I’m not advocating that we start asking “did we learn something?”
….. at the last conference; instead, we should be asking “did we leave that convening more aligned and clear on how we can collectively accomplish better outcomes for kids than when we arrived?” Or at least, with a clearer understanding of the places we’re not aligned.
By that bar, too many convenings miss the mark.
So why do we all keep showing up? The real answer is to see friends and colleagues and to be seen by funders. Those are legitimate needs. As a former funder, conferences were the perfect time to see many (sometimes all of) my grantees at once. It saved me a lot of travel. But the format, as it usually is now, pretends it is about content and problem-solving. When, in fact, it is built around hallway conversations and drinks at the bar. We need to build gatherings that prioritize and create space for both to occur (and then ensure sober people aren’t left at the margins).
