Mike McPhee

Throughout my career I have been asked to fix things that are broken. This has been through technology solutions, projects and organisations. More recently I took up the opportunity to move in to banking to help organizations fix a much bigger challenge. I know how annoying old systems are: ➡️ the struggle to get timely assistance, ➡️ the confusion in navigating unintuitive systems, ➡️ delays in processing funds, security concerns, ➡️ unexpected interruptions in service, ➡️ the lack of personalisation, ➡️ the challenges in managing multiple accounts efficiently. New platforms are a whole new thing, and I personally just don't see why we aren't moving faster to the newer, better solutions. It's like transitioning from film photography to digital: the decision to change can be a big one, but once done it allows the process to be quicker, more responsive and more user-friendly. #technology #solutions #banking

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A gap analysis is like a check-up for your organisation. It helps you find any “gaps” between where your practices are now and where they need to be. Here’s a quick guide to get you started: 1. Review the Standards Start by listing out all NDIS standards your organisation needs to meet. This is your “ideal” to measure against. 2. Audit Your Current Processes Look closely at your current policies, documents, and routines. Are there areas where practices fall short or haven’t been updated? 3. Identify the Gaps Compare each standard to what you’re currently doing. Make a list of gaps, whether it’s missing documentation, unclear procedures, or overlooked steps. 4. Prioritise and Plan Decide which gaps are most critical and plan actions to close them. Set deadlines and assign responsibilities to ensure nothing slips through the cracks. 5. Monitor Progress Regularly check back on your plan to see what’s been completed. Keeping an eye on progress means you’ll be ready well before the next audit. A gap analysis doesn’t just identify weak points—it sets you up for strong, reliable compliance. Simple steps now save time, stress, and resources down the road.

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Meet Jojo, she is a hard-working dedicated professional who completed four years training to graduate into her role as my daughter Kat's assistance dog. You can read about them here: https://lnkd.in/gukCwMDN The ADNZT (Assistance Dogs NZ Trust) is fundraising this month. It costs around $75,000 to train a dog and the waiting list is long, it took 5 years to match Kat with Jojo. If you can help the Trust the donation page is here: https://lnkd.in/gYY_kSV5 In 2010 Assistance Dogs NZ Trust was granted full access rights in legislation allowing Jojo to go anywhere Kat can go. In this photo Jojo is supporting Kat and providing pressure therapy in hospital during a seizure. In addition to specialist training to support their human each dog is extensively trained to be able to work safely in public. Jojo is not a pet. She is a working dog and when she has her jacket on is 100% focused on Kat. Jojo can alert to heart or seizure symptoms long before humans can detect them often giving Kat enough warning to rest or get to safety. She is always on duty but does enjoy some down time when the jacket comes off (stealing any unguarded socks is a favourite). If you encounter an assistance dog, easily recognisable by their blue jackets, here is a few things to remember: - Do not touch the dog (it is even written on the jacket but still some people...) - Don't interact with the dog. The dog is completely focused on the needs of their human and does not welcome your attention, your distraction can be stressful for them. - They are legally allowed to go anywhere their human can go and discriminating against a person with an assistance dog may be considered a breach of the (NZ) Human Rights act 1993. It is still surprising though how many times they get asked to leave shops, declined a ride on public transport or more recently landlords who suddenly have a bunch of reasons why a rental is no longer available. Living with a disability is hard enough without being treated like an inconvenience because of "dog hair", "a doggy smell" "what if it barks or makes a mess?" or "oh, I didn't know you would bring a pet". Jojo is one of the hardest working professionals I have ever met, she deserves respect and to be able to do the job she has trained for. Please support the ADNZT this month.

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Salesforce Women's Network hosted a very important panel discussion just over a week ago, where we discussed issues surrounding Domestic Violence and how we can collectively make a difference. We were lucky to be joined by Annabelle Daniel OAM, CEO of Women’s Community Shelters, and Karen Bevan, CEO of Full Stop to share their experience & advice. The key takeaways: - 1 in 3 women will experience physical or sexual violence in their lifetime - 1 in 7 men will experience emotional abuse & 1 in 18 will experience physical or sexual abuse - Domestic violence can show up in many ways; physical, sexual, emotional, psychological or financial - Watch out for small changes in behaviours from your friends, family & coworkers: - They stop socialising, their spending habits change, they receive a lot of calls/ messages from their partner If you see behaviours change just ask 'Are you ok, I've noticed some changes'. We need to talk about the rise in domestic violence in all demographics to ensure that we support each other & create safe spaces for people to speak out It all starts with education in schools and government policy reforms. The key helplines/ resources: 1800 RESPECT/ 1800 FULL STOP/ Shine NZ 0508-744-633 Shreya Sethi Sarah Iemma Esther Barker Angie McAlindon

