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I met with over 100 CIOs in 2023, and the nature of our conversations differed from the beginning to the end of the year. The 2024 technology outlook is beyond AI. The conversations in early 2023 were predominately about; Inflationary pressures and a need for predictability of costs. This was being driven by technology companies and their cloud services. Many CIOs were exploring hybrid environments for greater cost certainty. Cybersecurity - more specifically, many of the questions posed to CIOs were by company directors seeking confidence in Cyber resilience (how secure are we?) and recovery (how we reinstate services). From the middle to the end of the year, the conversations had changed, and five key themes emerged; Contemporary strategy with meaningful alignment into the future direction of the business. Some CIOs created a digital strategy, and others updated their technology strategy. My logical delineation is that a digital strategy is predominantly about business (i.e., for customers and partners) and externally facing, while a technology strategy is primarily internal. Funding was available for strategies, and releasing the funds was based on clear milestones being met. Governance was tight, and regular updates were required, but funding was not the issue, which led me to the next point… Organisational redesign became a priority. There is not a plethora of experienced and willing people available. Involving people within key strategic initiatives to build their careers became a key retention lever. ESG, boards and executives are taking a greater interest in initiatives and data available to determine progress. This will continue to be a focus for 2024. AI - everyone is talking about it, but few are doing it. I delivered over thirty presentations on the topic. It is evident that CIOs don’t know who to truly trust on AI initiatives, with tech and professional services companies pushing their agendas. Many organisations realised after my keynote that quality data fuels their AI begins with data. I will be sharing more about AI in upcoming blogs. Over the summer, I updated both my websites: my author site, www.davidbanger.com, and my business site, www.changelead.com. Throughout 2024, I’m now more available for workshops, keynotes, and strategic services after concluding a major contract in December. Have a great 2024, and feel free to contact me here if you’re interested in working with me.

Season greetings! While working at Microsoft within International IT, I learned how the Gates Foundation was ending the poverty cycle through education. Specifically, girls education. Much of my work now is about understanding and evolving systems within an organisation (not technology, but systems thinking), and educating girls is one of the key things that helps a country reduce poverty. Systems thinking is explored in my book Finding A Better Way. So this year, as we have done since 2020, we have donated to ONE GIRL, a charity that educates girls in the poorest countries in the world. The best part is that our donation was made on a 'dollar match' day (here), meaning our donation had double the impact 🎉 132 million girls around the world are denied an education 11 million girls may not return to school because of disruptions during COVID-19 One girl to every two boys graduates high school 39% of girls are married before their 18th birthday 13% of girls are married before age 15 However: A girl's income will increase by 20% with EVERY YEAR of schooling A child born to a literate mother is 50% more likely to survive past the age of five A country's GDP rises by 3% when 10% more girls attend school As a father of three, with the two eldest being young women aged 18 and 16, this makes me very uncomfortable and is another reason why we give to ONE GIRL. Want to learn more? Watch this one-minute video from Global Citizen, or this three-minute video from Girl Effect. I am away for much of January, so the regular blog will resume on February 2. I hope you enjoy a restful break, and send my best wishes for 2024.

Many countries worldwide remain close to full employment. Australia forecasts the unemployment rate to be around 4.25% in 2025 due to a stronger-than-expected economy here. Hiring the appropriate skilled resources will continue to be challenging. Leadership teams are looking to optimise outcomes, and the ‘rule of thirds’ within Digital Is Everyone’s Business / A Guide to Transition can help! There are ‘three types of roles’ within organisations: Technically critical - roles that are technically critical. Automation presents opportunities to rationalise multiple roles in the same area. Leadership critical - this is not about the executive, but key leadership roles within the organisation. Some roles may not manage people, but could offer thought leadership or capability. How can these roles be scaled and expand their expertise? Other roles - these are the roles that are involved in the work but are not critical to it. They ‘swim with’ initiatives rather than being ‘key’ to them, potentially increasing the drag on initiatives through additional conversations offering limited value. They may be involved due to their legacy technology knowledge rather than current knowledge, and their involvement is habitual rather than critical. Look to upskill and redeploy the people within these roles! The visual in my video shows how to invert a traditional approach to creating roles by beginning with: Prioritising and aligning valuable INITIATIVES Challenging current ACTIVITIES to be eliminated and then automated Have a greater focus on fewer, more meaningful RESPONSIBILITIES An organisation’s mindset will determine its progress - for more on this, my blog from November is well worth revisiting!

