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Last year, I spent time talking with a close family member who was proceeding through their graduate interviews for a graduate position. Fast forward to now; they have asked me for some tips as their new role begins soon. Here is what came to mind: UNDERSTAND The organisation's vision, mission and values. Think about how you align with the values, and live these values in your behaviour. LEARN About the company's sources of revenue. What areas are more profitable than others, and how could the work you’re asked to do contribute to these areas? ROTATIONS Graduates often have an opportunity to work in different areas of an organisation. Embrace these rotations. You may feel a strong pull to a certain area or rotation so take a moment to step back and consider why. Is it the work? The client? The manager? The team? This could offer insight into what you might want to do next… VOLUNTEER There will be opportunities to become involved in some activities outside your job responsibilities. Volunteer for something that interests you, or that you have skills or expertise in, and approach it with some fun! ENGAGE Don't always be the first or the last to speak - be respectful - but don't fear talking about difficult topics. Always talk about a situation rather than about people. Explain situations in three steps: 1. This is occurring 2. This is what we are doing 3. Here is another idea. CONNECT There will be people you naturally connect with, and some of them will be more experienced. Cultivate these relationships, seek to bring value to them, and if you are fortunate, you may find a mentor. BE GRACIOUS – and this is for everyone... Manners and politeness are free. Treat everyone the same. The best people I have worked with were respectful and could connect with everyone, from board members to couriers. Be yourself and be courteous, these little things are noticed. Feel free to share this with anyone who is starting out, I would love to know if this resonated.

Welcome to 2023 😊 I have had a fabulous summer spending close to three weeks with my family and doing things I love … a vacation to Bali, weekends in Blairgowrie, yoga (almost daily) and I wrote 15,000 words for my third book due later this year. The rest of the world begins their year earlier than Australia. And begun they have! With big tech companies focusing on costs (and consequently reducing headcount), we can expect other organisations to follow. CIO’s budgets and teams will not be immune, but as always, they will be expected to continue with critical initiatives. Here are the four areas (CIO priorities) I would not be compromising on: Cyber – STAY in business Threats will continue to be diverse so astute risk assessment is required and mitigations should be implemented. The landscape is dynamic and evolving, and you will be hacked – it’s just a matter of when, and how well-prepared you are to restore services. Data / Intelligence – DIFFERENTIATE your business Analysis of data available within your organisation may enable you to make quicker decisions than your competitors. In an environment with margins potentially diminishing and business being more difficult to win, organisations that have invested in analytics, AI (helps with automating known tasks), or Machine Learning (the computer develops its intelligence) will likely have an advantage over others. Digital – your FUTURE business Digital transformation was hyped before 2020, and then when the pandemic arrived, we saw another major shift in how we worked (remotely) and how we serviced customers (digitally). Society has shifted but stubborn elements remain due to legacy practices. Now is the time to address this by seeking to eliminate or integrate traditional legacy operations with future digital ones. Capability – ENABLE your business There is a war for talent. I was speaking to someone recently who said, “I will pick up some of the people these tech companies are letting go”. Well good luck, because tech organisations are doubling down on great tech people so you are unlikely to inherit someone with excellent capabilities. Instead, consider growing your people from within; subscribe to an advisory service that can help you execute and build your capability. Finally, create a great workplace and ask your team to encourage their well-regarded industry peers to jump on board. You can expect these areas to be common themes across any industry. Wishing you all a wonderful 2023!

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. So this year, as we have done since 2020, we are not sending gifts, and have instead donated to ONE GIRL, a charity that educates girls in the poorest countries in the world. The best part - our donation was made on a 'dollar match' day 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 girls aged 17 and 15, 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 3rd. I hope you enjoy a restful break and send my best wishes for 2023.

