Thom Singer, CSP 🌟

I have been writing and speaking about the power of human engagement for 15 years - now is the most important time for “Community, Collaboration, and Conversations”. Industry associations have a key role in figuring an antidote to loneliness.

“Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are.” -- John Wooden

I just overheard a young guy say to the person he was talking to at Starbucks—- “character is second to reputation and fame and money”. Nope.

People tend to make up parts of the story of another person is they do not know it. I am learning to listen and ask more questions rather than assume.

There is arrogance and then there are asshats. It ain’t arrogant if it’s true- so I can be cool with a successful person who is arrogant. But if you are an asshat that is just you. (And you know it).

“People with people skills will find themselves at a premium in the future” - via Blake Holman at Innotech Austin. @InnoTech_

There are lots of reason to find the negative or say “no”. What is you looked for ways to say yes?

Forget looksmaxxing. The real advantage in business is connectionmaxxing, becoming the kind of person people remember, trust, introduce, and refer. Choose people. #connectionmaxxing

AI is changing everything… and I’m genuinely excited about it. But the most underrated skill right now isn’t prompt engineering. It’s Human Interaction. H.I. is the skill that compounds alongside AI, not against it.

@theisaacmed Born and raised in CA. 35 years in Austin. Both are good. Not sure why the need some have to hate on Austin. Hot in summer, sure. But you adjust- unless a person is fragile. Downtown side? It’s filled with people that don’t know the history of how it became what it is today.

I spent a few days in Austin last week and I now understand the hype. I was shocked by the cheap real estate prices. Downtown is lively. Amazing Mexican food. Lots of housing inventory. Decent folks everywhere. Lots of jobs. The only cons I can really think of are the weather. Every time I have been it’s sucked. Last week was fog and rain. A few years ago was a giant freeze that made the power grid collapse. Also property taxes. Is there anything else I’m missing?

The skill AI can’t automate- Human Interaction (H.I.). youtu.be/KuE94PmAjtw?si…

Biggest conference trend of 2027 is not AI.... it is H.I. (human interaction) thomsinger.com/blog/the-bigge… #meetingprofs

I talked to a local startup founder about getting involved with the community. He said his mentor told him that getting involved with community is a waste of time. Instead at his age only focus on making money. When I was 35 mentors told me to get involved with community.

I just met a 92 year old. I asked what’s the biggest thing you know to be for sure at your age… And he said “people who are jerks, nasty, jealous, and mean always end up so miserable it’s fun to watch”. (all three of us talking to him laughed so loud.)

When having a discussion with differing view points do not tell the other side to “be an adult”. Wow does it piss people off when you dismiss them as smaller minded than you. lol (someone did that to me… And I immediately got three direct message from people hating them) lol

The hallway is your best venue at a conference. Stop competing with it and inspire human interaction (H. I.). #EventProfs #HumanInteraction #MeetingDesign

Back-to-back 30-minute breakouts isn’t a conference. It’s speed dating with PowerPoint. #MeetingProfs #EventDesign #ConferencePlanning

I’ve spoken at 1,000+ events. Zero attendees have ever told me they wished there were more breakout sessions. Zero. (except once right after the pandemic where there were almost no breakout sessions at an event). #KeynoteSpeaker #EventProfs #Conferences

If your conference agenda could have been a Zoom call, you haven’t earned the plane ticket. #EventIndustry #MeetingDesign #HumanInteraction

Nobody flies across the country to watch slides. They come for the hallway conversations at conferences. Meeting planners: remove a session. Replace it with nothing. Watch what happens. #EventProfs #MeetingProfs #ConferenceDesign

@russn I used to do that a lot… Tell people I could work any phrase into my speech… I haven’t done that in a long time… That’s a fun party trick I’m gonna do that again at my next Keynote

@thomsinger Thom’s message years ago at a conference helped this introvert go up and start talking to people at conferences. Still remember you working “gargling with peanut butter” into one of your talks! 😀

The average conference attendee remembers zero sessions but remembers every good conversation. Conference planners- You’re programming for the wrong thing.