Our environmental conditions may lead us to accept the preventable. Consider this controlled study of two groups of dogs in the 1960s conducted by Dr Martin Seligman. He placed the first group of dogs on an electric shock pad in an enclosure, rang a bell and applied a small electric shock. This was undertaken several times, and the dogs began bracing themselves for the shock after hearing the bell. A wall of the enclosure was then lowered, offering an escape route. The first group of dogs underwent the same experiment with the bell ringing and shock applied. They continued to brace themselves, with the majority choosing to remain in the enclosure and wait for the shock to subside. The second group of dogs participated in the same study without the conditioning of the first group of having no escape route. Almost all these dogs used the escape route immediately upon receiving the electric shock. Dr Seligman coined the term ‘Learned Helplessness’ because of this study, where people remain in less-than-ideal situations due to their conditioning. He pursued research to help overcome environmental conditions and is one of the forebears of ‘Positive Psychology’. Five elements comprise PERMA, the founding principle of Positive Psychology, being: Positive Emotions – looking into the future with hope and enjoying the present. Engagement – what activities result in a person being in 'flow', being absorbed in an activity? Relationships – where are their strong relationships? What could be stronger? Meaning – when are we contributing to something greater than ourselves? Accomplishment – what are we doing or have completed? 'I did it, and I did it well.' Many people will consider making changes as the new year approaches; PERMA may be worth considering in some of your decision-making criteria. This is one of the 200 hundred pieces of useful research within my second book, Finding A Better Way. It is one of the most popular stories in my workshops and keynotes; learn about these here!

In March 2018, I spent a week at IMD in Switzerland completing a joint IMD and MIT program; ‘Driving Strategic Innovation’. A memorable afternoon was spent on the topic of differentiation and it was exceptionally insightful. My key takeaway was when assessing your point of difference from your competitors, be careful not to look at the differentiation now, as this can change quickly in a digital world. You must consider if or how your differentiation can be sustained. Applying traditional frameworks is outdated. A digital context now needs to be considered. There’s a framework developed by Duncan Simester at MIT that can help with this. Some parts of the framework may seem obvious; however, they shouldn’t be glanced over. It’s important to assess each component of differentiation before determining the action. Here are the six factors to assess: Cost Advantages Before considering if you need to be at the lowest cost, you need to determine - is this critical? If you can differentiate, you may not need to be at the lowest cost. A cost advantage is important in markets where there are no other sources of differentiation. Is being the lowest cost sustainable? Brand Differentiation Brands are different in different markets. Customers can now search for differentiation. If there is differentiation, it’s based on the actual product or service and not the brand itself. Relationships Relationships are a common source of competitive advantage. Upstream and downstream, from suppliers to distributors, retailers or customers. Some of these are co-owned, some exclusive (like the rights to something) and the strongest is control. What are your relationships? Who ultimately has control? Human Capital Human capital is possibly one of the most overrated resources; it’s also one of the most dangerous. Success sometimes is attributed to people and not circumstances. Sometimes markets are entered early and there is success - can this be scaled? Also is your market narrow and success has been sustained because it’s narrow? Factors beyond human capital must always be considered. Switching Costs Switching costs are possibly the most undervalued resource and are the area I found rather interesting. There was a control study of two retailers who contacted their competitors' most loyal customers. Those competitors who targeted a retailer's own customers made customers more loyal to that retailer by driving up sales of their product. Switching costs are about the ease of doing business. Ease of ordering and transacting makes customers more sticky. The one-off switch that requires a big effort can lock customers in. So if a customer decides to switch, this could make them stick around for a while. You want a sticky group of customers, also you want your competitor to have a sticky group, as this can help alleviate price competition. Your greatest risk in this scenario is a new entrant at a lower price. Market Share Market share can represent past differentiation and may also represent future differentiation. Can the past make it easier to satisfy future customers? If there is a “switching cost”, then the past market might be a strategic resource in the future. Learn more about this in my book Digital Is Everyone's Business.

Off-sites - some people love them, others dread them. Regardless, everyone wants them to be a valuable use of time with sensible takeaways. I’ve run workshops for over twenty years. I consider it to be a gift I have. In 2018, I set out to create something of value for these critical conversations. They’re enabled by some simple visuals (my cartoons) and delicate facilitation. Here are four of the most commonly (shown in my video) used: Why are we here? A simple visual that highlights the importance of remaining focused and introduced when setting the agenda! How will we participate? A three-part framework highlighting the importance of an open mind, active participation and respectful conversation! What are the balance of actions we need to consider? There will always be a balance of - the foundational activity a team needs to deliver, making a conscious decision to simplify any activity being considered and areas that need to be explored! When will we communicate what to the broader team? A three-part framework enabling leaders to connect with their broader communities by respecting the past as a foundation for the future, explaining the actions we will take today leading to the future we are creating! There is always a temptation to ‘do it yourself’ when bringing your team together - don’t! Engage a professional, and ask how they will help lead your team to clarity. For more off-sites tips and tricks, see my services here. The visuals are detailed within my three books (here)!

