President's Message...
with Laurie Lukken
Welcome to March! Spring is just around the corner, symbolizing new growth and the resilience of nature. As the days get warmer and longer, we see trees re-sprouting leaves and plants re-emerging after a long winter nap, allowing us to enjoy more time outdoors.
Much like nature, our HDI Local Chapters tend to hibernate during the colder winter months. However, as spring arrives, events begin to re-emerge, and new efforts are undertaken, bringing back the warmth and value that HDI provides to the local community. One of the exciting new initiatives kicking off this spring is our mentoring program. This members-only benefit connects you with leaders within the HDI local chapter community, offering guidance, skill development, and new perspectives within the service and support discipline. Our mentors, with their wealth of knowledge across multiple industries, are eager to help you grow and achieve your professional goals.
Membership in HDI Local Chapter offers numerous benefits, including attending events within your local chapter, access to virtual events held nationwide by other chapters, career advancement through networking, the opportunity to build lifetime connections, and discounts on HDI national conferences and training. For more information on how to become a member, please visit our HDI Local Chapter website.
I hope you all enjoy the special things March and spring have to offer, and I look forward to seeing the names and faces of new members.
Bytes and Banter - Latest Episodes Released!
In the latest episodes of Bytes and Banter, we explore leadership transformation, experience management, and the evolution of IT Service Management growing impact of XLAs in North America.
In Episode 13, Lisa Duerre, co-founder of RLD Group, shares her journey from a 25-year career in tech to founding a firm dedicated to preventing burnout and fostering high performance. She highlights the importance of psychological safety, leveraging strengths, and maintaining work-life balance while emphasizing the transformative power of gratitude and rest in leadership.
In Episode 14, Doug Rabold, North America XLA Institute Evangelist and long-time Disney enthusiast, discusses his career pivot from Sales to IT and how experience management is reshaping IT Service Management. He shares insights on shifting Service Desks from reactive to proactive support, delivering exceptional experiences, and the growing impact of XLAs in North America. Doug also previews the future of experience management and its role in elevating IT leadership in 2025.
Watch the episodes on YouTube: Bytes and Banter
Look for #BytesAndBanter on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube, or your favorite podcast player. Subscribe and stay updated with our latest episodes, where we delve into diverse topics and hear wonderful stories.
Participant to Partner: Elevating Employee Engagement
What's the key to unlocking your team's full potential?
Join us on March 11th, where N.J. Robinson will share how to get your team members to not just be participants, but to be passionate partners who are fully engaged.
N.J. will deep dive into how the following insights contribute to the success of your team meeting objectives:
- accountable;
- efficacy;
- belonging;
- identification.
N.J. Robinson President, Hi-Tech Leadership LLC, is an accomplished Air Force Veteran, IT leader and dynamic speaker with over 20 years of experience in the technology and leadership space.
As the President of Hi-Tech Leadership LLC, a leadership development firm, N.J. is passionate about transforming Technical Experts into Expert leaders. His energetic keynotes, presentations, and workshops engage audiences with valuable insights and practical tools on leadership, employee experience, strategy, and effective communication.
He is a member of HDI’s Conference Advisory Board and an active volunteer with Merit America and StreetWise Partners, where N.J. provides career mentorship to underserved individuals in the Washington, D.C. area, guiding them toward professional success.
N.J. holds an M.B.A. from George Washington University and maintains PMP, Security+, and ITIL certifications. A dedicated fan of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, N.J. is also a proud husband to his high-school sweetheart, and together, they have four incredible sons.
Date: March 11. 2025
Time: 12:00 PM CT
Location: Virtual!
From Legacy to Leading Edge: Life Time's SCCM and Intune Transformation
Learn how Life Time successfully migrated their infrastructure from Microsoft's Service Center Configuration Manager (SCCM) to their Intune product offering, featuring a happy hour after the presentation.
Agenda:
2:00 - 2:15 - Check in and networking
2:15 - 2:25 - Welcome
2:25 - 2:35 - Overview of the Life Time organization
2:35 - 3:20 - Life Time’s journey of transitioning to SCCM and InTune
3:20 - 4:15 - Open discussion about AI
4:15 - 4:30 - Closing
Date: March 5, 2025
Time: 2:00-4:30 PM CT
Location: Life Time Corporate, 2900 Corporate Place, Chanhassen, MN 55317 with happy hour afterwards at the Burrow in Victoria (7999 Victoria Drive, Victoria, MN 55386)
Cost: Members, free!, Non-members: $20
First Friday Generative AI Meetup
We are thrilled to invite you to the Generative AI Monthly Meetup, to explore the latest trends, share insights, and connect with like-minded peers working with Generative AI tools and process. With so much changing so quickly we wanted to create a space where people could connect and learn from each other as we are all in different phases of exploration, testing and adoption. This is for informal discussion, sharing and learning together. Feel free to drop in and attend when you can!
