oh dear, oh dear, today is Tuesday and tomorrow is a Prostmasters free Wednesday. What to do? Time to reflect on how last week’s great meeting developed and dream a bit on what we will do better next week.
Our last meeting was great. I must admit – in hindsight…
For I was a bit apprehensive before, as preparations had been confusing…
With our president on vacation (well-deserved of course) I was going to stand in (I’d promised) but… I was in Paris that day and wasn’t sure if I would make it on time (flights are known to be directly associated to delay). So I had asked Mel – TM of the evening – to cover for me.
I arrived before Mel and from then on, I knew all would be fine. And it was.
In my opening I referred to the (less than mediocre) quality of the presentations I’d been subjected to in my first part of the day and expressed my sincere wish and hope that Prostmasters would do better. And boy, did they ever!
Ranjith made us laugh about German engineers and the insights one shares over a Weißbier in a Biergarten. After his joke of the day Caroline not only pointed out that she is a pretty good runner, she also challenged us, to use the word “challenge” as word of the day. A challenge only few of us were able to deliver on, unfortunately.
They were followed by Haiyi who challenged us with ideas around outdoor sports to be developed by the “victims” of her table topics session. I certainly learned a great deal, e.g. thanks to Cynthia, Inow know, that sports are not as healthy as I thought they were. And Klaus instructed us on the damages that electrical bicycles can do to a relationship.
We also had 3 tremendous prepared speeches. Stephan O. did an Icebreaker that could shame many a more advanced speaker. Stephan K. taught us what managers can learn from cows and impressed us all with his mooing technique. Last but not least we were entertained by David, a true Scot, on the Germany’s True Scots. Now we finally know why so many Scots come to the Oktoberfest. Not for the beer, nonono, it is to meet their true Bavarian brethren!
As we had Christopher guide us through the evaluation session, we gained valuable insights in the sandwich technique and the difference between subjective and objective evaluations.
To end in beauty, we concluded this packed and inspiring meeting well within time and off we were to reevaluate everything over diner in a nearby restaurant.
And I had been thinking that things weren’t going to run smoothly… Next week, I don’t want anything more than a fun-filled, energy-packed and inspiring meeting. Concluded with an equally inspiring after-meeting!