Take-Aways from the AAFCS Conference

I recently attended the 2019 American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences (AAFCS) conference in St Louis, MO. Below are five “nuggets” that I took away from conference speaker presentations:

¨     With respect to charitable gifting and philanthropy, one speaker recommended lifetime gifting with the following phrase: “I believe in giving while you are living, so you are knowing where it is going.”

 

¨     An external locus of control (i.e., a belief that others control your destiny) was found to be negatively associated with financial knowledge in a research study. The presenter surmised that people do not feel a need to learn new information if they feel they cannot change the circumstances of their lives.

 

¨     You do not need a title to be a leader. Leadership is having a positive influence- not an administrative job. Effective leaders are solution-oriented and are generally more effective when they focus on one thing at a time.

 

¨     “Linchpin” people are vital to an organization because they hold everything together. They are difficult to live without and are, therefore, least likely to be laid off. To become a linchpin, watch current news trends and become indispensable. Try to be “the new, the changer, the other” instead of “the next [name of predecessor]."

 

¨     A major reason that organizations need to focus on diversity and inclusion (appreciating and respecting members from a variety of backgrounds) is to reflect communities that they serve. Once diversity related shifts are made, organizations need to let their communities know that they have made positive changes.