When things go wrong, it can be helpful to understand what happened and who was involved. However, all too often organizations (and the managers within) confuse responsibility with assigning blame. The former is essential for improvement. The latter works against an effective, collaborative, productive culture.

Employer evaluations measure your performance against expected objectives, evaluate you against other employees, and aim to keep you relevant in your company. But it’s also a good idea to perform a self-examination in relationship to your place of employment, to ensure you stay attractive to potential future employers.

You researched the conference you want to attend and gained approval to go—now what? These tips will ensure you make the most of your conference experience, from planning who and what you want to see while you're there, to starting to network ahead of time, to making sure you bring back the most valuable information.