Last week, a follower asked for my 2033 predictions (thanks TJ). They are... PRECISE PREDICTIONS We can now gather data, an extraordinary amount. However, accurate insights are elusive. By 2033 we will subscribe to insights, like how we currently follow people on social media or via mailing lists (such as this one). The data will be retrospective and predictive. Allowing us to change circumstances or conditions for a better, quicker, outcome. More importantly, we will have greater confidence in the predictions, as they have been precise for a period of time. EVERYTHING AUTOMATED (almost) We will choose to do a task for pleasure or to keep a skill. We will have the option to purchase or subscribe to a range of automated services. These will be very diverse, and organisations will be able to free up labour allowing them to focus on thinking. Thinking will involve reflecting on the insights from precise predictions as well as creativity. ESG AS THE FOUNDATION OF BUSINESS Environmental, Social and Governance will be a foundation for business. This will extend beyond green decisions, and measure inclusivity and how an organisation is helping to close the gap between communities where they operate. There will be legislative governance however the expectations of the community will be greater than the legislative components - in a sense it will be like how organisations articulate employee benefits. These benefits are not a legislative requirement, they are something that a company believes in. MY BIG FEAR My BIG FEAR is that global conflict escalates. But this fear is softened by a BIG OPPORTUNITY - one that we all have, on a daily basis. I encourage everyone reading this blog to develop a greater understanding of others and to consider how you or your community is making situations better. Approaching things with deep thought, understanding, and diplomacy will put us all in a better position. Here is an extract about the future from my 2019 book "Digital Is Everyone's Business" "Here is a glimpse of a possible future. It is 2020 something, and you are walking along the street. You have a slightly sore arm from playing that technology game with your grandchild. It is amazing that cricket can now be played in the living room—your glasses convert to a gaming screen, the walls become the crowd at Lord’s. Your grandson won despite your ability to select Warne’s ball of the century during a tense session (if only Mike Gatting had this game to train with prior to Warne’s first test match in the UK). The glasses you are wearing are advising that an appointment has opened at your physio. Your diary had checked your availabilities earlier that day and waited for any change at your preferred physio. You blink and accept the appointment with a confirmation appearing on your glasses. The glasses now calculate the time and distance to the physio, automatically re-shuffling your commitments for the day and advising others of a change in schedule. In the distance you hear an ambulance, everyone around you looks at each other: why the nervousness? Somebody’s smart connected clothing has indicated they are about to have a heart attack—that sore arm was a sign of something bigger and fortunately, you will be treated prior to any significant health impact." The purpose of sharing this story is to show the integration of precise predictions, the automation of everything and the goodness of society. We all have a role to play and Making Life Happen can help you determine yours!

This year I have been very fortunate to connect with CIOs and other CXOs from around the world, and as the year draws to a close, I have been contemplating how I would be thinking about 2023 if I were a CIO now. Accelerate delivery of core initiatives for business outcomes The current expectation within many organisations is to accelerate delivery. I can sense the heightened anxiety like in a bar that has just rung the bell for last drinks. Everything is more urgent now than it was earlier in the year it will require CIO leadership! As CIOs we need to understand how to evolve the business through successful execution of projects, re-organisation, and digitisation - all within an organisation or a business model framework. It’s critical to involve your executive peer group and invite them to contribute to these key initiatives. You may go fast alone, but you will go further together. Action then iteration beats perfection The breadth of potential initiatives within any organisation continues to grow, and the gap is widening between the technical debt and the modern tech being deployed. This gap will widen as organisations work to a set of priority projects, rather than a broader program of work. The technical debt must be addressed. The best starting point for this is the isolation of technology and the rationalisation of users. I have seen these cycles before - it is how we removed Oracle at Microsoft, replacing it with Dynamics (2008-10) - and how the John Holland team retired Lotus Notes for a .Net solution (2013-15). Users loved the legacy solutions however the rationales for change, and attitude of experimentation, created an environment where people were open to exploration. These initiatives started as a simmer and built momentum after experiments were successful. Commence tech debt initiatives now, ideally with minimal overhead. Progress through experiments, even though you may not know exactly how the initiatives will be concluded. Technical currency will become KING Technology teams are made up of three types of people; those that know the tech; those that lead the tech; and those that move with the tide of tech. The movers are the most vulnerable, they tend to be in roles that are rationalised by organisations in a downturn. This group talk the game but are unable to deliver it. For a CIO who is unable to understand the tech, the future horizon is super exposed. As a CIO you must choose to spend time on key technologies, delve deep into them for their practical application, be actively involved as a peer (not leader), and learn as you participate. This attitude will also indirectly create an environment of humility, leading to a great culture. My friends in North America are preparing for a difficult period ahead. The timeframe for this is uncertain due to war and geo-political uncertainty; this will ripple into APAC. I trust the above helps you as you navigate the transition into 2023. The frameworks within Digital Is Everyone's Business can help.

