I can’t believe that a year has already passed since I resigned from my last role as a community manager in a tech company. Around the same time, I also gave up and deleted all my social media accounts and felt that I had walked away from another part of my life to start afresh […]
Being Asked Questions About Microsoft
It’s been nearly eight months since I left work and I don’t miss it at all as I’ve kept myself occupied with more meaningful endeavours. Lots of sleep, golf, knitting, reading and learning French mainly. Exploring writing, catching up with friends and family, playing with the cat. Everything but work. In some way, I feel […]
Know Thyself
I have started a MOOC on Coursera called Know Thyself by the University of Ediburgh. I’ve always been a fan of these online courses (despite a lot of people bagging them out) because as a self-driven learner, I like how the course is free – and that it is set out in a way that […]
Microsoft Viva Engage: It’s Beginning to Look A Lot Like Facebook
I had to squint my eyes and shake my head to scrutinise the user interface of Microsoft’s rebranded Yammer which they’re calling Viva Engage (through the Microsoft Teams app). Whoa! 😲 Look how similar it is to Facebook or Meta or whatever you want to call it. 😂 I really do hope (!) that this […]
University of the Third Age (U3A)
Today I went around to my parents as is my usual weekly routine to catch with their news over a cup of coffee or a wander in their garden. My father asked me about the University of the Third Age and how it was set up. I knew that it was an international not-for-profit organisation […]
Yammer & Viva Engage: Same? Same?
Yes. Okay you can stop reading now. Seriously, it didn’t take long for the new announcement by Microsoft for people to start pinging me at work and on the phone (thankfully, I’m off social media or else my notifications would have been out of control). “Helen, you’re a Yammer fan, what do you make of […]
Giving Feedback
Last week, we had Team Week at our company and it’s a chance for us to get together (either physically if there’s no COVID or online, if there is! ?) to discuss different aspects of our work and plan for the quarter ahead. I look forward to these because it’s an opportunity to see the […]
From Training to Learning to Knowledge to What?
(This is a collection of rambled thoughts – I’m still formulating what the question is in my mind so please humour me and go with the flow. I will find my way soon). I’ve been working on some interesting projects at Adopt & Embrace, a Microsoft Partner and where I work three days a week […]
A Way To Improve Vocabulary in Language Learning
Many years ago, a girlfriend gave me an old French picture dictionary and I’ve wondered how I could use it as all the definitions of the words are in French too. She had bought it thinking that it would help her learn the language but as she was a complete beginner, the definitions weren’t much […]
Updating my YouTube Channel
For the last week or so, I’ve been trying to put some semblance of order on my YouTube channel and in frustration, I’ve realised it’s a MASSIVE job. There are over 400 videos on the site and as it’s a channel that is used as a record of work and learning, a portfolio if you […]
Adopt & Embrace Microsoft Teams – A Live Read
I don’t know if you caught the live reading on the Adopt & Embrace YouTube channel on Friday where founder, (and my boss) Paul Woods (@paulwoods) read from the first chapter of our book Microsoft Teams: A Manager’s Guide to Communication, Collaboration and Co-ordination with Microsoft Teams. We wrote the book as a team, using […]
Spaces for Listening
Yesterday I attended Spaces for Listening which was an hour-long facilitated session with Meredith Lewis (@DangerousMere) on Zoom. If you don’t follow Meredith on Twitter, then you should do yourself a favour and do so because she is not only creative and clever but she has a calmness about her that always gets you opening […]
What Would You Do If You Didn’t Have to Work
Recently I asked this question on Twitter because I was inspired by some of the arguments presented in Daniel Susskind’s new book, A World Without Work. I’ll have a video review of this available soon as I am still collecting notes and also asking questions to others about this. In the book, he argues that […]
Foster & Build Lifelong Learning Practices in Your Day-to-Day Job
I’m excited to announce that our work at Adopt & Embrace will have a new book out some time in the new year that will be slightly different to our first published book called Microsoft Team: A Manager’s Guide to Communication, Collaboration and Co-ordination with Microsoft Teams. Although it will be a surprise, the focus […]
Lifelong Learning as a Human Right
I’m reading a book by Daniel Susskind called A World Without Work and it makes for some fascinating reading. Once I finish it and have a chance to put some thoughts on paper about it, I’ll share a video review on YouTube. This year I’ve been reflecting on a lot of things namely, trying to […]
Learning Uncut Podcast
Recently I had the pleasure of being interviewed by Michelle Ockers (@MichelleOckers) who has the Learning Uncut podcast. New #LearningUncut Ep 67 explores #Collaboration & #SocialLearning, reducing reliance on “go-to” people in organisations, supporting people to connect, work and learn in digital spaces & so much more. For full Ep highlights click here: https://t.co/gceygOPIgh #Podcast […]
Discover 2 Learn
In the early days of COVID when countries all around the world were going into lockdown, I was approached by Jane Hart (@C4LPT) who I have long since admired and respected in the field of learning to be part of her idea to create a website of curated learning activities for people in lockdown. This […]
Flip The Way You Think About Work
One of the things that has been surprising to me during this period of isolation with COVID19 and working with companies who are moving their operations and teamwork to an online format into MS Teams and other collaboration software is this MYTH that you can easily move what was delivered face-to-face BC (Before Corona) automatically […]
Are Competency Frameworks A Thing Anymore?
Back when I was working in corporate learning and development, when the mere mention of the two words “competency frameworks” in any team meeting, there was an audible groan. My experience of these have always been negative. Although I’ve never been involved in creating one, it seemed that I was always in departments that had […]
My Top 10 Tools for Learning
Well it’s that time of the year again when Jane Hart (@C4LPT) creates the annual survey collating the top 10 tools that people use for learning. Every year, I submit my results and I have to say that over the years, there have been some that remain the same – the stalwarts, if you will. […]