In this episode of Beyond the Feature, I break down one of the most frustrating patterns in organizations right now: AI tools that work, but that people aren't actually using. The answer is in the science of how people change. This episode covers why the brain resists change (it's wired for efficiency, not novelty), how status quo bias and loss aversion explain most AI resistance, the emotional journey people go through during change and why the 'dip' is where most adoptions fail, the ADKAR framework as a practical diagnostic tool for when adoption isn't happening, why AI is uniquely harder to adopt than other software, and five specific things that actually move the needle, from starting with the person to making the wins visible. The Copilot Workday is referenced as a practical resource for building a real daily AI practice.

Key stats: 70% of AI implementation challenges are people problems, not technology problems (BCG, 2024). Only 14% of senior executives feel they've successfully aligned their workforce with AI (Kyndryl survey). 70% of knowledge workers already use generative AI outside company policy (Microsoft Work Trend Index, 2025). 83% of generative AI pilots fail to reach full production (MIT Sloan and BCG, 2025).

Full Episode at:

Book referenced: The Copilot Workday by Dr. Patrick Jones — available on Amazon through Olympus Academy Press.

Resources mentioned:

The Copilot Workday — available on Amazon.com

Full book catalog — olympusacademypress.com

AI strategy and cloud consulting — AuditSolv.com

Online courses — learn.OlympusAcademy.net

Podcast and app — beyondthefeature.com

About the host — drpjj21.com

#AIadoption #changemanagement #behavioralscience #organizationalchange #leadership #beyondthefeature #auditsolv #amazon

In this episode of Beyond the Feature, I take one of the most universally recognized frameworks in professional life, SMART goals, and connect it to the technology ecosystem that can make those goals actually work. Starting with the research (employees with clear goals are 14.2 times more likely to feel inspired, 3.6 times more likely to stay committed to their organization), walking through each element of SMART with the depth it deserves including an honest look at the framework's limits, and then mapping every stage of the goal lifecycle to the Microsoft 365 tools that serve it best. This episode is the missing bridge between a framework everyone knows and the technology most organizations already have.

The episode also addresses Microsoft Viva Goals' retirement at the end of 2025 and uses it to make the broader point that tools change, but the practice and the principles are what produce results, regardless of which tool holds them.

The goal lifecycle mapped to Microsoft 365: Creation and refinement with Copilot, OneNote. Alignment and visibility with SharePoint, Teams channels. Task-level accountability with Microsoft Planner. Real-time measurement with Power BI, SharePoint Lists with Power Automate. Regular communication with Outlook, SharePoint news, Teams meetings with Copilot summaries. Storytelling and retrospectives with Loop, PowerPoint, Power BI, Copilot.

Resources mentioned:

Microsoft 365 workflow and productivity books — olympusacademypress.com

Online courses — learn.OlympusAcademy.net

Goal management and cloud strategy consulting — AuditSolv.com

Podcast and app — beyondthefeature.com

About the host — drpjj21.com

#SMARTgoals #goalsetting #Microsoft365 #goaltracking #organizationalalignment #performancemanagement #goalcommunication #PowerBI #SharePoint #Teams #beyondthefeature

In this episode of Beyond the Feature, I break down what separates a SharePoint intranet that people actually use from one that quietly fades into the digital background. Starting with the research (up to 40% of intranets fail to achieve sustained adoption within their first year, and nearly 60% of intranet managers aren't sure what their intranet's purpose is) the episode walks through why intranets fail, how to start with strategy before a single site is created, the architecture decisions that determine long-term usability (Home Site, Hub Sites, the two-click rule, site type selection), the SharePoint web parts and features that bring a great intranet to life (Hero, News, audience targeting, Viva Connections, Quick Links, People Directory), the content governance practices that keep it relevant, the things that consistently undermine intranet success, and how to measure whether it's actually working.

Key takeaway: A great SharePoint intranet is an employee experience achievement. Design it around what employees need to do, not around how the organization is structured. Govern it with real ownership and a content cadence. Measure it against outcomes, not page views.

Resources mentioned:

SharePoint governance and intranet design consulting — AuditSolv.com

Microsoft 365 and SharePoint books — olympusacademypress.com

Online courses — learn.OlympusAcademy.net

Podcast and app — beyondthefeature.com

About the host — drpjj21.com

#Intranet #SharePoint #EmployeeExperience #ContentStrategy #IntranetDesign #OrganizationalCommunication #beyondthefeature

What does it actually mean to innovate safely in education? In this episode, I sit down with Melissa Tebbenkamp, CETL, former CIO of a K-12 School District, CoSN advisor and instructor, and author of One Road: A Leadership Blueprint for Safe, Strategic Innovation. Melissa shares the framework behind her book, the concept of a Culture of Trusted Data, and what it takes for technology leaders in education to drive meaningful change without sacrificing the trust of the communities they serve.