“You can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something — your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life.” - Steve Jobs Early this year, a dear professional friend who is a dynamo contacted me to explore writing something together. My co-author is in her coaching start-up which is rapidly scaling. It is a racy ride, and we set fortnightly challenges as we build our content. A recent challenge was to write our lives in headlines – reflecting on achievements, defining moments and what we have genuinely enjoyed. It is an exercise we sometimes ask our coachees to consider; the reader (and writer) quickly understands key life events and what is likely to be of importance. Headlines offer a conversation starting point. Occasionally people will highlight sections, or I will look for themes. The highlights in my headlines are important to me and some key themes are learning and seeking insights. In my headlines the word love also appears twice; likely indicating professional passion areas. Headlines enable somebody in between roles to acknowledge their achievements, explore what they wish to do next, and maintain some confidence if they were made redundant. Remember this if you find yourself, or a friend, in this situation. Finally, recent years have got people rethinking what they want from their work, so using this activity to look back, may help someone make a more informed decision for the future. One of the many stories in Making Life Happen. MY HEADLINES 1977 - Mum passes. I am 6 10 October 1988 - I start work as a bank batch & filing clerk having not completed high school. I attended 8 schools over 10 years 1995 - I commence undergraduate study (2 nights a week) - the bank sponsors this after 5 promotions 1997 - I graduate from my undergraduate course 1998 - I commence post grad study (2 nights a week) & 2 more promotions at the bank 2001 - I resign from the bank & become a full-time student aged 30, completing my MBA in June (scary but brave decision) 2001 - My wife & I backpack Europe for 4 months, arriving in London Sept 24 just after the tragic events in NYC 2001 December - I commence a job at Prudential UK (Pru), after great advice to find a job at a British Blue Chip undergoing change 2002 - I am invited to speak at Pru Uni at Warwick Business School & am a bit of hit 2004 - Join IBM as a management consultant in London 2005 July - Our 1st child arrives. Our new family is strolling in London during my parental leave & there is chaos after bombs go off 2006 - Join Microsoft UK in their International IT Team & fall in love with the tech industry 2007 October - Our 2nd daughter arrives & I am promoted at Microsoft. I am in the office presenting when she is 3 days old 2009 - Become country CIO for UK & Irish Microsoft subsidiaries & meet great clients 2010 - We return to Melbourne & I join KPMG as Director IT & I start to keynote for free at industry events 2011 - Our third child is born & is in critical condition in intensive care. Scariest experience of our lives. He makes it 2013 - CIO John Holland, I fall in love with the construction industry 2014 - Appointment as an Adjunct Professor, Business & Law School board member at Swinburne University 2015 - Recognised as one of Computer World’s Top 100 Technology Leaders globally 2016 - Return to banking, invited to be an EGM within 6 months of joining & commence resolution of many unknown issues after a risk review. I had more fun in my career elsewhere 2018 - Launch my dream start-up advisory business & help multiple clients 2019 - Publish 1st book with an incredible 15 CXOs testimonials. Invited to Chair Swinburne’s Bachelor of Business / Accounting / IT Course Advisory Committee 2020 - Win my 1st international client & I start facilitating workshops for executive groups with cartoon pics I create 2021 - Publish 2nd book & receive very supportive reviews from my female professional network 2022 - Multiple international trips & clients for my trademarked workshops, receiving rave reviews in April. My wife & I become orphans after our last parent passes in January

