November 2024 Content Wrap-Up

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Aaaaaand another month in the can, with one more major trip in front of me to just about close out the year. Had a fantastic month of content, presentations, partner and client interactions, and spending quality time with the community. TechCon365 Dallas signageFrom an event perspective, the major activity was the TechCon365 Dallas event where I was given the opportunity to deliver a half-day governance workshop, and 3 business-focused sessions, covering ‘Engineering Effective Feedback Systems in the AI-Enhanced Workplace,’ ‘Overcoming Digital Debt and Embracing AI in the Workplace,’ and ‘Empowering Innovation: The Power of Mentorship in Technology Teams.’ I’ll be delivering a version of the feedback loop session (the science behind creating good surveys and polls) at ESPC this week. More on that in a minute.

Online events in November included a presentation on leveraging AI for content creation with the Granite State M365 Users Group, and the monthly cohort that Sharon Weaver and I run as an AMA for people interested in becoming an MVP (held the first Wednesday of each month).

Other than that, a quiet month. Except for all of the content outlined below…

The weekly CollabTalk Podcast

I continue to invest time and effort into refining the podcast, which is published every Thursday, and the numbers are improving. In fact, I’m planning a revamp in the new year, upgrading my graphics, and making some changes to the structure of each episode to make it more easily consumable as long-play and shorts. For those who have not yet watched or listened, it’s very Microsoft ecosystem-friendly, but most topics are broader in scope, focusing on collaboration, leadership development, and team building. Check it out!

Photo booth at TechCon365 Dallas 2024The weekly Project Failure Files

Sharon and I continue to refine our model and plans for the new year. This weekly show is published every Monday morning at 9am Pacific, with each episode covering a topic that impacts project managers and business leaders alike. Each episode is structured to present the topic and definitions/scope, share some personal experiences to showcase mistakes and successes, outline best practices to mitigate or overcome the issue, and actionable strategies for your business. We’ll publish our 30th weekly show on the first week in January. Past episodes available on YouTube.

  • Project Failure Files: Supporting Internal Champions [blog | YouTube]
  • Project Failure Files: Enhancing Transparency [blog | YouTube]
  • Project Failure Files: Multitasking Is a Lie [blog | YouTube]
  • Project Failure Files: No Meaningful Measurements [blog | YouTube]

Answering community questions with #M365AMA

Only 6 community questions answered for the series this month. More have been recorded, but I’m hoarding episodes in preparation for the launch of M365AMA.com in January, so watch for that. I’ve not figured out how I’ll share content between that site and this blog – likely a monthly summary article to help drive traffic from this long-standing blog to the new site, which will also include a newsletter that allows people to get notifications only for the technologies that interest them.

  • How far back can I see chat history in Copilot in Teams? #M365AMA [blog | YouTube]
  • Is Microsoft using my Copilot interactions to train their model? #M365AMA [blog | YouTube]
  • Why did Microsoft change how we view our Teams and Chats? #M365AMA [blog | YouTube]
  • Can I move a SharePoint on-prem library to a SPO list? #M365AMA [blog | YouTube]
  • Can users view their OneDrive files through the SP intranet? #M365AMA [blog | YouTube]
  • Why does my custom CSS keep breaking in SharePoint Online? #M365AMA [blog | YouTube]

The weekly #MVPbuzzChat interview series

The weekly MVP and RD interviews continue to go out every Monday, with 4 more entries this past month – including long-time friend and new MVP, Tiffany Songvilay! Was very excited to see that go through. She’s a rockstar.

Sporting the office #CollabTalk TweetJam t-shirtThe monthly #CollabTalk TweetJam

A quiet month for the tweetjam as I continue to retool and figure out what components will remain for the new year. It was an interesting topic, but participation was lackluster. It was also the first time simulcasting across X/Twitter, Bluesky, Mastodon, and LinkedIn. Not sure I’ll maintain that lineup, however, as engagement was low. Too much of a good thing, or it could have been the topic. But the tweets are out there (for posterity) if you’re interested in following this one-hour online conversation.

  • Creating Cybersecurity Resilience in the Microsoft Ecosystem [social platforms]
  • Making Microsoft 365 More Secure [blog]

Copilot and AI

Yes, we’re still talking about and writing about Copilot. With Microsoft Ignite now behind us, my podcast episodes last week and this upcoming episode on Dec 5th focus on the many announcements and standout topics from Ignite, with a heavy focus on Copilot. No surprises there. If you missed Ignite, I’d recommend Episode 152 with Sean McDonough and Geoff Varosky during which we go through major announcements from the Ignite 2024 Book of News. Good stuff.

  • From Overwhelmed to Optimized: How AI is Reshaping Modern Work [Smarter Consulting Blog]
  • Copilot Deployment Guidance [blog]
  • Summary of Guardians of M365 Governance Ep.11 [blog | YouTube]
  • Understanding Data Privacy in Microsoft Copilot for Enterprise and Consumer Use [blog]

Governance Framework

In addition to the monthly Guardians of M365 Governance webcast (#GoM365gov), I wrote a few other items on the topic of governance in November, most of which will be published in December. In fact, it was a governance-heavy month between these, my workshop at TechCon365, and this 9-part series focused on the governance framework that I outlined in my workshop in Dallas. The articles have all been written, and are in the queue for December.

  • Governance Framework: Defining the Purpose and Scope [blog]

The weekly Blue Plate Special series

What began as an occasional post on music, my Saturday posts have now become a regular series where I post YouTube videos to singles and deep tracks from some of my favorite music artists. With 5 Saturdays in November, I was able to share songs from 5 bands. Enjoy!

  • Blue Plate Special: Cocteau Twins [blog]
  • Blue Plate Special: The Sugarcubes [blog]
  • Blue Plate Special: Hellogoodbye [blog]
  • Blue Plate Special: Camouflage [blog]
  • Blue Plate Special: The Rosebuds [blog]

Blatant Self-Promotion

If you’re planning to be in Stockholm this week, check out my sessions below. I head out to the airport mid-day. See you there!

  • Preparing for ESPC24 [blog]
  • October 2024 Content Wrap-Up [blog]

And that’s a wrap on my content for November 2024. Incredibly busy December ahead of me, with travel to Stockholm, Sweden for ESPC24 followed by 8 days in 4 additional European cities with my son Nicholas. We’re heading to Prague, Vienna, Bratislava, and Budapest. I also have an upcoming webinar on “Deploying Microsoft Copilot” with Galen Keene and Sharon Weaver on December 5th. Don’t miss it!

After all that, I’ll be back home for rotator cuff surgery. Soooo looking forward to that. Honestly. I want to play basketball again, and with 6 to 8 months of physical therapy, it will once again be a part of my exercise regimen. Looking forward to it.

Oh, and don’t miss the end-of-year #CollabTalk TweetJam on December 31st at 9am Pacific in which we’ll talk about the biggest news of 2024, and make predictions for 2025 and beyond. Save the date!

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Christian Buckley

Christian is a Microsoft Regional Director and M365 Apps & Services MVP, and an award-winning product marketer and technology evangelist, based in Silicon Slopes (Lehi), Utah. He is a startup advisor and investor, and an independent consultant providing fractional marketing and channel development services for Microsoft partners. He hosts the weekly #CollabTalk Podcast, weekly #ProjectFailureFiles series, monthly Guardians of M365 Governance (#GoM365gov) series, and the Microsoft 365 Ask-Me-Anything (#M365AMA) series.