September 2025 Content Wrap-Up
I’m moving these monthly wrap-up posts to the last day of each month rather than the first day of the next month. Why change now? On a whim. I don’t know. I had never really thought about it until now, and decided it was time to change. A man is entitled to change his mind, ok?!?
My time in September was split between delivering training courses, completing two new on-demand training classes (the free ‘Fundamentals of Writing with AI‘ and the $99 ‘Practical Prompt Engineering‘) which I’ll blog about later this week, and the regular community contribution stuff. As you’ve probably also noticed, the Project Failure Files returned on Sept 1st from its summer hiatus for Season 2 and the launch of a new standalone YouTube site (which nobody knows about….and which has dramatically impacted views in the short-term. It’s like we’re starting over). Likewise, the CollabTalk Podcast is coming off hiatus in October, with several guests booked for the month.
I feel like Kendal and I are still adjusting from the move. We spent 9 years in Utah, so I suspect it will take a few months to really feel like we’ve planted roots and know where stuff is here in the Dallas area. One thing I can tell you is that it’s not quite as hot now, which is really nice for the evening walks.
From an event standpoint, I attended the Microsoft Fabric Tour at the University of Texas-Dallas campus (which I’m hoping will become the home of Community Days Dallas in the coming years), and drove to Branson, MO for another fantabulous North American Cloud & Collaboration Summit (NACCS). It was a truly beautiful drive up through south-eastern Oklahoma and north-western Arkansas and back. I can see myself living up there someday. I also flew out to Minneapolis for the latest M365 Twin Cities event, where I gave my AI-assisted writing class (or a version of it) and joined Tom Duff on stage for another productivity tips session, which is always a favorite.
October is looking like more heads-down work, trying to get a couple more on-demand courses live this month. I may also be headed to Las Vegas for the Power Platform Community Conference (PPCC). Not sure yet. Other than that, I’m just preparing for TechCon365 Dallas in November (where I have 3 sessions, and I will be moderating the keynote), and then ESPC Dublin in December (2 sessions, moderating a panel, and doing the Community Reporter thing once again). That’ll be it for travel for the year (as if that’s not a lot).
As for content, here’s what was published last month:
AI Stuff
Yes, yes – it’s a lot of content talking about all-things AI. I know. But I really do believe that it is a transformational technology. I’m not yet picking winners and losers in the technology race, but, as always, am focusing on the ever-changing employee experience and what this means for the future of work.
- When AI Takes Your Job [blog]
- What You Need to Know About GPT-5 Chat Memory [blog]
- The AI Leadership Gap [blog]
- The AI Adoption Blueprint: Where to Begin [blog]
- Rethinking Workflows for an AI-Powered Team [blog]
- Where the AI Budget Actually Goes [blog]
- From AI Strategy to Everyday Practice [blog]
- Leaders and Teams Need to Become AI Fluent [blog]
- Organizing for Speed in the AI Era [blog]
- An AI-Readiness Self-Assessment Guide [blog]
- Forget Searching: Your AI Assistant Already Knows What You Need [blog]
Product-Related Content
Yes, I also occasionally write something product-related. Don’t act so surprised.
- Breaking the Infinite Workday [blog]
- Threaded Discussions in Microsoft Teams [blog]
- Are Microsoft Teams Channels Overrated? [blog]
- Why Conditional Branching in List Forms Ends at the Firewall [Smarter Consulting blog]
Project Failure Files is Back!
Sharon and I are back to weekly episodes every Monday morning at 9am Pacific. Lots more coming soon! Newsletter, expanded website, on-demand training, community, and more.
- Project Failure Files: When Shiny New Initiatives Shift Priorities [blog | YouTube]
- Project Failure Files: Legacy Thinking in a Rapidly Changing World [blog | YouTube]
- Project Failure Files: The Danger of Skipping the Retrospective [blog | YouTube]
- Project Failure Files: Avoiding Measurable Quality Standards [blog | YouTube]
- Project Failure Files: Neglecting Succession Planning [blog | YouTube]
More Guardians of M365 Governance
We had the pleasure of hosting good friend and fellow M365 MVP Richard Harbridge, who has joined ShareGate over partners and alliances, and as their de facto product evangelist. Richard shared some of the interesting data points from a recent migration and adoption study that his team put together.
MVP Interviews
The Monday MVP interviews have not slowed down at all. Many more recorded and in the hopper. Additionally, if you’d like to learn more about the MVP program – or think you have what it takes to be an MVP, you can attend our monthly AMA on the topic by registering here. We meet the first Wednesday of each month.
- #MVPbuzzChat 328 with Nora Junaid [blog | YouTube]
- #MVPbuzzChat 329 with Pierre-Yves Delacôte [blog | YouTube]
- #MVPbuzzChat 330 with Chris Wagner [blog | YouTube]
- #MVPbuzzChat 331 with Diego Domingos Kenny Rogers da Silva [blog | YouTube]
Music
More music posts, more AI-generated images.
- Blue Plate Special: Maxïmo Park [blog]
- Blue Plate Special: The Associates [blog]
- Blue Plate Special: The Teardrop Explodes [blog]
- Blue Plate Special: The Ocean Blue [blog]
Personal Stuff
And finally, some personal posts. After the assassination of Charlie Kirk, I wrote an article about how damaged our collective online presence has become. I then created a shorter version of the article for LinkedIn. I’ve been a strong advocate for free speech — including speech which I find personally offensive — and was horrified to hear/see what happened to Charlie, and the Orwellian tactics being used against free speech around the world.
- Our Fractured Digital Age [blog]
- What We Build With the Tools We’re Given [LinkedIn]
- August 2025 Content Wrap-Up [blog]
And that’s it for content in September!
Upcoming speaking events include “Mastering AI-Assisted Writing: From Blank Page to Impactful Content” at Community Days Memphis (10/3), “Content Strategy at the Speed of AI” for the Kansas City M365 User Group (10/13), and moderating “The Future of Public Forms: Use what’s Included, Build, or Buy?” webinar on 10/16.
Hope to see y’all at one or more of these!
