Professional Development Event reflection -- An Evening with Neil Carrington

For the end of semester 2, we attended an eats and greets event with a motivational speaker named Neil Carrington. It was the end of semester, and I remember us all being pretty tired from constant assignments, and a few of us were still completing them. Still, we turned up.

The motivational speaker first stated he'd used his techniques on famous Rugby players and a few cherry-picked celebrities. He didn't speak as to whether they got anything out of the session, merely that they'd attended. I've found these things to be hit and miss. You can either take a lot from motivational talks or see them for what they are -- pep talks that cost money.

Nevertheless, the motivational speaker gave us some interesting activities, made us work with others (I remember meeting an interesting person from another library that I forgot to return the pen of), and just in general learning things like selling yourself, proper networking, and the value of the self.

I did enjoy this motivational speech. It was inspiring, we wrote down stuff which is always nice. But I feel like motivational speeches happen in echo chambers. You listen to positive and upbeat strategies for how to be confident and conduct yourself thusly, but I find most of it isn't taken away when the speech is concluded. Even now, I remember barely any of the strategies employed. In a way, this kind of positive talk boils down to 'sell yourself!' and 'network your strengths!' and everything else is just snake oil selling.

I'd much rather a motivational speaker explain why it is that we don't feel motivated at times, scientifically, and again, scientifically, how we can be motivated. Because there are so many strategies from these self-proclaimed 'motivational speakers' that amount to very little for most, and for some, enamoured by the confidence of the speaker, it sinks in.

In terms of my professional development, I felt this had little effect. I mean, you can talk all you like about giving your speech to Rugby players and celebs, but if the speech itself has little lasting impact, there's not too much point.