Date: March 7, 2025
Time: 9:00 AM - 10:00 AM ET
Location: Virtual!
Cost: Free!
Introducing the Powers of Gen AI for Managers
Jamie Stannard is a seasoned leader in business transformation, technology enablement, and operational excellence, with a passion for helping managers leverage emerging technologies to drive efficiency and innovation. With over two decades of experience in business development, technical service management, and process optimization, Jamie has worked with organizations to streamline operations, enhance customer experiences, and implement cutting-edge solutions that deliver measurable results.
In his upcoming presentation, “Introducing the Power of GenAI for Managers,” Jamie will share what he has recently learned diving into working with Generative AI. He will share how Generative AI is revolutionizing the way leaders make decisions, optimize workflows, and empower their teams. He will provide real-world insights, practical use cases, and actionable strategies that managers can implement immediately to improve productivity, automate repetitive tasks, and drive business success.
As a dynamic speaker and strategic consultant, Jamie is known for demystifying complex technology and making it accessible to business leaders. Whether you’re a seasoned executive or a first-time manager, this session will get our started exploring tools and building confidence to harness GenAI to enhance your leadership and operational impact.
Date: March 13, 2025
Time: 11:30-1:00 PM ET
Location: Virtual!
Panel Discussion: Meeting New Expectations for Service Management in the Age of Digital Narratives
Join us to learn about how to meet new expectations for service management in the age of digital natives.
LIVE at Milwaukee Tool Downtown Milwaukee.
Interact with visionary thought leadership at this panel discussion:
- Panelists from several Milwaukee area companies: stay tuned
- Milwaukee Tool giveaways
- Food and Drinks
- Finish with a behind-the-scenes tour of the Milwaukee Tool facility
Do you have a question you'd like our panelists to address? Click here to add your question(s)
Date: March 13, 2025
Time: 4:00-6:00 PM CT
Location: 551 N 5th St, Milwaukee, WI 53203
Cost: Free!
ITSM Summit!
Event Details
1. Welcome by Seattle HDI Chapter President
2. Keynote Speaker:
Terry Williams, CIO, Open Door Community Health - Keynote Speaker
Topic: A CIO’s IT Journey – Challenges & Change in Today’s Tech Landscape
3. Topic Speakers
Prakash Nagarajan, CVP, Quadrant Technologies
Topic: The Impact of AI on ITSM in 2025 & Beyond
Jeff Sommerfield, Knowledge Mgr/ITSM AI Chatbot, Pfizer
Topic: The Benefits of Knowledge(KCS) & Building a Knowledge-Driven Culture
4. Panel Discussion
Moderators: Tony North & Lavina DSilva
Panelist: Terry Williams, Prakash Nagarajan, Jeff Sommerfield
5. Chapter Gift Raffle
6. Happy Hour by Seattle HDI
Date: March 13, 2025
Time: 3:00-5:00 PM PT
Location: Quadrant Technologies, 148th Ave NE Ste 250, Redmond, WA 98052
Cost: Free!
Generative AI Real-Life Use Cases
Generative AI is revolutionizing the IT service and support industry by enhancing efficiency, personalization, and problem resolution. It is widely used in creating intelligent virtual assistants and chatbots that provide 24/7 customer support, handle routine queries, and escalate complex issues to human agents. AI-driven tools can automatically generate responses to technical problems, create step-by-step troubleshooting guides, and even draft knowledge base articles for common issues. Generative AI also aids in software debugging by suggesting fixes and generating relevant code snippets, reducing downtime and accelerating development cycles. Additionally, it can predict potential system failures through anomaly detection and generate proactive maintenance plans, improving service reliability and customer satisfaction. Join our esteemed panelists to learn how they are using Generative AI in their everyday lives.
We want to make sure your questions about Generative AI are answered! If you have a specific question you'd like to have addressed, please submit them here and we'll do our best to get them added to the lineup for our panelists.
Panelists: Matt Beran, Quinn Karley, and Jason Wischer
Monica Morrison (Moderator)
Agenda
1:00 to 1:15 PM – Networking and Introduction
1:15 PM to 2:15 PM – Program
2:15 PM to 2:30 PM – Closing Remarks, Survey, Prize Drawing
2:30 PM – Event Ends
Date: March 21, 2025
Time: 1:00-2:30 PM ET
Location: Virtual!
Updates from HDI...Check out these great industry happenings!
