I’ve volunteered and run sessions at the last two ProductCamps and I’ve got a lot out of it. I think you should run a ProductCamp session too. Here are three reasons why.
- Putting back into the community. Over the years, I’ve asked people for help with everything from finding a job to contacting prospects – and I’m sure you have too. It’s not always possible to repay the people who’ve helped you, so why not do something for the community as a whole? Why not share your expertise?
- Learn from the audience. You don’t have to be an expert to contribute. The best session I ran was a workshop style session where I asked the audience questions instead of lecturing. It was the last session of the event, but people stayed and contributed all the way through – in fact, I had to end the session so we could leave the building (the cleaners were trying to clean up). The audience liked it and I learned a lot.
- The freedom to experiment. To get better at what we do, we have to continually try new things – something that can be very difficult at work. ProductCamp Boston offers you an ideal space to try new ways of presenting or running discussions. If you’re used to lecturing, why not try a workshop style or speaking on a panel?
You can volunteer to be involved in sessions in lots of ways. Obviously, you can volunteer to run a session, but you can also suggest a session, or help someone else run a session.
I took a risk the first time I volunteered to run a session, but I’m glad I did. I think you’ll be glad you did too.
Mike
