I’m home from Nashville and feeling energized, yet exhausted, after several days of learning and professional networking. Since returning home, I’ve been reflecting on the terrific experiences I’ve had while volunteering with my professional association.

Welcome to the 80^th edition of The Sunday Spark, a series with weekly thoughts and highlights, nuggets of learning, and a decluttering challenge for the week. In addition to the power of networking, this week’s edition includes highlights from the conference keynote and tips for organizing important documents.

On my mind this week: The power of professional networking

This week, I attended the International Society of Certified Employee Benefit Specialists (ISCEBS) annual Employee Benefits Symposium in Nashville. For years, this gathering of self-proclaimed “benefits nerds” has been a highlight of my year, both personally and professionally.

I earned the Certified Employee Benefit Specialist (CEBS) designation in 2003 and have been a member of ISCEBS for almost 20 years. After serving several years on the board of our local chapter, I was elected to the parent organization’s governing body in 2018 and served as President in 2023.

As Past President, I’ll be rolling off at the end of this year. It’s a bittersweet time. I’m so grateful for the growth and opportunities my involvement has given me, but I’ll miss the committee meetings, board meetings, and even the challenges that come with leading a diverse organization of professionals. But I’ve had my day and it’s time to pass the baton to the next generation.

Networking and community

I first attended the annual Employee Benefits Symposium in 2012 and haven’t missed one since. I’m always impressed by the thoughtful content, engaging speakers, and the opportunity to connect with other people who dedicate their careers to the benefit and retirement plans so many workers depend on. But the reason so many of us keep coming back year after year is the sense of community, the networking, and the fun!

You might be surprised to hear of the amount of fun that a bunch of benefit nerds can have when they step away from their day-to-day responsibilities. Most of us see each other only once a year, but there are always hugs, and laughs, as we catch up on our lives. By Wednesday morning, I was hoarse from the constant talking, laughing, and yelling to be heard over Nashville’s live music.

Staying connected

Even though I’ve moved on from my primary career in the retirement business, I plan to stay connected and involved with ISCEBS. During the Symposium, I had some inspiring conversations about my plans to launch a retirement coaching business. There was consensus that many people need help figuring out what their “post-career” life will look like. If the benefit nerds think it’s worthwhile, I must be on to something.

Like many professional organizations, ISCEBS has challenges growing our membership and pipeline of volunteers. Many younger workers don’t see the value of this type of involvement. As I look back on the last 20 years, it has never felt like work. Volunteering in this way truly has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my career.

But I can’t help but wonder if the Retirement Coaches Association needs any volunteers…

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Three highlights of the week

It’s important to celebrate big milestones and simple pleasures in life. Keeping the trend going, here are three highlights and simple pleasures of the week gone by:

• I didn’t have a lot of time for sightseeing in Nashville, but we did get out on the General Jackson Showboat on Saturday night, followed by a wander down the Honky Tonk Highway on Broadway. On Sunday, I enjoyed a delicious brunch with some of my friends. I had short rib hash, and it was very tasty. Oh, and there were mimosas!
• Air Canada reached an agreement with their pilots, so I ended up with the choice of two flights home on Wednesday since I had booked a WestJet flight as a back-up plan. I decided to go with the WestJet flight because it would get me home a bit sooner. As a bonus, I had a whole row to myself!
• Friday was the second instalment in the ABCD… lunch series with my high school girlfriends. It was my turn to organize, so I choose Borealis Grille & Bar in Guelph, thinking I had never been there before. When I arrived, I got an odd feeling of déjà vu, and my friends informed me we had been there for lunch a couple of years ago. It appears my good memory is shorter than it used to be! In any event, we had a terrific lunch and catch up. I love how the years melt away and the time flies when we’re together.

Things I learned this week

I learned a lot at Symposium but most of it would be of interest only to other benefit nerds. I did write down a few highlights of the opening keynote presentation that I thought would be of interest.

Employment trends in a world of AI

Dr. Peter Cappelli of The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, gave the Monday keynote presentation on The Truth about AI, Jobs, Employment, and Generations At Work. Some interesting thoughts from Dr. Cappelli’s presentation:

• In the United States, 73% of employers have no remote workers. Remote and hybrid work is a big city, big company phenomenon.
• “Coffee badging” is a term referring to employees who are finding ways around the requirement to show up in the office a specified number of days every week. Some of them are showing up, swiping in, grabbing a coffee, and then leaving.
• Half of US employees get NO training in a year. The other half gets just an average of 8 hours a year. No wonder we have skills gaps!
• Dr. Cappelli predicts AI will not lead to substantial job losses. He maintains that, rather than taking over existing tasks, AI is more likely to lead to new tasks to address needs we haven’t been meeting.

This week’s decluttering challenge – Organizing important documents

In 2024, I’ve been revisiting the 52-Week Decluttering Challenge I completed in 2021. This week’s challenge was important documents. Although I didn’t declutter anything, I did update our emergency binder. You can find the details, along with my tips and learnings, in this week’s decluttering post.

If you’d like to join the challenge, visit this post to download your free checklists and jump right in with this week’s task.

I’d love to hear what you think about any of this week’s topics. Drop me a comment below and let me know your thoughts and ideas.