Join Us This Year in Las Vegas!
May 18-22, 2025, MGM Grand - Las Vegas, NV
SupportWorld Live is headed to Las Vegas in 2025! If you want to stay ahead of the curve and learn about the latest trends in support and service management, then this is the conference for you. With inspiring keynotes and more practitioner-led case studies than ever, this conference is sure to educate and inspire you.
Brought to you by HDI—the leading events and services organization empowering the support and service management industry—SupportWorld Live unites attendees for a valuable and unforgettable experience. Covering the entire service and support industry and its people (from frontline analysts to CIOs), SupportWorld Live gives you several days in a welcoming community to solely focus on delivering smarter service and better business outcomes.
Act now for best pricing!
Want to save $400? Become a member of HDI Local Chapters! Complete the membership application here, then go here to find the promo code you need to get the $400 discount when registering (requires a login, so do this after you join!). It's that easy!
SupportWorld - Top 3 Articles
Have you seen these most-read articles so far in 2025?
How to Solve the Challenge of Onboarding New Employees
Level Up Your IT Career with the Skills That Matter Most
4 Essential Soft Skills for Every IT Support Professional
Leading the technical support field with tips and insights from experts around the globe, exclusive research, and strategies for all segments of the industry, HDI's SupportWorld helps you become the expert in technical support and service management. Get in the know - new articles are released every week!
FREE! Webinar - How to use Generative AI to Spring Clean Your Knowledge Base with Leslie O'Flahavan
Is your knowledge base (KB) struggling with outdated content and low user adoption?
You’re not alone. Maintaining an up-to-date knowledge base can be time-consuming, and getting people to use it often feels like an uphill battle.
In this webinar, Leslie O'Flahavan will show you how to use Generative AI to refresh outdated content and create articles that drive user engagement and adoption. You’ll walk away with best practices that save you time and ensure your KB articles stay relevant and helpful.
Learn how to:
- Improve and streamline existing KB content with AI
- Use GenAI to add signposts to articles: headings, numbered lists, structured steps
- Write effective prompts that produce helpful, user-friendly articles
Join us for this practical session packed with real-world examples and advice you can use immediately. Register now to save your spot!
Leslie O’Flahavan, is the owner of E-WRITE, a writing training consultancy. She can help the most stubborn, inexperienced, or word-phobic employees at your organization improve their writing skills, so they can do their jobs better. She's led E-WRITE since 1996, and has tons of hands-on experience teaching customized writing courses for Fortune 500 companies, government agencies, and non-profit organizations in the U.S. and abroad. Leslie helps service and support professionals write better email, chat, social media, and text. A LinkedIn Learning instructor of six writing courses, one of her courses, Writing Customer Service Emails, has had 199,642 learners to date!
Date: March 25, 2025
Time: 1:00-2:00
Location: Virtual
Cost: Free!
Boost Efficiency and Energize Your Team!
HDI Consulting customer WBM Technologies enhanced their Service Desk by implementing HDI’s best practices—resulting in improved service quality, streamlined processes, and a boost in employee engagement from 79% to 92%.
Through HDI’s training, consulting, and community, they strengthened their competitive edge and drove measurable success.
Curious how they did it? Read the full case study here.
Let’s connect to discuss how HDI can help your team achieve similar results. When’s a good time to chat?
2025 Tech Jobs: What You Need to Know
Are you a job seeker looking to stay ahead in the tech industry in 2025? Robert Half’s Demand for Skilled Talent report can help you understand what companies are looking for and how to stand out as a candidate. The annual report provides a detailed snapshot of the current tech hiring landscape, pinpointing which roles and skills are in the highest demand. Read 2025 In-Demand Technology Roles and Hiring Trends for an overview of the report, providing you with the insights needed to target your job search effectively and stay competitive in the rapidly evolving tech market.
HDI CONNECT...Where Practitioners Go for Advice!
HDI Connect is the place where support and service management professionals come to expand their knowledge, advance their careers, and find a community that acts like a family. Joining the community is complimentary to you, but priceless to your career and organization! Click here to sign up! It's free!
WHY WE'RE HERE...WHAT WE DO
HDI Local Chapters primary mission focuses on elevating the service and support industry through our Local Chapter Network. These goals are accomplished by:
❖ Building a community where people are encouraged to form connections that span different career paths and levels of experience in the service and support industry.
❖ Providing quality communications, educational events, and sharing of best practices among members within the service and support community.
❖ Maintaining a relationship and working closely with HDI Corporate as a strategic partner.
JOIN HDI!
Connect - Learn - Succeed for one low annual membership fee $149 per year. Students can join for the low price of $29 per year. Click here to join!