Links and Resources:

• One Road: A Leadership Blueprint for Safe, Strategic Innovation -- https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GLS8V7LN?binding=paperback&ref=dbs_dp_rwt_sb_unkn_tpbk

• One Road: A Leadership Companion for Reflection and Application -- https://www.amazon.com/One-Road-Leadership-Reflection-Application/dp/B0GV7BNLX8

• Melissa on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/melissa-tebbenkamp-cetl/

• Melissa's Website: https://mbbtllc.com/

• Olympus Academy courses: learn.olympusacademy.net

• Beyond the Feature App: beyondthefeature.com

#K-12technology #educationleadership #dataprivacy #CoSN #schoolCIO #innovation #Microsoft365 #BeyondtheFeature

In this episode of Beyond the Feature, I bring my background in educational leadership to the technology training conversation and the research-backed case I make for doing training differently is hard to argue with. Employees forget 90% of what they learned in a week. Videos over 6 minutes dramatically underperform. Story improves retention 22 times over standalone facts. Microlearning modules have completion rates four times higher than traditional long-form courses. This episode unpacks why traditional technology training consistently fails (cognitive overload, context collapse, the single event model), introduces the research nuggets that should change how every organization builds training, explores scenario-based and cinematic instructional approaches — including the Copilot training series Dr. Jones is currently building as a live application of these principles, and closes with five practical changes any organization can make immediately.

Key knowledge nuggets from this episode: 2-6 minute optimal video length (MIT and corroborating research). 22x story retention effect. 37% cognitive overload reduction from microlearning. 200% retention improvement from spaced repetition. 80% vs 20% completion rate differential between short and long-form training. The Merrill First Principles of Instruction framework. Learning in the flow of work. The generational design reality. The Learning Pyramid principle (active beats passive decisively) is well validated. The Copilot training series as a live application of every principle covered.

Resources mentioned:

Copilot and Microsoft 365 training resources — olympusacademypress.com and Olympus Academy

Technology training and cloud strategy consulting — AuditSolv

Podcast and app — beyondthefeature.com

About the host — drpjj21.com

#technologytraining #adultlearning #cognitiveload #instructionaldesign #microlearning #beyondthefeature

In this episode of Beyond the Feature, I make the case that the problem with most data reporting isn't the data, it's the story. Covering the core principles of data storytelling (story before visualization, narrative arc, know your audience), a walk through the full tool landscape (Excel and PowerPoint, Power BI, Canva and Magic Charts, AI tools for plain-language data analysis), how to choose the right chart type for the right insight, and how to add the meaning layer that transforms a chart into a story, this episode gives listeners a practical framework they can use on their next report regardless of their technical level or the tools they already use.

Key takeaway: We are twenty-two times more likely to remember a fact wrapped in a story. Data without a story is just noise. The tools have never been more accessible. The limiting factor is knowing what story you are trying to tell before you start building.

Resources mentioned:

Microsoft 365 tools — Excel, Power BI, Copilot (part of existing M365 subscriptions)

Canva and Canva Sheets with Magic Charts — canva.com

AI tools for data analysis — ChatGPT, Claude, Microsoft Copilot

M365 and productivity workflow books — olympusacademypress.com

Online courses — Olympus Academy

Cloud strategy and data reporting consulting — AuditSolv

Podcast and app — beyondthefeature.com

About the host — drpjj21.com

#Datastorytelling #datavisualization #PowerBI #Excel #communication #beyondthefeature @auditsolv

In this episode of Beyond the Feature, I make the case that your inbox doesn't have to be managed manually, it can manage itself. Using practical, immediately actionable examples of Outlook Rules, this episode walks through everything from the brilliant CC folder trick (create a folder for CC emails, pin it to the top, and let your rule route copied emails there automatically so your inbox only contains direct communications) to rules for newsletters, VIP senders, keyword flagging, automated system notifications, project folders, distribution lists, invoices, after-hours replies, and attachment management. The episode closes with a look at Quick Steps, Outlook's one-click manual automation system, and a clear philosophy for building a rule system that reflects how you actually work.

Key takeaway: Rules are not a set-and-forget system. They are living instructions that, when built thoughtfully and maintained periodically, transform your inbox from a place where noise and signal compete for the same space into a curated environment where what's in front of you is there on purpose.

Resources mentioned:

Microsoft 365 workflow and productivity books — olympusacademypress.com

Online courses — learn.OlympusAcademy.net

Microsoft 365 strategy and consulting — AuditSolv.com

Podcast and app — beyondthefeature.com

About the host — drpjj21.com

#emailmanagement #microsoft365 #Outlook #Outlookrules #productivity #emailtips #beyondthefeature @auditsolv @microsoft365

In this episode of Beyond the Feature, I take a different kind of look at Microsoft 365, not at governance or governance tools, but at the accessibility features built into the tools everyone is already using. Through personal stories, concrete examples, and an honest conversation about who these tools are really for, this episode covers Immersive Reader and its full toolkit, Dictation and voice-driven work, live captions and Teams accessibility features including sign language mode, the Translator and language support tools, the Accessibility Checker for content creators, and the broader ecosystem including Narrator, Magnifier, Focus Mode, and AI-powered alt text.

The through line: Microsoft's mission to empower every person and every organization to achieve more means every person, including the more than one billion people worldwide who live with a disability, and the many more who experience temporary, situational, or invisible challenges that these tools are designed to address. Most people have never opened these features. Most people don't know they're there. This episode is about changing that.

Resources mentioned:

Accessibility features in Microsoft 365 — built into your existing subscription

Microsoft Accessibility resources — microsoft.com/accessibility

Microsoft 365 books and courses — olympusacademypress.com

Organizational accessibility and inclusion consulting — AuditSolv

Podcast and app — beyondthefeature.com

About the host — drpjj21.com

#AccessibilityMatters #Microsoft365 #InclusiveDesign #Empowerment #TechForGood #ImmersiveReader #BeyondtheFeature