How do you become better at what you do? Where do you get your inspiration to try new approaches? How do you validate the way you already work? Every time I attend a conference, I try to attend sessions and talk with people who can help me become better. This is why I love the Digital Workplace Conference so much. The first time I attended over a decade ago, I focused on the hardcore technical stuff (there is a reason Kerberos is named after a multiheaded monster!). Now I tend to focus on the people side of things, how do we get people to use the stuff we create? This years conference was full of gold.

Here’s my post conference recap from LinkedIn

Dear Debbie Ireland & the Digital Workplace Results (DWR) team, thank you for organising the Australian Digital Workplace Conference. It was a fantastic event that offered many valuable insights and opportunities for learning and networking.

I especially enjoyed getting a deeper understanding of Purview, the new Microsoft service that helps organisations manage and govern their data. I was impressed by the demo and the use cases presented by Jennifer Jones.

I also appreciated the sessions on change management for rolling out Microsoft 365 in organisations with varying degrees of digital literacy. It was very informative and practical, and I learned a lot from the speakers and the Q&A. The message we hear time and time again is that we are creating solutions for people with all level of skills, experience and willingness to engage!

Another highlight for me was getting insights into the value of coaching and how it can enhance the digital workplace experience. Mathew Gilbertson really got me thinking about how much more needs to be done to empower organisations. If builders are required to do training on how to use their tools effectively, why don’t we do the same for digital tools?

I enjoyed hearing Lee Stevens talk about the TIDE approach for Copilot adoption, reinforced the importance of having a plan and being purposeful when rolling out new technology.

I’m grateful for the chance to have led a session on Search and Intelligence in Microsoft 365. I hope everyone took away something they can apply in their digital workplace.

Finally, I want to thank you for creating such a friendly and supportive atmosphere at the conference. I enjoyed connecting with people from a wide variety of organisations and backgrounds, and had many great conversations.

Thank you the amazing sponsors and presenters who help you make this event the must attend conference it is!

My challenge to you is the same that I am setting for myself. Take the time to connect with people in your workplace and community. Find something to learn and something to SHARE! Didn’t Tom Petty sing about “Sharing is the hardest part?”, nope, that is a misheard lyric. Sharing the most important part because you achieve to things; teaching yourself and someone else. Give them an insight, a tip or some inspiration. I guarantee you will gain more than you give!