In the business realm, Design Thinking, Lean Start-Up, and Agile often cause confusion due to their interchangeable use, necessitating a closer look at their unique roles. Design Thinking: Customer-Centric Problem-Solving Design Thinking is a potent approach for enhancing customer connections. It focuses on solving customer problems through precise problem identification and solution framing. Lean Start-Up: Streamlining Innovation Lean Start-Up is a strategic method emphasising efficiency and minimal waste. It champions frequent iterations to address initial customer needs, mitigate risks, and sidestep traditional launch costs. Agile: Expanding Beyond Software Development Originally crafted for software, Agile Ways of Working has expanded across various work domains. However, confusion persists between "being agile" and the "practice of Agile." Adopting Agile doesn't automatically integrate Design Thinking and Lean Start-Up, especially in larger organisations. Agile practice is based on a manifesto (here) involves; Individuals and interactions over processes and tools. Working software over comprehensive documentation. Customer collaboration over contract negotiation. Responding to change over following a plan. And now, an additional emphasis on inclusivity, diversity, and sustainability. Implementing Agile without a solid grasp of customer pain points and a qualified business model poses risks. It may lead to cycling through Agile for the wrong initiatives, exacerbating broader commercial challenges. A rigorous assessment of a team's work, the Agile backlog, is crucial to avoid such pitfalls. One of the many insights from my book Digital Is Everyone's Business. This is the third blog I am revisiting in my series of popular blogs over the past six years. Read the others here.

Our former, much-loved and wise VP regularly reminded our international technology team that 'technology trends will come and evolve, but our attitude is what will endure'. There is so much hype around many technologies at the moment. It leads me to reflect again on how work is completed within an organisation to bring value to those they serve. Work should always be simplified; striving to eliminate value-eroding processes, automate the remaining and elevate the value of employees. Work within an organisation generally falls into four categories: Undertaking - Individual and reactive traditional work. Lounging - A collective community that is comfortable with the work as it is. Sole exploring - Individuals choosing to explore options for work in isolation. Making meaning - An organisation with a greater purpose and contemporary work. The importance of employees in determining the nature of their work and any remediation is the key to shifting the organisation. Their involvement will change and sustain the organisation, enabling a constant transition. Any transition will improve the data, which is the fuel of an organisation's technology potential. The first chapter of my first book Digital Is Everyone's Business explains how to translate this to employees and engage them, ultimately creating the right mindset for contemporary organisations. It’s worth revisiting for further insights! 😊

Walter Isaacson detailed the history of Silicon Valley in a book called The Innovators. It’s one of my favourite books, and I summarised what I learned from it in a blog in 2017. Over the past few years, particularly as we emerged from the pandemic, I’ve been asked more about how organisations can approach innovation with insights. Here’s an extract from my original blog of what enables innovation, with some updated commentary: Encourage diversity of thought - Ada Lovelace is the daughter of the great English poet Byron, who was a Luddite. Ada was exceptionally clever, tutored by some great minds and wrote the first algorithm. However, her emerging thinking was not embraced, resisted by Byron and opportunities were lost. Technology reduces costs and enhances capability - the first prototype chip for the Apollo guidance computer cost $1000; by the time it was in regular use it cost $20. What may seem cost-prohibitive now, may be possible soon. Strive for greater diversity with flexibility - HP pioneered three shifts of workers, enabling many women to work in the tech industry outside core hours. The workers were given plenty of leeway to determine how to complete tasks. It resulted in great outcomes! Casual connections spark ideas – Silicon Valley developed a more open and unstructured workplace to refine ideas without going through a chain of command. Meritocracy resulted in employees being more entrepreneurial. Ideas must be combined with business skills – ideas from engineering talent must be combined early with business skills. Ideas should be taken from multiple sources and be put together! Remember what Einstein said - “intuition is nothing but the outcome of earlier intellectual experience.' Be rational and decisive – be rational and precise in analysing options. Strive to avoid emotion, personal favouritism or whims! Decisions will then be respected. Ensure the process reduces ambiguity and refines ideas for their assessment. Simply smart – true geniuses such as Kepler, Newton, and Jobs had an instinct for simplicity. When achieved, it will potentially allow you to reach the largest audience. Divergence delays potential - Tim Berners Lee, inventor of the World Wide Web, who tinkered with various technologies that were not as successful as the WWW, stated: 'We didn’t have the same ripe community and cultural mix around us like Homebrew and Silicon Valley'. Many good ideas were not mixed with other random notions, and they did not realise their potential. Connect your experts – embrace emerging concepts and technologies. Connected communities can disrupt industries. Encyclopaedia Britannica stopped publishing a print edition in 2010 and now represents less than 2% of the content of Wikipedia, which began in 2001. Structure creative collaboration – creativity is a collaboration, innovation requires three things; a great idea, engineering talent to execute it and business savviness with deal-making capability! The best innovators are communities ‘who can link beauty to engineering, humanity to technology and poetry to processes’. Visionaries must be partnered with those who can execute; a vision without execution is a mere hallucination. Want to uplift your innovation? Choose three to five of the above for an immediate impact!