Over the last four years I have been engaged by a range of organisations - some ‘traditional’ and some just starting up. I have enjoyed working for both, but probably loved start-ups and tech companies that were scaling the most. By the way, I have been thinking about writing this blog for over a year, and a couple of recent conversations on the topic spurred me to finish it! In the start-ups I have supported, I sometimes found myself working with ex-corporate people (XC). Some of these XCs I would consider ONE dimensional. Why? “We did it this way.” XC would make statements about how things were done at another organisation that were out of context for the start-up's situation. The room was silent, the XC failed to read the room, and people distanced themselves. They continued to operate from their context, rather than seeing it from somebody else's perspective. They then asked management to address their isolation and exclusion - not questioning why their colleagues might be avoiding them. Their desire for perfection made it almost impossible to scale anything they led as things were so personally engineered. The immediate team chose to avoid collaborating with XC, and the broader organisation would only collaborate on very selective items. Basically, the XC was used for things but not integrated into "the bigger thing". The XC became a management overhead, taking energy from interactions rather than adding to them. They exhausted people! My tips for ex-corporate people who find themselves at a start-up: UNDERSTAND Understand the short-term milestones and how they contribute to the outcomes = growing and staying in business. Be sure to provide ideas to accelerate these short-term milestones. Understand the concept of minimum viable product and what the core features are for the majority of customers. This will maintain the margin and enable earlier scale. ACCEPT Learn to accept progress over perfection. Situations change quickly, and the perfection strived for may be redundant by the time it is ready. Instead, seek incremental improvement. Think ‘Scale Over Standards’. Look to achieve scale in the most simplistic manner across the offering and be externally competitive rather than competing against colleagues (something I have seen TOO OFTEN). EMBRACE Start-up culture. Be very careful when judging culture as longing for and introducing your ‘big corporate culture’ will see key talent leave. Embrace the differences of people and the diversity of the experience - be an adaptable Swiss Army Knife rather than a sturdy Stanley Knife. This year I have been very fortunate to travel multiple times to global events in North America where it is evident that the economy is entering, or in, recession. BIG companies will be shedding jobs. As there is a war for talent, a start-up could be a great place to be, and they may now consider an XC when they wouldn't have in the past. Also, those start-ups that make it through recession will be stronger and more exciting places to be. If you are an XC considering being part of a start-up, think about the above. One of the many stories within Making Life Happen.

This week is a milestone – my 100th Mailchimp blog – which my social media team became very excited about. Since 2019 I have employed somebody to help me so I can bring greater value to my clients through my writing. Here are ten frequent questions about my blogging: What was the catalyst for my blogging? At Microsoft, I received feedback that I wasn't globally visible (I was working my butt off, so this hurt). Someone suggested I start blogging – which I did, albeit on an ad hoc basis. The seed was planted… When did I start my weekly blogs? At John Holland, the legendary CEO Glenn Palin gave me one piece of advice when I started as CIO, “Communicate, communicate and communicate some more”. So, I picked up blogging again and some of my weekly readers have been with me since January 2013! What has been my favourite blog? In 2018 I began a series of blogs that some great people read. One of these people suggested I consolidate them into a white paper or possibly a book. Because of this suggestion, “Digital Is Everyone's Business” was published in 2019. Thanks, TJ. What inspires my blog topics? The catalyst for my writing could come from my clients, the media, an interaction in my network, or an opportunity or challenge that a business is having. During 2022, a great client said my blogs have complemented my speaking engagements with them, seeing them as a wonderful value add. I also ghostwrote several of their global company blogs and I think this is one of my great differentiators. Is it difficult to write every week? It is a habit now, and on occasion unexpected therapy. I even write on my holidays - sometimes several blogs that make my eventual re-entry to work easier 🙂 What tip would I give someone who was thinking of writing a blog? Start now! Don't worry about perfection, just share your thoughts and you might be amazed at who chooses to interact. What makes me smile about my blog? Through the LinkedIn algorithm, I can see who has likely read my blog, even if they haven’t interacted with or commented on it. I love knowing that some of these readers are really senior people and former colleagues. What surprised me about my blog? When I started my advisory business, I was pleasantly surprised that some clients decided to contact me because they had been reading my content. What was my toughest blog to write? The one about my dad. He passed away earlier this year, and he loved that I had written a couple of books. I wrote about the legacy he has left in my family through his role modeling. I was greatly touched when many clients and former colleagues sent me messages about this. Here is the blog on BIG JOHN. It was his birthday on Monday 14 November (this week), so it is nice to share this again. What has changed since I started writing the blog? Content consumption has moved from reading to watching. In early 2022 I started sharing a weekly VLOG (video blog) alongside my written blog. This was after a mentor challenged me to lift my game! This has greatly improved my talking-to-camera skills – especially for someone so used to an in-person audience! Thank you so much for taking the time to read my blog. Every ‘like’, comment, or message is special, and I hope I can continue to offer some value to you. One of the many learnings included within Making Life Happen.

