Traditionally and historically, December has been the blow-the-doors-off event for the Certification Network Group for two reasons. We feature marketing issues and topics instead of the finer points of psychometric analysis and exam forms building in a software systems. In other words, we get down and dirty on who is going to take the blinking tests even if we build them to perfection? The other reason we see the largest crowd of the year is it is the end of the year, in a great space (the new AARP Conference Center, within walking distance of three (3) Metro Stations in Washington, DC) and everyone is feeling like networking, connecting and wishing each other the best for the holidays and new year ahead.
We had a great meeting and more than 150 members signed up. The membership continues to grow and we are at 500, exactly, today. That's 500 active, networking, deep-into-certification professionals. (By the way, if you have not gone to the JOIN tab on the CNG web site lately, you need to do that now. The information you put on the JOIN form overwrites the latest information we have from you. If we don't hear from you or see you at a meeting for 9 months, we assume you are not networking and that just quietly dissolves you from the group.)
Right before the December meeting, we have the annual gathering of the steering committee and all of the representatives from all of the CNG Sponsor companies and organizations to brainstorm and decide on the programs, priorities and new projects for the year ahead.
Our leader of certification leaders, Trish Serratore, moved the group through a great discussion of how will we make the CNG experience even better in 2009 for all members, new members, the growing numbers who are networking virtually from places far from Washington, DC, and for the increasing numbers of service providers, looking for ways to work their way into the credentialing industry.
The great news is we worked through the program topics, program leaders and ideas for the March, June, September and December events for 2009. We brainstormed some special programs at other times of the year, such as the special symposium we conducted in 2007 at the AIA Conference Center from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., including the luncheon, which went over so well. We hear the requests from our members in Chicago, Philadelphia, midwest and western cities to convene programs there. We plan to do something special and new in those cities. We hear the requests for going virtual with the programs, not just the networking, chatting and problem solving on our LinkedIn for Groups area and in this blog.
Add this to the top of your list for 2009, as well: Click here to go to the CNG Group on Linked In and make sure you are active in that group. You will know it the following ways. Look at your profile on LinkedIn and make sure you see the CNG Group logo on your profile page. If you clicked on that link and it says you are already in the group, then click on the MEMBERS tab and see if you are showing up along with the list of all the other members you can see when you click on that MEMBERS tab. On the other hand, if you clicked on that link and it offered you the option to ask to join the group, then you just found out that you are not in the middle of the conversation and fun. You need to correct that immediately by adding the CNG link to your profile.
We have 500 members and about half of them have completed their LinkedIn connection.
We have an active chat area in LinkedIn and if you are not in the middle of the conversations, you are missing out on some interesting questions and responses from other CNG members.
Final word on getting the most out of 2009: Network
It's not called neteating or netsitting or netlurking. It's called networking and that means getting off the bench and into the game.
Ahead: More details about the programs and special task forces (you can sign up for any of them right here, right now) to make sure you are totally equipped to navigate the choppy waters of 2009 and have all the help and support you need from your colleagues in CNG.
