SQL Server, PASS, and other data mishaps
Volunteer
Developing Better SQL Speakers
Mar 30th
I’ve been focusing on different aspects of speakers and their interactions with PASS lately. Id like to expand on that and take a large detour.
The AHA Moment
last week while going over some ideas and upcoming changes to the PASS Program Committee with my PASS boss, Jeremiah Peschka I had what I think is a great idea, and Id like to throw it out here and see If I cant help get it off the ground.
Speaker Development
It seems like a lot of the suggestions I’ve been getting lately with regards to the program haven’t really been relevant to the problem I was trying to solve. At first I thought I wasn’t explaining myself properly or I was writing in the same manner my brain works (all over the place) . Then It donned on me, maybe I’m trying to solve the wrong problem. (I know this was definitely one of my greatest moments of clarity). In a lot of what we do in the program committee we’re really not positioned to help speakers grow perse. But, speakers still need help, they still want to refine their craft, learn new tricks, etc. I know I for one would love to get started speaking but, while I can tell who is a good speaker, I certainly don’t know how they got that way, surely they weren’t born with it!!!
The BIG Idea
Why cant we make a new Virtual Chapter within PASS for speaker development. I think this would provide a great venue for speaker development, It would be great if we could get the best speakers within the SQL community to give a monthly livemeeting about the different aspects of developing speaking skills. The topics could range from how to prepare for a topic, how to craft a great abstract, how to create great audience interactivity, how to create great demo’s/powerpoints etc etc. There are literally hundreds of topics that I could see being presented that would be of great use to developing speakers. If the idea takes off, I could foresee an exchange of sorts, where hopeful speakers are matched up with experts for mentoring. Think SQLMatch.com where you look for a mentor for your SQL related speaking! I think with my grand total of 0 sessions experience I wouldn’t be an appropriate person to lead this VC but, I would certainly be willing to help another more qualified person with the details and help out anywhere needed.
How can I see this through
If only I had some contacts in the SQL speaker community who would be willing to present on these topics? Surely there are some talented SQL Speakers that would be willing to step up to the plate and offer to help out those of us just trying to start the process of learning to present. Getting willing speakers to talk about these topics should be the hard part, the scheduling/leading the VC should be pretty easy but its still additional work.
So…… Which SQL Community Speaker/Leader wants to help me, help the community, and make this happen? I’m totally open to any ideas, I’d just like to see this get started!
Convincing your boss to pay for your training
Mar 1st
Things are tight
It seems like budgets are being cut everywhere, and IT training seems to be one of the first places cut. In an earlier post I outlined where you could get a lot of valuable training for relatively little cost. In this post I will explore a few methods that have worked for me over the years to get your boss to say YES to paying for you to refresh your fountain of knowledge.
The direct approach
It may seem obvious but, if you don’t ask your employer, they cant agree to send you to a SQLSaturday, or to the annual SQLPASS Summit. So sometimes its just as simple as broaching the subject with your boss. But before you try that continue reading!
Explain the ROI
Many times the people who make the final decisions about training forget what a struggle it can be to not only stay current on technology but to actually excel with it. Last year PASS put together a very good list of ROI points This could be used for any SQL event, make it work for you.
Volunteer
If you volunteer for SQLPASS (at the local or national level) you may be eligible for a discount admission to the annual summit. This discount can range anywhere from 100$ all the way up to a full comp (free) admission. Armed with the discount, and your ROI documentation it can be quite a bit easier to convince your boss to send you to a weeks worth of invaluable training that they perceive to be discounted.
Offer to partner
A few years back this might have been unheard of but, I’ve recently decided to start trying this method to get approval for some training. Try to combine the ROI documentation with an offer to pick up 1/2 the tab for the training. For instance, split the cost, ask them to pay the airfare to a SQL Saturday, while you pick up the hotel, food and ground transportation. Another idea, offer to pay the airfare/conference registration(Free if you volunteer enough) and let them pick up the rest to send you to the SQLPASS Summit. Either way its a win-win for both parties, you get to make a small investment in your career, and it shows your employer your serious about that career.
Mix and Match
Hopefully you can take a few of these ideas and mix-n-match them to reach the ultimate goal of getting your desired education.
PASS TPS #1
Feb 18th
TPS reports, love them or loathe them, they are a necessary thing for most of us working in corporate America. I firmly reside in the loathe camp, Just ask my boss.
In this case though, I’ve decided to start putting out regular updates about what Ive been up to for PASS. I hope the benefit is 2 fold, 1 to allow a greater transparency into what happens behind the scenes and more importantly for me to have a place to reference what we did and when!
Summit 2009 wrapup
We sent out quite a few different surveys during/after the 2009 summit, some of them are listed:
The members of the program committee
The speakers
The “suggestion box”at the PASS booth
The Session Evaluations
The purpose of each of these sets of questions were unique and helpful (some more than others but I digress)
I wrote about the 2009 session evaluations previously
The other surveys were tallied and the results reviewed to see what we could do better, and to see what we’re doing well as an organization. I hope to write about some of these results later.
