I’ve had similar posts to this one before, I know–but today was another day where the focus seemed to be on connecting with others, appreciating what they had to share, and thanking them for their hard work.

We had a daylong symposium today that my department coordinated: a roundtable in the morning, followed by a panel discussion and a keynote speaker. Probably a dozen people or more contributed to the effort. And everything went off without a hitch.

It’s important for me to note that not everything happened the way I would have planned it–and that was perfectly fine.

Yes, I can be a bit of a control freak, so just letting go can be a challenge. But what I discover in the process (another “major” insight coming here folks!) is that if I can give up the “lead” on some projects, I open up a space for others to share their insights and help shape an evolving conversation.

I truly appreciated the opportunity to be able to see so many of my colleagues share their thoughts and make connections between their own work and the work of their peers–many of whom they see every day without realizing the potential points of contact between their professional interests. Sure, we put on the symposium for a wider audience than ourselves, but it was clear to me today that we were the true beneficiaries of our efforts.

So, was today “my” event? Hardly. I am happy I helped get the ball rolling to coordinate and organize the event….

And I’m even happier that I let it go to become something that I could take part in as a peer amongst peers.