We know when we are getting closer to an event like the User Group Summit North America 2019 as the announcement of the Keynote Speakers become available.
This year brings Charles Lamanna Corporate Vice President, Citizen Application Platform Group and Muhammed Alam Microsoft General Manager, Microsoft Dynamics 365 of Microsoft to keynote. We are going to get to listen to how Microsoft’s Business Applications are transforming everyday business through intelligent insights to all characteristic of a company. You’ll hear about putting AI at the forefront of people so that they can reimagine experiences they deliver with mixed reality applications.
It looks like the organizers have listened to your feedback as well this year as they are going to deliver over 200 exclusive session recordings. If you’re like me, that is fantastic news as I know its tough being in many places at the same time when there are more one sessions you want to attend.
Talking about sessions, I have started to map which ones are piquing my interest, especially the ones that are in the Leadership & Professional Development Track. I am sure I will attend others as at Marketing Monarchs we like to stay ahead of the curve when it comes to technology, but these will be my top of the list.
Here are my session picks…
Recommended Sessions to Attend
Presenters: Gustaf Westerlund, MVP, MCT
Date: Wednesday, October 16
Time: 9:45 AM - 10:45 AM
Location: Osceola 6
Description: Ever noticed that organizations are very different in their maturity? Some don't seem to be able to get two people to do the same thing while others have hugely structured processes with detailed metrics that are constantly monitored. With reference in industry-standard from IEEE, I will show how organizational maturity differ and how this affects Dynamics 365 CE implementations.
Session Title: LDR59 - Scale or Fail: How to Realize Your Dreams, Explode Your Growth, and Let Your Business Soar
Presenters: Greg Kaupp, CPA, CITP, CGMA, MCP
Date: Wednesday, October 16
Time: 12:45 PM - 1:45 PM
Description: Why do we get stuck, stagnate, or stop growing at times in our lives? The starting point for whether we scale or fail is our beliefs about ourselves and what is possible. We'll explore ideas, tools, and techniques that will help challenge the status quo to create the lives, teams, and businesses that continue to grow and scale no matter the circumstances.
Session Title: LPD05 - The Five Dysfunctions of a Dynamics Team
Presenters: Chelsea Schlepp, MCP
Date: Wednesday, October 16 Time: 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM
Location: TBA
Description: Based on Patrick Lencioni’s Best Seller, The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, this session will dive into what makes teams in the workplace successful and what makes them fail. We will explore the five dysfunctions in detail, discuss why they are each detrimental to the team and how to overcome them.
Session Title: LPD02 - How to prepare your CRM users for change
Presenters: Monica Stehr and Mary Anne Kristan, MCTS
Date: Wednesday, October 16
Time: 4:30 PM - 5:30 PM
Location: Osceola 6
Description: This session will provide best practices and lessons learned on preparing CRM users for change within a CRM program. Organizational readiness is a key component for your CRM success and user adoption. This session will guide you through steps to ensure your users are ready for the constant CRM changes. Preparing CRM users for change will be followed with Q&A opportunities.
Session Title: LPD11 - Rapid Sales Process DesignPresenters: Geoff Ables, MCT
Date: Thursday, October 17
Time: 8:00 AM - 9:00 AM
Location: TBA
Description: If you want your sales team to increase deal size, decrease sales cycle length, improve your win rate, avoid letting valuable opportunities slip through the cracks, have meaningful forecasts, and be able to improve sales continuously - then you need a sales process. Learn how best-in-class sales teams design sales processes to align with their buyer's processes. Develop a process unique to your organization and map it to your CRM solution. Get your team on board with following the process. Attendees will receive a FREE WORKBOOK to design their own sales process.
Session Title: LDR55 - Unleashing the True Power of an Engaged User
Presenters:
Date: Thursday, October 17
Time: 8:00 AM - 9:00 AM
Description: The need to drive user engagement has never been greater. Cutting through ever-increasing "to-do" lists and competing for people's attention to creating an empowered user base that leverages the application to its full potential is critical. How can you increase user engagement? We'll show you how to create application/user alignment, DIY tips & tricks you can leverage to improve user engagement, and provide take-away training to share with your team back at the office!
Presenters: Jennifer Codding
Date: Thursday, October 17
Time: 9:30 AM - 10:30 AM
Location: Tampa 1
Description: Organizational and managerial strategies that work best for CRM implementation and continued success.
