Welcome to the
Digital Odyssey
This blog explores the collision of imagination, intelligence, and emerging technology. It’s not about chasing trends or hyping tools—it’s about understanding the real shifts beneath the surface. From AI ethics to workflow reinvention, Digital Odyssey documents the journey of those who are bold enough to question defaults, reimagine systems, and shape the future on their own terms.
The Secret Sauce for Change Management: Everboarding
You might be wondering why I've been talking your ear off about "everboarding." No, it's not a misspelling, and it's not some new extreme sport. It's a concept that's quietly revolutionizing how organizations handle change and how leaders guide their teams through it. Let's dive into why I'm so passionate about it.
The Ever-Boarding Advantage: Fueling Organizational Change
The statistics on employee disengagement paint a stark picture of the modern workplace. The decline in engagement, coupled with the looming threat of turnover, underscores the urgent need for a proactive and continuous approach to employee development and support. The traditional onboarding process, often confined to the initial weeks or months, simply doesn't cut it anymore. The solution lies in ever-boarding, a dynamic process that extends onboarding beyond the initial phase, fostering a culture of continuous learning, growth, and connection.
When Change Hits Home: Navigating Chaos in Dysfunctional Organizations (And Lessons from My Own Journey)
Change is hard. But change in a dysfunctional organization? It's like navigating a hurricane while building a sandcastle. 🌪️🏰
In honor of Pride Month, I'm reflecting on my own journey of change and sharing lessons learned from navigating chaos, both personally and professionally. 🏳️🌈
Grove's Timeless Principles Meet the Modern Workplace
The modern workplace is undergoing a seismic shift. We're moving away from the traditional 9-to-5, office-bound model toward a more flexible, human-centric approach. But how can we navigate this changing landscape while ensuring our teams thrive?
The wisdom of legendary Intel CEO Andy Grove, as outlined in his book "High Output Management," and the forward-thinking insights of Atlassian's Dom Price offer a powerful framework for building a sustainable future of work that goes beyond mere productivity.
TEAM 24 Buzz: Rovo, AI, and the Future of Enterprise Search
Atlassian's TEAM 24 conference was packed with exciting announcements, but one that has the potential to be a game-changer is the unveiling of Rovo. While still in its early stages, Rovo promises a unified search experience across the entire enterprise, powered by cutting-edge AI capabilities. This goes beyond simply finding that elusive document faster. Rovo has the potential to revolutionize how we address one of the biggest challenges of remote work: knowledge accessibility and breaking down information silos that can stall progress and hinder collaboration.
The Water's Path: Persistence, Power, and Change
Nature provides some of the most powerful metaphors for understanding the complexities of change. Much like water, change can be a slow, persistent force, gradually carving its path through the most resistant landscapes. Yet, it also possesses the potential for rapid, transformative power, capable of reshaping its surroundings in unexpected ways.
The Snowflake Effect: Are You the One That Triggers the Avalanche?
Snowflakes fall, a gentle tide,
Transforming landscapes, far and wide.
Change takes time, a silent force,
From tiny acts, it finds its course.
A single flake, a fragile thing,
Yet change arrives on whispered wings.
Your actions count, your efforts soar,
The avalanche begins with one drop more.
Stop Sleepwalking Through Change: Use Data Like a Pro
Ever present a carefully crafted change plan to your team, sure it's a winner, only to be met with blank stares and crickets? Trust me, I've been there. If you're not backing your brilliant ideas with solid data, chances are, they're not going anywhere. A recent article I stumbled upon really hit this point home, and reminded me of something my adopted mum taught me years ago.
Stop Wandering in the Dark: How OKRs Illuminate the Path of Change
Change initiatives often leave teams feeling like they're fumbling through the fog. Lack of transparency about goals, priorities, and progress breeds confusion, resistance, and ultimately slows down the entire process. OKRs (Objectives and Key Results) offer a powerful solution to change management's biggest communication problem. Let's explore how they create a clear, shared understanding of the path forward.
Stop Sacrificing Empathy for Speed: A Change Management Reality Check
Empathy: It's the golden child of leadership books and change management seminars. Everyone agrees it's crucial for building trust, communication, you name it! But here's the thing... the moment a change initiative gets stressful, empathy gets tossed out the window like yesterday's lunch.
Dale Carnegie: The Secret Ingredient for Change Management Success
Change management experts have their go-to frameworks – Prosci, 5M, and others provide essential blueprints for navigating transformations. But for truly successful change, there's another timeless resource to tap into: the wisdom of Dale Carnegie, author of the classic "How to Win Friends and Influence People".
When "Change Management" Becomes Personal: Lessons from My Transition
My hands shook as I clicked 'send' on the email to Christy Wyatt, my CEO. Subject line: 'Important Conversation Request.' For months, the words 'I'm transgender' had been a silent weight in my chest. Fear gnawed at me: fear of rejection, fear my career would screech to a halt. But that day, the need to be my authentic self outweighed everything else.
Change Blueprints vs. Sticky Notes: To Plan or Not to Plan?
Last time we talked about how some folks love feelings and others love flowcharts. But let's face it, change is messy. No matter how much you plan, things are gonna go sideways. So, do you need a detailed roadmap or a stack of sticky notes and a "let's figure this out as we go" attitude?
The Secret Sauce of Change: 5 Universal Principles You Can't Ignore
Change is messy. Whether it's a major company restructuring or a simple software upgrade, we've all seen change initiatives fizzle out despite good intentions. But here's the thing: while there are a gazillion change management frameworks out there (Prosci, ADKAR, Kotter...the list goes on!), they all boil down to a few core principles. Nail these, and you're well on your way to boosting your change success rate.
"Change is hard" is the wrong excuse. Maybe your strategy is the problem.
Ever feel like your company's full of "strategies" but not much actually changes? This HBR article breaks down the problem, and it's not about execution alone...it starts at the strategy level.
My Digital Odyssey: From On-Prem Outlaw to Cloud Champion
Remember those old "Wild West" ads with tumbleweeds blowing by? That was my team at Good Technology a decade ago. We were the internal tools group – a bit stuck in our ways, more focused on maintaining our dusty software setup than embracing anything new. Boom. Enter me, a fresh-faced Scrum Master secretly tasked with shaking things up. Little did I know I was about to embark on an Atlassian adventure that would shape my career.
The AI Revolution? More Like a Quiet Coup
Forget the robots taking over the world. There's a much sneakier revolution happening in business, and it's got everything to do with AI. This isn't the scary AI of the movies; this is the kind making everything smoother, faster, and yeah, even a little more personal.
Empower, Don't Dictate: Why Transparency is the Key to Change Management
Inspire people by presenting a compelling vision for the future.
https://arc.net/l/quote/qxwfswga
This article hits the nail on the head. It's not enough to announce a change from the ivory tower and expect employees to blindly follow along. We've all seen that movie – it ends badly. The key to successful change management is transparency, and that means truly explaining the "why" behind the "what."