Maybe everyone doesn't receive those unsolicited emails regularly from vendors, service firms, associations, and others inviting you to their "free" webinar on this or that. But I bet you do. And you probably delete 9 out of 10 without a further glance. I don't blame you. But I also register and watch my fair share and I suggest that everyone else should try to attend some too.
No matter your title in an organization, you serve an important role and you are likely pretty good at it. But truth be told, I bet somewhere in the world, someone else is doing a role similar to yours and doing parts of it even better. Ouch. Webinars are an easy and affordable way to get a glimpse into how others have solved common problems. I know that most competitors won't share their secret sauce in a worldwide webinar, but they often give me enough information to get my juices flowing. They get me thinking, "are we doing this as well as we could be?" or "what if we took that idea and tweaked it?".
What is the downside to attending one of these webinars? Wasting an hour of your life that you'll never get back? BUT… we have all become masters at multi-tasking - I won't name names, but you know who you are. Listen to the webinar in one ear and keep on responding to your emails. When you hear something that peaks your interest, listen in and take a few notes. Maybe it will get YOUR juices flowing. In full transparency, there is one more small downside. You may get added to an email list from the webinar sponsor; but you can always decline or unsubscribe if you want and then case closed.
What is the upside of attending? Maybe you'll learn some time-saving tips within a software tool you already use. Maybe you'll learn a new trick to hold better meetings or become a better leader. Maybe you'll gain a better understanding of the construction market today. Maybe it will trigger a brilliant innovative idea that you can share with others in your company!
Continuously learning is something we should strive for as a business and as individuals. That can happen through many avenues, and webinars are one good option. Webinars can be especially beneficial because they are current (unlike many books), they are industry-specific (unlike many podcasts), they are convenient (unlike live training classes or conferences), and they often have interactive Q&A and/or follow-up options. If you have a desire to improve your skills or the performance of your team, consider clicking that “Register Here” button next time!
© Kendall Pouland 2022
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