Over a decade ago, I began working with Millennials (those born between 1981 and 1994/6). I wrote Finding a Better Way with one well-known Gen Y editor, Michelle Stevenson. After pitching the book to her with a view to her being my editor, Michelle insisted on being my co-author! The other month, I spent time with some former colleagues. We spoke of how much better work is now than when we started our careers, and how the Millennials have been a key part of shaping this experience! Here’s what I have learned working with Gen Y, as I continue to enjoy my time being their colleague: 1. They are less interested in what you’ve achieved, but willing to engage deeply in how your experience or knowledge can assist a broader objective. 2. Seek to talk informally regularly and avoid ‘talking at them’. These informal interactions enable a mutual understanding of the WHY. The ‘why’ is important! 3. Once you are trusted, you are deeply trusted, and conversations will be deeper and more challenging. You can expect to be challenged. 4. Share philosophies, but avoid lecturing on topics; create space within these conversations to allow exploration of their thoughts. 5. Empower but be available, and expect more informal check-ins rather than scheduled formal reviews. Being available includes instant messaging and social media platforms. 6. Feedback is two-way and ongoing upon establishing a trusted relationship. It’s like switching on a button. Once it’s on, it is expected. 7. If you are invited to be a mentor, embrace the opportunity. These decisions are not taken lightly, as learning and development are highly valued. 8. Respect boundaries - especially work-life. Time away from work will recharge and allow for fresh perspectives. After a weekend or time away, ask if they are thinking about anything differently. 9. Find social forums to engage in. My pro-bono at Swinburne provides this, and it’s fascinating to hear how much they observe and are frustrated by. If you influence something, it will be remembered. 10. If you care about a social issue, go beyond talking about it; take action. These things are not discussed much, as they are expected. Many have noticed my interest in and support of ONE GIRL. Now, if you’re a Millennial or Gen Y - What's missing here? And what guidance would you offer other generations? If you’re not, please share my blog with a Millennial or Gen Y and seek their thoughts!

There is a great deal of noise we all have to manage. The noise - like social media, world events or subscription television - can easily lead to becoming a consumption junkie, being distracted, or possibly feeling inadequate when comparing your life to others. A mentor once reminded me to develop a vision and take small steps that have milestones towards that vision, your life intentions. There will be distractions. However, you must determine if they’re a worthwhile diversion or just noise. Making Life Happen is intended to help the reader ask the right questions in moments of quiet reflection. My third book shares many personal stories and learnings, and has thirty of my well-recognised style cartoons (like those in the video above). Many people have a fresh perspective when I share them in a workshop or conversation. In chapter two of the book, ‘Lifelong learning and quality relationships’, I explore the ‘Wheel of Life’ and what questions this may raise. The reader assesses what they want to achieve across these parameters and considers the subsequent actions. The answers will differ for everyone, and my experienced colleagues are sharing the framework with their younger family members. The ‘Wheel of Life’ is often revisited as life progresses, shifting focus between the eight areas or a new one! For example - giving back is more important to me now than other priority areas. My writing, videos, this blog and pro-bono work at Swinburne bring meaning to me. Making Life Happen – Defining a Meaningful Future, read about it here, is for multiple generations and is due early 2024!

Last week, with 24 hours' notice, I was invited to facilitate a 45-minute session for 80 to 100 people online. The objective was to empower people within teams, ultimately leading to a more rewarding environment. The session was co-designed with a leader of the teams; we reviewed many of my visuals and agreed on ten that linked their themes with some provocation, research and suggested actions! Provocation Perspectives differ, and when teams are empowered, having empathy for colleagues is critical. A visual shared early in the session (seen in the video) encouraged people to step back and consider somebody's perspective. Imagine a light shining on and through this cylinder below. The walls are like perspectives. If you look at a single wall (someone's perspective), you may see a circle or square; however, when you step back, you know it is a cylinder. This visual always has people stop and think, opening their minds. Research Google's Project Aristotle established five vital elements within their most effective teams. Many are obvious: the Impact and Meaning of the work and having Structure for Clarity of roles. The final two require ongoing interactions within the team and across an organisation being; Dependability - completing things to expectations or standards. The other is Psychological Safety – taking risks and being vulnerable. These interactions require ongoing feedback. Actions Understanding perspectives and talking about the work requires open and constructive dialogue when colleagues can engage in what matters. There are three simple questions: when made a habit of by all colleagues, outcomes are accelerated; What is going well? What could be better? What is being left unsaid? In facilitating thousands of people in workshops, I have found that simple drawings that link concepts and a call to action bring tremendous value to organisations. Two of the above visuals are in my upcoming book Making Life Happen, along with thirty more simple drawings similar to these. Inspired from my writing in Finding A Better Way.