Learning Lessons

I’ve been reading Amy Croft‘s post for ALIA Sydney, on what she learned from her participation in this year’s Aurora Institute. Thanks for posting it, Amy. It made me reflect on my own experience of Aurora. I attended in 2009, and Aurora was run differently, by different facilitators, then. I think the lessons learned would be roughly similar, though.

I’m very glad for my habit of writing things down, because sure enough, I have my notebook from 2009 and I actually have an entry called: “What did I learn at Aurora”!

•  words/explanations for some concepts/behaviours that had not been articulated before, for me
• models of organisational change – and individual responses to these
• [my] strengths and weaknesses
• importance of being prepared – prepared in the simplest sense of doing one’s homework – and being prepared enough to identify opportunities and take them! [this still resonates and is something I still think about, and try to do, now]
• environment full of change
• thinking strategically to meet these changes
• courage – we’re not here to be liked – straightforward and honest rather than nice

I also wrote that there is “no such person as an amazing new Aurora-ed me. It’s an ongoing process and there are many old habits and ways of thinking to change and constantly work at improving. I need to get over my fear of beginning. Time passes and is wasted, not taking action, getting started!”

I’m pleased to see that I have made progress in some areas, but there’s still a lot to keep working on and improving.

It seems somehow apt to post this just as I’m about to participate in another seminar/ workshop. It’s on negotiation, and my University Librarian said he got a lot out of it, so I’ve got high(ish) expectations. I’ll make sure I write down what I think about the things I learn!