Overview

During the SLA Leadership Summit in St. Louis, Missouri, in January 2010, we held two unconference sessions - one during lunch and a second session during a full leadership meeting in the afternoon of the same day. Bill Fisher introduced each session and general ideas; Kendra Levine explained the "rules" of an unconference; Marie Kaddell and Karen Huffman facilitated the initial lunch discussion/mind-map; and Amy Buckland, Daniel Lee, and others facilitated lunchtime break-out sessions.

A collection of ideas were shared and proposed. Here are my takeaways and what I heard participants saying was...

• Inclusion is key - Every idea counts - which is why an unconference is a perfect platform. Make every effort to reach geographically dispersed individuals, expanding BEYOND the U.S. If we want more people involved, then we need to make them feel included and validate their ideas.
• Flexible communication - Need to communicate through a variety of tools and applications. Facilitate "effective controversial discussions" even if you may not agree with everyone's viewpoint.
• Inspire leaders through a cross-disciplinary approach - We see a lot of the same wonderful faces year after year taking on leadership roles but how do we/YOU include others into leadership roles, cross-train, and motivate? On Dysart & Jones blog post today, Rebecca Jones talks about what inspired her from a blog posts on "Six Things We Can Learn from Olympians" (see The Olympics!! Watch, enjoy & learn - yep, learn, February 12, 2010).
• You have to be part of the solution - your organization, association, and others will make an effort toward reaching out to you, but you also have to take steps. Remember the saying, "It takes a whole village to raise a child." You are part of the solution, so don't wait to be asked; just jump in. Any and all efforts will be welcomed!

Gallery of ideas

2010 Leadership Summit Unconference Sessions (view as slideshow)
	Marie (left) and Bill (right)		Unconference lunch session - key takeaways		Kendra (left) and Daniel (right)
	Table discussions/break-out session		Table discussions/break-out session		Tabe discussions/break-out session
	Ideas shared		Ideas shared		Ideas shared

Reminders: SLA Annual Conference Unconference sessions planned for June 2010

• Propose a topic for an unconference session during SLA annual conference.
• Mark your program calendar to attend an unconference session. Note: Dates are solid but topics and facilitators will evolve over the next few months.

Share your ideas

If you attended the SLA leadership summit and would like to share your ideas, please add your comments below.