Coupa Software has continued with its virtual event series. The latest included their CIO Eric Tan (who is a Monash Graduate by the way) talking with Chief Procurement Officers from around the globe. Here are a dozen reflections for Chief Procurement Officer priorities: The challenges in the market can be encapsulated by two words "fear" and "uncertainty". Uncertainty is driving fear as we don't know what the next six to twelve months will bring. Annual budgets are now revisited quarterly. CFO, CIO and CPO have monthly working sessions and decisions are made in an agile framework within organisational guardrails, allowing businesses to adjust to changing circumstances quickly. There is greater dependency and alignment between CPO and CIO roles; those organisations doing this well are driving a competitive advantage over their peers. The overall mantra within organisations is do less with less. Organisations are very selective with funded and progressed projects; they must genuinely matter to an organisation's digital transformation and IT modernisation. Project selection has changed from 25 to 30 “possibles”, with 15 projects probably being selected. Now, it’s only the top five or so being selected, with resources concentrated on these projects rather than being spread across a broader program of work. Organisations rally together around these projects. ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) features strongly in many CIO conversations. CIOs must navigate what suppliers they should partner with beyond their technical pedigree. Are those partners doing the "right thing"? It is an excellent opportunity for a deeper partnership with the CPO to determine this. CPOs are doubling down on business continuity, managing risk and supply chains. Those in manufacturing have to contend with some significant variables. For example, the cost of containers has reduced by 60% since the highs of the pandemic, yet still cost more than they did pre-pandemic. CPOs with physical supply chains are very focused on costs, driven by a range of factors including inflation and the costs of capital to suppliers. Heavily financed suppliers are now sharply in focus. What suppliers could be in trouble? Have any of those suppliers innovated through debt? The CPO community shared that understanding every node within your supply chain is vital. These nodes must be visible and manufacturing or supplier locations, distribution centres, plus industry nuances should be considered. The data is critical to help navigate various geo-political events; understanding the supply chain provides intelligence to consider optionality. Supply chain discussions are happening with internal customers, and options being explored to maintain supply chain integrity. Optionality may not be different suppliers; it could consider lifting inventory levels. This visibility extends beyond tier-one suppliers. New commercial excellence practices are being applied and organisations are discussing the circumstances and revising terms of their supply chains openly with customers – providing insights into what has changed within the supply chain through intelligence. CPOs in the past would apply the Pareto Principle to understand the supply chain. The twenty per cent being the big suppliers or the areas of greatest risk. This has changed to drilling down into tier two and three suppliers to identify any possible problems. We live in a world where one widget could shut your plant down and partnering with the CIO to gather vital information has never been more important. New product creation, in many cases, must have less dependence on China and integrate more local suppliers. Energy prices in Europe are also another factor to be considered. Many companies see Asia and Latin America as critical for continuity options. In summary, great organisations have CIOs who know the macro issues and CPOs who understand the micro factors. By building a strong partnership together they are setting the foundations for 2023. Coupa are regular clients of my Speaker Services!

Wednesday this week, I collected my first-ever electronic vehicle (EV), a Tesla Model Y, here are some initial thoughts. I no longer own an Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) car. My wife drives one, but she too admits that her next car will be an EV. We decided to have “both types” of cars while our children learn to drive. There were 4359 deliveries of the Model Y in September, making it Australia's third top-selling vehicle behind only the Toyota HiLux (5170) and Ford Ranger (4890); more here. Below are eight facts and some history about our decision to purchase a Tesla. I considered purchasing a used Tesla Model S in April 2020, as I was becoming impatient with the ANZ Model Y release. We felt it was a little tight for a family of 5, we decided against it. The Tesla Model Y has always been my preferred EV but timeframes of release into ANZ were unknown due to Covid impacts at the Shanghai factory. I had tried to secure a Hyundai IONIQ 5 (EV of the year), but these were sold out in minutes when released in small batches since 2021. I loved the 1980's retro design; my wife loathed it. Also, something to consider is the non-Tesla charging network for other EVs; especially if you do country driving. A home charger has been installed, costing around $2,000. The unit was $795, and our long-time electrician, who knows our 1930’s home very well took the best part of a day to install the unit. His costs were circa $1,200. We purchased the rear-wheel drive Model Y with 20-inch induction wheels and black paint, both optional extras. Our son chose these, and we feel good about the choice after seeing so many white Model Y’s. We didn't choose the white interior option ($1,500). Apparently, the seats clean easily with baby wipes, but after 3 children, I will be happy not to see a wipe again. Our car cost $79,175, and it now costs $82,719. We ordered the car on June 11, within 24 hours of the Model Y ANZ release. It was delivered 144 days later. Orders today show a delivery window of Feb to May 2023 - similar to ours. We didn't select Full Self Driving (FSD), but we will use Autopilot on highways. FSD costs $10,100, and I don't see the value. The range of our Tesla is quoted at 455km, and we can charge the battery to 100% weekly. The Performance model battery should be charged to 80% to avoid degradation, and a full charge range is 514kms. When considering this, the RWD is equivalent to the range of the Performance, which was one of the reasons we chose it. The Performance model also costs over $100,000. The Tesla aftermarket equipment is vast and fuelled by Tesla fanatics on YouTube. We purchased a range of them for our Model Y (I am not a car fanatic), but the consumption of these videos probably drove some purchasing during those long Melbourne lockdowns! A mentor challenged me to do a weekly VLOG in 2022, and I will be doing a couple of videos on the Model Y as I seek to improve my video skills; I will let you know when these become available. I purchased a Go-Pro and some peripherals to do this. I trust this answers some of the non-EV experts' questions I have received over recent months. Do contact me to share your thoughts or questions.