Session Title: LDR60 - The Effective Manager: Yes, They Do Exist
Presenters: Mark Polino, CPA.CITP,CFF, CGMA, GPUG All-Star
Date: Thursday, October 17
Time: 9:30 AM - 10:30 AM
Description: As a manager, are you looking for truly actionable, practical tools to drive your team's success? Based on principles from the book, "The Effective Manager," and "Manager Tools" podcast, we'll explore the four critical behaviors that make a manager great, and how to adjust your own behavior to be the leader your team needs. We'll also cover the four major tools that should be a part of every manager's repertoire, how to use them, and even how to introduce them to the team in a productive, non-disruptive way. Learning Objectives:
Identify the 4 critical behaviors that can make a manager great
Learn how to adjust behavior to better meet your team's needs
Identify the 4 critical tools that should be part of every manager's toolbox.
Presenters: Sara Lagerquist, MVP
Date: Thursday, October 17
Time: 10:45 AM - 11:45 AM
Location: Osceola 6
Description: A big challenge in any Dynamics or IT project is to be able to communicate the business needs to IT in a way they understand. So how do we solve that? As someone who has been on both sides and really dug deep into the muddy waters of requirement, I will share my ten best tips on how to get the Requirement across to IT.
Session Title: LPD07 - Planning for D365 CE/CRM Success
Presenters: Rick McCutcheon, Dynamics 365 CE MVP
Date: Thursday, October 17
Time: 10:45 AM - 11:45 AM
Location: Sarasota 1-2
Description: Customer Relationship Management is the business philosophy that lets you know your customers better, share information more thoroughly and interact more completely. In business, this can only be achieved through the integration of people, business processes, and the use of CRM technology. This session shows you a step by step game plan on how to successfully implement CRM strategies, technologies, and processes into your business. Learning Objectives:
Create a D365 CE project plan
Understand the 3 key phases of a D365 project
Budget the time and investment for a successful D365 deployment
Session Title: LDR57 - Women in Technology: Leadership, How to Develop and Embrace It
Presenters: Meenakshi Singh MCP, Trish Boccuti, Adriana Di Vito and Holly Kutil, NAVUG All-Star
Date: Thursday, October 17
Time: 10:45 AM - 11:45 AM
Description: Great women leaders are courageous and strong. They know how to communicate with confidence, negotiate with intelligence, and lead without fear. They know what they want, they know what they need, and they know how to get it. Sound like a leader you know and can relate to? Are you that leader? In this panel discussion, we will explore which strong leadership tactics and effective communication strategies you've deployed to become the leaders you are today. Let's learn from each other, empower each other, and grow together. Learning Objectives:
Upon completion, the participant will be able to recognize the behavioral leadership and look for those leadership trades in themselves to grow as a leader.
Session Title: LPD07 - Planning for D365 CE/CRM Success
Presenters: Rick McCutcheon, Dynamics 365 CE MVP
Date: Thursday, October 17
Time: 10:45 AM - 11:45 AM
Location: Sarasota 1-2
Description: Customer Relationship Management is the business philosophy that lets you know your customers better, share information more thoroughly, and interact more completely. In business, this can only be achieved through the integration of people, business processes, and the use of CRM technology. This session shows you a step by step game plan on how to successfully implement CRM strategies, technologies, and processes into your business. Learning Objectives:
Create a D365 CE project plan
Understand the 3 key phases of a D365 project
Budget the time and investment for a successful D365 deployment
Session Title: LDR61 - Radical Candor: How To Be a Kick-Butt Boss
Presenters: Bob Buccigrossi and Trish Boccuti
ate: Thursday, October 17
Time: 1:30 PM - 2:30 PM
Description: Based on the book, "Radical Candor: Be a Kick-Ass Boss Without Losing Your Humanity" we'll discuss being honest and having the tough conversations, critical elements to fostering a true team. Radical Candor is a simple idea: to be a good boss, you have to care personally at the same time that you Challenge Directly. Learn to build a cohesive team that loves the work they do and the people they work with by challenging people respectfully and fulfilling your key responsibilities as a leader.