Summit Session Evals
I’ve written about this one before. We had some technical difficulties with this one this year and I hope to iron it out. One of the bigger mistakes we made this year was tossing the session attendance counts, its a long story exactly how it exactly happened but its already been remedied for 2010. If this affected you, I am sincerely sorry. PASS also uses this info to gauge many things so its a multisided loss. We’ve got some great ideas cooking on more effective ways to give feedback to speakers from attendees, and as soon as we have something a bit more concrete I’ll write about that too.
Software selection/creation
We are currently trying to decide on a direction to go with our Summit software, Its no secret that there have been issues in our current vendors software/DVD’s, and we’re exploring a few options (build vs buy etc) at the moment. Once we have a decision Ill give an update. Suffice it to say that a decision as important as this one is not easily made and we’ve had at least 20 hours of phone conferences (demo’s included) and emails likely numbering past the hundreds about this. We might be working through it a bit too much but, we have to get this right as the summit software is one of the largeer interfaces we have at PASS, between HQ-Speakers-attendees-volunteers-etc-etc.
Establishing the 2010 Program committee
We began working on updating the applications and handbooks that are required for the program committee, the application was tweaked a bit this year, and the handbook was freshened up a bit as well. Volunteer applications are being accepted through Feb 22nd. Im happy to say that so far we’ve had 35+ applications, while we wont need 35 people to review abstracts (the most popular job) Im 100% certain we can make use of all the volunteers, if we get a few people that are willing to make the next step and offer some help with leadership, Ive written a bit about this before
Speaker Bureau/Speaker terms
I set out a small group of volunteers with the task of redoing the speaker terms to allow for more “sharing of information” (opt out) between the Summit Speakers and the PASS Chapters. Ive written about this before and Andy Warren has the lead on the actual implementation of this project, we were trying to enable him a bit and hopefully have succeeded.
Establish 2010 Summit Critical Dates
We have a pretty firm grasp of the steps it takes to put on a Summit but, every year we have to go over the steps and make adjustments. We also need to adjust the dates for the current year in order to make the process work. Now that the dates are mostly set, We have essentially kicked the rock down the hill. Once that happens, the deadlines seem to pile up.
Call for Program Committee Volunteers
Feb 10th
The 2010 PASS Program Committee Call for volunteers is open, We’re looking for the usual assortment of people to help shape the summit in 2010.
Abstract Reviews
Ever wanted to have an input into which sessions are actually chosen for the summitt? The group of volunteers who do this are chosen from these applications. Its a very challenging endeavor but also very rewarding.
Special Projects
There are literally dozens of separate projects that need to happen every year in order for the Summit to come together appropriately. Things like setting up the mgmt software, reviewing the ppts, reviewing the chosen abstracts for grammatical errors etc. These people will also be chosen primarily from the applications received
Leadership
We need a couple of people who want to be involved in the PASS Program committee at a higher level, who have the time available to commit. No prior leadership experience is necessarily required, although it would likely be helpful. The only way we can succeed on a higher level this year is if we can get a few good people who are ready and willing to commit that extra bit and can help. Also, I have to admit there is a somewhat selfish motive here, I dont see myself staying in this current position forever, and the only way I can move on within PASS (and sleep at night) is if I can start training my replacement.
Application
If your interested in any of this head on over to the survey/application. The application period this year closes on the 22nd of Feb. So please do it now while your thinking about it!!
Image thanks to kev/null
Your relationship with your professional organization
Feb 9th
Do you have a relationship with your professional organization?
What is your professional organization? is it in technology? Something like Ineta, PASS, ISUG, IDUG, IOUG or one of the other various technology groups that exist. Or maybe your preferred group is more in the business side of things like ASPA, LOMA or AICPA. If you dont know your desired professional organization, take a second and plug in your favorite search terms + professional organization into “binoogle” and see if the results lead you to a new beginning.
Expectations
If you already know your professional organization, what do you expect of your relationship with your organization? Is it a two way street? Do you give as well as receive? Would you like the relationship between you and that organization to be stronger or weaker? Do they do enough to help you succeed, do they provide value? Do you do what you can to enable their success? A little overly rhetorical probably, but you get the point.
Relationships
Every professional organization (that I know of) requires many dedicated volunteers to succeed. The more help they have the more work they can get done and thus the more value that can be provided to the members (thats you and me!!) The relationship between members and the professional organization is certainly a two way street and both sides need to be at their best in order for either to succeed but, normally the relationship is onesided where the members gain more from the organization than the organization gains from the members, thats why there are thousands of members and hundreds of volunteers. If your involved in an organization, do they get the help they need and use it appropriately? Do you appreciate them? Do they appreciate you? is it worth it?
How can you add value to the relationship?
No matter what you do, or what your interests are I bet there exists an organization that could use your help. Why not step up today and offer your services? No matter what level your skills are, beginner, or Grand Jedi Master, you too can help your chosen org bring more value to its members.
This post is part of the Tsql Tuesday series