Me and a well-regarded international CIO recently discussed the challenge of decision-making during unprecedented periods of uncertainty. This uncertainty initially resulted from the pandemic (shortage of talent), conflict in Europe and general geo-political uncertainty. Employees are thinking more about their organisation’s role within society. An example is Pat Cummins’s decision to not participate in advertising commercials for fossil fuel energy company Altina – sponsors of the Australian Cricket team (article). There have been further examples of active non-participation by others. What are the decisions for optimal outcomes? There are some factors to consider when choosing to either inform, or involve, employees in decisions and conversations: Leaders need to decide when to inform teams of compliance-based decisions that have been made. Context must be included within this communication. Conversely, leaders need to determine when genuine two-way dialogue can occur. This dialogue will create an opportunity for teams to buy into 'the ask' – and buy in is likely to result in optimal outcomes. Emerging leaders sometimes feel uncomfortable with two-way dialogue as it runs the risk of initiatives, or their preferred approach to initiatives, not being realised. However, if a leader is unable to engage, listen and adjust to their employee community, the chance of success for any initiative is likely to be slim. Further, with the talent shortage, key resource retention is at risk if an initiative is pushed onto a community. Two-way dialogue is essential in creating an engaged employee group, and if people don’t buy in or truly believe in an initiative, it is probably best to rethink, as it is very unlikely to achieve the desired outcomes. Featured in my VLOG this week, this straightforward matrix can help leaders qualify how to approach communication/buy in scenarios. There are plenty of more practical frameworks in Making Life Happen.

This year, I have evolved how I use social media, and people have asked me to write a BLOG about it. So, here it is; my social media life! I am a committed professional on LinkedIn and support this with some casual professional posting on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. I once read that… “social media followers are like frequent flyer points; great until you try and use them”. This quote stayed with me and shaped the types of posts I have shared this year. TYPES OF POSTS Engagement – personal storytelling posts and ones that show support for a great cause create engagement via likes and comments. In the last fortnight, posts about a career anniversary and a community charity cause have driven some likes. Awareness – these posts share quotes from my books, visuals I use within my workshops, and activity I am involved in - such as speaking at industry events. They don’t typically receive many likes but do help to build awareness of my brand. If I talk with someone interested in how I could help them, they may recall these types of posts. Education – I use my weekly BLOG to share my thoughts, insights, reflections and experiences, and sometimes incorporate research that relates to the particular topic. As you already know, this week’s BLOG shares my thoughts based on a couple of conversations with people who asked about my social media. WHAT PLATFORMS DO I USE? LinkedIn personal page (here) - I mainly use this profile to comment and like posts from those within my network. I don’t post daily on this page, but I am absolutely committed to posting my weekly BLOG with a supporting VLOG on Fridays - something many of my former colleagues and followers have come to expect. Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn Author page (here) – I post to these pages at least five times a week. I create some posts by cutting my weekly VLOG into snippets. The remaining posts include quotes from my books, the trademarked visuals that I use in my workshops, and testimonials/book reviews from professionals that I am just so proud of. For those that want to follow me more closely, I’m a dedicated ‘story’ poster, including life idiosyncrasies that are not important, but some people enjoy them. Followers include my teenage children, Swinburne alums, former international colleagues, friends, plus various Australian connections. Why not one platform? I have multiple generations and different types of people who interact with my content, and all have their preferred platforms - this is why I use several. HOW DO I CREATE CONTENT? I follow a process, and my weekly time commitment, including writing my BLOG and shooting the supporting VLOG, is no more than two hours. I also link Instagram to my author’s webpage which helps to keep it fresh and dynamic. Of course, it also helps that my writing is a hobby which I thoroughly enjoy. See all my blogs here.