Presenters: Dan Madden, Kylie Kiser, MVP, CSM, CSPO, MCSA, and Monica StehrDate: Thursday, October 17
Time: 4:15 PM - 5:15 PM
Location: TBA
Description: This can't miss User Showcase will cover top tips and lessons learned from the CRM team at Ascensus. The speaking panel will consist of ten team members representing a variety of roles (Program Manager, Product Owners, Business Analyst, Scrum Master, Software Engineers, and Quality Assurance Analysts). A CRM program overview will be provided, followed with Q&A opportunities. Learning Objectives:
Gain knowledge around institutionalizing Agile CRM development within your team
Establish the framework to deliver CRM value faster by leveraging Agile development concepts
Uncover areas of improvement, challenges, successes, and best practices from a CRM team leveraging Agile development in a scrum framework
Presenters: Geoff Ables, MCT
Date: Thursday, October 17
Time: 4:15 PM - 5:15 PM
Location: Sarasota 1-2
Description: A visionary look into the future of work, and a practical guide for getting there. In this informative session, best-selling author Geoff Ables shares what people-centric looks like, with case studies highlighting how big data, analytics, processes, collaboration, and culture have to align. Transformation is possible, but technology alone is not the solution. Learn what differentiates companies that succeed with transforming customer and employee engagement, from those who never get past the struggle. You’ll leave inspired, informed, and full of ideas that will drive change - even transformation - in your organization. "Profit is the pulse of a company. People are the heart."Learning Objectives:
Understand the 5 common-sense, but not commonly practiced, rules for people engagement
Learn the differences between standard business processes and relationship business processes
Capture over 15 tips and best practices from case studies, stories and industry metrics
Session Title: LPD09 - Creating a D365 Customer Engagement Annual Plan
Presenters: Tricia Desso-Cox
Date: Friday, October 18
Time: 8:30 AM - 9:30 AM
Location: Osceola 6
Description: Learn how to create a plan for a new or existing CRM project to engage your leaders and guide your project to long-term success. It’s a fact – 47% of CRM projects fail 2 or more times before organizations get it right. One of the most critical reasons: not understanding the unique planning process. This session will dive into what should be included in your CRM roadmap, how to build it, getting the team engaged, building your business case, measuring the ROI, benchmarking user satisfaction, and constantly improving. You'll take away a framework for planning to launch or improve your CRM project, and a process for keeping up the momentum. Learning Objectives:
Clearly understanding the value of a CRM project and articulate it to management
Discover strategies for engaging your users and leadership in the planning process
Understand why supporting your CRM project can sometimes conflict with your project plan - and how to do both at once
Session Title: LDR58 - Is a True Work/Life Balance Achievable?
Presenters: April Humphrey
Date: Friday, October 18
Time: 8:30 AM - 9:30 AM
Description: Maybe not, but let's discuss actions you can take to move closer to your goals. We'll share tips and tricks to keep the primary elements in your life better in balance and share some great reference guides to put this into the forefront of each of our minds, instead of something we constantly wish for. Learning Objectives:
Understand Balance vs Blending of all areas of life
OutlineTop 3 priorities in 3 areas of their life and create an action plan to achieve them.
Learn delegation tips and tricks
Session Title: LPD08 - Customer Success Panel SMB
Presenters: Rick McCutcheon, Dynamics 365 CE MVP, Diane Taylor, and Ken Kelly
Date: Friday, October 18
Time: 1:15 PM - 2:15 PM
Location: TBA
Description: Panel discussion with D365 CE Customers. Looking at the following areas. Project Planning Design Build Implementation Training User AdoptionLearning Objectives:
Help their organization plan a successful deployment of Dynamics 365
Avoid the pitfalls of user adoption
Ensure the lasting success of a user feedback loop for continuous improvement
Session Title: LDR53 - The Training Gap: How to Bridge It
Presenters: Mark Rhodes, MBA
Date: Friday, October 18
Time: 1:15 PM - 2:15 PM
Description: How often do we find that we are frustrated when figuring out how to effectively train our teams? In the work environment, we have the unique challenge of training adult learners in specific role-based business processes who are often already distracted with the tasks that need to be accomplished today in their regular jobs. Find out how to identify the types of training that will be effective, when to schedule it, what type of supporting tools to provide, and how to repeat and refresh for solid retention of concepts. Learning Objectives:
Understand what it looks like when we are successful in training our teams
Discover the unique needs of adult learners
Learn about different types of training, why some are more effective than others, and why
Join My Session
Session Title: LDR50 - AI Is Changing Marketing as We Know It, Are YOU Ready? (Click here to Tweet This)
Date: Friday, October 18
Time: 9:45 AM - 10:45 AM
Description: It doesn't seem possible, but the rate of change in the world of marketing seems to be increasing. Artificial Intelligence is everywhere, and it can help you work smarter and see better results, but how? The infusion of AI into marketing is assisting in aiding the decision making and automation in allowing to free up valuable executive time, and you'll learn why visionary marketing leaders need to understand AI and how it impacts both marketers and consumers.
If I missed a session off the list then drop me a note, and I will update this blog. See you at the User Group Summit in Orlando soon.