I continue to pick up tips, gain insight, and grow as a leader from my association with ALMA.  I really like the focus areas on laboratory and people management that ALMA conferences provide.  ALMA attracts a diverse range of laboratories in a wide range of specialties, and I see tremendous value hearing from leaders in industries that are not anything like my own.  People I’ve met through ALMA are approachable, knowledgeable, eager to learn, and happy to share their experiences.

Attending the ALMA Annual Conference has helped me in so many ways. During the Managing a High-Functioning Lab workshop, I spoke about my need to be more assertive and I received some amazing advice from fellow lab managers that I use today!

My favorite takeaway was the conference presentation about different generations working in the same lab and how that factors into different lab management styles. It was so informative. It gave insight into how different people lead based on how they were raised and what environment they were raised in.

ALMA conferences are the total package! I came back to Weill Cornell confident in my abilities to lead. I will definitely be attending again!

ALMA conferences are a worthwhile investment. There are so many people from different types of labs and a lot of great speakers with high-quality messages. I also like the roundtable sessions and the vendor introductions. The vendor introductions were very useful and I ended up talking to some I would not have approached if I did not hear from them during the introductions.  All in all, good sessions and good use of my time.

ALMA is a great organization that is highly relevant for laboratory managers and draws on a vast array of experience from trusted leaders in the field from multiple professional backgrounds. I’ve learned a great deal from ALMA about how to build an inclusive team, incorporate feedback to make the team better at achieving its goals, and also how to deal with difficult situations when they arise.  It’s been a great networking tool as well, and each year selects a new focus for their annual conference to help us all be more effective managers.