apply what we had just heard. We were able to bounce ideas for tasks and projects that led to a larger goal. Even if some of us were unsure of what that goal is, the time we set aside to think and talk about it was invaluable.

Everyone at my table was at a different point in their learning curve, and on a different mission. It allowed us to share these points of view, and look at our own opportunities in a different light.

I learned so much at this conference, I am only now getting my head around it all.

New Features and a New Direction

I will be making some changes here, and planting some new seeds in the near future, based on your comments and e-mails. I really appreciate the little community that we have here and I am looking forward to continuing to grow with you.