SIPACON 2009 - Silicon Valley 2010 and Beyond
November 7, 2009 Saturday
8 am to 4.30pm
SIPACON2009 our annual event for the year is coming up. We have an exciting list of speakers and topics lined up. The annual event will focus on the changing business climate and how Silicon Valley will emerge out of this recession. More importantly, what skills do we as professionals need to acquire to thrive in this business environment.
Key Highlights of SIPACON 2009
• Keynote by Tom Campbell - former Dean of Haas School of Business, the Budget director for Arnold Schwarznegger and a candidate for the next Governor of California.
• Workshop on Communications by Peggy Klaus - BRAG! THE ART OF TOOTING YOUR OWN HORN WITHOUT BLOWING IT
• Showcasing new startups – A 30 minute showcase of new and innovative startups bring new ideas to the marketplace.
• Panel on Enterprise application trends consisting of CIOs and Vendors, who will discuss the evolving enterprise needs in the new economic climate and the vendors response to these needs.
• Panel on opportunities in Green and Clean technologies.
Stay tuned for more information.
In September, we had a fantastic event on becoming better networkers. This month SIPA takes networking to the next level. Fasten your seat belts and be ready for a No Agenda, No topic, Energy packed and fun filled speed networking. If you have never attended a speed networking session, join this one. We promise it will be fun and you will get to meet upto 30 professionals in less than an hour, something that might take you a month.
We will break the ice for you. Be prepared to hone your elevator pitch using the ideas from Rajesh Setty’s workshop. Some of those ideas can be read at our blog – blog.sipa.org
You can also read the two eBooks by Rajesh Setty.
Lasting Relationships: http://www.rajeshsetty.com/resources/books/lasting-relationships/
Defiant : http://www.activegarage.com/projects/defiant
Register here:
https://www.123signup.com/register?id=jszzz
When: October 22nd (Thursday) 6pm to 9pm
Location : Club Illusions
260 S California Ave
Palo Alto, CA 94306
Registration :
Members Online $ 10 Walk In $ 15
Non Members Online $ 15 Walk in $ 20
Agenda :
6 - 6.45 Registration and Networking
6.45 – 7 Introduction
7 – 8.30 Speed Networking
8.30 – 9 Networking
There will be a cash bar. Complementary appetizers will be provided.
**SPECIAL ** Discounts on the upcoming annual event and annual membership will be provided at the event.
Rajesh Setty does know something about networking and making relationships, and he proved it well last Thursday. A well rounded presentation highlighting topics filled with positive reinforcements that could be easily incorporated in our daily lives was what made Rajesh stand out. Imparting knowledge through a 2 ½ hrs session filled with energy, humor, wit and active participation made the evening incredibly worthwhile.
A few takeaways from the presentation are listed here below:
Introducing yourself, the Boxing Match
o People tend to ‘box’ you before getting to know first. It happens all around us and Rajesh emphasized staying ‘away’ from the ‘box’ing game.
o An easy trap is to say something like “I work at Cisco”. This sort of introduction does not say anything about you and boxes you into something the user has experienced about Cisco (good or bad).
o Your introduction should say something about you that is relevant to the listener. Be relevant, so that if and when the boxing does happen, you are put in the ‘right box’.
6 word memoir
o This was a very interesting exercise as it raised a question for all of us to try: Write your memoir, how you would like to be remembered in exactly 6 words. Try this exercise for yourself. It will be amazingly revealing, I promise!
Likeability
o How likeable are you to others? People respond to likeable people more than others. So put that smile forward and become approachable today! Think for a moment all the people you know, and identify who you think really likes you. Now grow that circle.
What matters to you?
o Whatever matters to you, think through it and internalize it. What is it that you value? Is it fame, money, title? We tend to spend our days keeping up with the day to day activities and not realizing what is that core value that we are striving to achieve? If you have not answered it yet, take some time to pen that downs
o Create a graph with time on the X axis and your core value (or what matters) on the Y axis. Plot where you are today and mark where you want to be,say in 5 years. Obviously, this point is roughly in the North East direction.
o Your network needs to have people who can help you get to that point.
• Now here is key. How can you help in someone's "What matter's graph?"
o You can help in someone else’s “what matters” graph either by shortening their time horizon or providing additional value or both.
o If you can be of value to someone’s “What matter’s” graph, then you have made a lasting relationship.
Making powerful requests
o Asking the right questions is critical. And when you do ask, ask in a powerful way. These powerful request will become opportunities to add value to both parties, not just for the person asking the question.
o Rajesh mandated us to make one powerful request in the group. His notion that there is tremendous help around, the only barrier that we need to overcome is ASK. We need to ask in a way that creates opportunities and thus transforms a simple request into a powerful one. This was a fear -breaking activity filling one with humility!
o Rajesh has a number of examples of reframing questions in his blog.
There is no simple way to summarize the learning from the evening. Rajesh made it clear right in the beginning that the value you get is proportional to your input.
Make sure to check out Rajesh’s blog consistently for continuous knowledge feed and growing professionally and personally! Also read the two free eBooks mentioned in the previous post.
Contributed by Dipti Jain
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