Here's how you can cultivate self-awareness as a conference organizer.

Another aspect to this - understanding audiences, their demographics and behaviours. This really provides a handle on how you can ‘own’ the proceedings!

Daily reflection is a powerful tool for cultivating self-awareness as a conference organizer. By taking a moment each day to reflect on the events you've organized, you can identify what went well and what areas need improvement, which can help you refine your decision-making and interactions with team members and attendees. This practice also allows you to celebrate your successes and learn from your mistakes, leading to personal growth and the ability to improve future conferences.

What works, what doesn't? Reflection can help determine whatever you did, whatever the best practice. The most obvious question is: Did I achieve what I wanted to achieve? Irrespective of the decisions and interactions chosen, reflecting on what other behaviour or decisions would be more expedient in specific situations can point to alternatives and options in the future. A good practice if working towards improvement is to do small experiments; today, I will smile before responding to anything or making eye contact. Another experiment can be to repeat what you understood before responding. Reflection is not only an "afterwards" practice but can also be actively engaged with small experiments.

Seeking feedback is also a crucial component of cultivating self-awareness as a conference organizer. By actively soliciting honest opinions from various stakeholders, including team members, attendees, and speakers, conference organizers can gain valuable insights into their strengths and weaknesses, identify areas for improvement, and make data-driven decisions to enhance the overall event experience. This not only demonstrates a commitment to continuous learning and growth but also fosters a culture of transparency, accountability, and inclusivity.

As a conference organizer, it's crucial to be mindful of your core values as they serve as a guiding force in decision-making, especially during high-pressure situations. By taking the time to clearly define what matters most to you, such as inclusivity, innovation, or sustainability, you can ensure that your actions and decisions align with those values, fostering a sense of integrity and trust among your team and attendees. This self-awareness also allows you to communicate more effectively with your stakeholders and make intentional choices that reflect your values, ultimately leading to a more successful and impactful conference.

I completely agree with the article's emphasis on emotion management as a crucial aspect of self-awareness for conference organizers. Effective emotion management enables conference organizers to remain calm and composed under pressure, allowing them to think clearly and make rational decisions, even in high-stress situations. By acknowledging and understanding their emotions, conference organizers can avoid impulsive reactions and respond thoughtfully, ultimately leading to more successful outcomes for the event.

Awareness of one's emotions and resulting behaviour is crucial for a facilitator or conference organiser. Not being a "slave" to one's emotions helps keep one's response appropriate and intelligent for the situation. Practising pauses between impulse and response-ability (borrowed from Stephen Covey) is essential. Often, we are influenced by what we think happened and think what the person said without actually "checking" whether this is accurate for the situation. Such practice also helps respond neutrally, therefore not contributing to escalating situations.

I wholeheartedly agree that practicing mindfulness is an excellent way for a conference organizer to cultivate self-awareness. By being present and aware of one's thoughts and feelings in the moment, a conference organizer can better manage stress and emotions, leading to more effective decision-making and a smoother overall event experience. Mindfulness practices such as deep breathing and meditation can help reduce anxiety and increase emotional intelligence, allowing the organizer to respond to unexpected challenges with clarity and composure. By embracing mindfulness, conference organizers can not only improve their own well-being but also enhance the overall quality of the event for attendees.