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Happy World Product Day everyone! 🎉🌎 I attended the Product Tank Auckland webinar tonight on commercial acumen and gained some valuable insights and practical advice. As homework, I've been tasked with answering four important questions: 1. What is the scope of my role? 2. How do we make money? 3. What keeps my Exec up at night? 4. What unique insights can I find? In addition to these tasks, I've also taken on a few extra challenges to further hone my skills: - Learn about the Van Westendorp Pricing Model - Plan how to get out of a $50k hole - When commmunicating with senior leaders, lead with the financial/business value exchange for the proposed customer impact Even though I've been out of the product space for a year, I still think like a Product Owner, I don’t think these are skills we can unlearn. Thanks for the inspiration Melissa Firth and Anthony Marter Thanks to Melissa Firth and Anthony Marter for the inspiration! #WorldProductDay

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We hear a lot about AI's positive impact on individual and organisational productivity but what about as a tool to combact the loneliness epidemic? I see the short term benefits but am wary of unintended consequences in the long term. AI companions can provide emotional support and help with loneliness, but they can't replace the genuine, unpredictable connections we have with real people. TLDR: 🛠️ Sumary: NYT Tech Columist Kevin Roose spent a month interacting with 18 A.I characters he created using AI Apps Nomi , Kindroid, Replika, Character.ai, Candy.ai and EVA 💡 Insight: AI can help combat loneliness and offer a form of support where human interaction is limited. 🤔 Key Takeaway: AI companions are useful tools for social practice and mental health support, but they shouldn't replace the real, human interactions that enrich our lives. ❓Have you tried any of these apps? ❓What are your thoughts on the use of AI Companions? ❓What comes next?

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🌟As we near the end of the financial year, I am providing my insights to the Project Services Market in Sydney🌟 💥It's a client driven market currently – there are a lot of strong candidates looking for opportunities.  💥Candidates should only be applying to relevant roles where there is a strong match to what is required. Highlighting certain aspects of your experience in your CV or a cover letter may be required to help your profile stand out. 💥The market is very competitive, and clients are looking for very specific skillsets. In the past you could tick 8 /10 of what the client is looking for, and currently clients are looking for candidates who tick all boxes (and sometimes more…) 💥There are still some redundancies taking place, however this has eased and the clients that did make redundancies do not generally have as many strong candidates in the redeployment pool as they did 6 – 12 months ago, meaning that they are looking externally again. 💥There are still a lot of clients that are restructuring teams / divisions. 💥Recruitment processes are often taking a long time. I advise clients to keep recruitment processes moving as quickly as possible – clients are still losing top talent due to lengthy recruitment processes. 💥There is a huge cost focus across all industries and candidate salaries and day rates have normalised due to this.  💥Clients are finalising budgets for next financial year and we are hopeful that this will result in more recruitment activity in FY25. 💥There is still a focus on flexibility with most candidates preferring a hybrid environment, however full time remote is quite rare now.  💥It can be challenging looking for work in a tough market so remember to prioritise self-care, stay positive and motivated with your search but don't let it rule your life. Ensure that you are engaging with your network, as well as couple of specialist recruiters. I hope you found these insights beneficial. If you are looking for project resources or currently looking for a role, please send me a message.

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I was up bright and early for this morning’s launch of the 2024 digital priorities report, which I and 30 other tech leaders contributed towards. Craig Young, CAE’s key takeaways from the report were: - Security: Tech leaders weren’t just concerned about the security of their organisations, but NZ as a whole. - AI: is now a dinner table discussion, and tech leaders are considering the wider implications of AI on their organisations and strategy. - Skills: there is a general concern about the flow of tech talent into our economy, with Simon Bridges noting that there hasn’t been a huge increase in tech enrolment numbers since 2013. There was also a great pannel discussion that was led by Nicky Preston, Liz Gosling, Simon Bridges, and Tony Baird. They took a deeper dive into the report. Some of my favorite takeaways: - “CIO’s are increasingly important for New Zealand’s future” (Simon) - “Rapid change is the new norm” and there needs to be more work done on promoting diversity in tech (Liz) - There’s a greater need for more NZ based Private Equity investment into our Tech companies so we can help them scale successfully (Tony) Tony’s comment resonated with me especially, and mirrors my own comments in the Digital priorities report, and an RNZ article from this morning - https://lnkd.in/gVn_cuyi Thanks TUANZ for being such a huge voice for the industry and capturing all our feedback. It’s greatly appreciated. Read a copy of the digital priorities report here - https://lnkd.in/gcjnFfMb

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Together with the Tech Council of Australia and Dr. Ivonne Ranisch (DBA), affix will be hosting the talent leaders network over lunch and a meaningful discussion about embracing neurodiversity in the tech workforce. How can organisations create a more inclusive environment? How can you attract and retain great talent? If you'd like to join leaders in the tech industry ask the tricky questions and go beyond the surface level of such an important topic, register and come along.

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A very important message - early detection is super important

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Do you believe in a future where “Boardrooms and senior leadership across Corporate Australia better reflects ‘diversity in all its forms’ and the communities that they serve? If you believe that Corporate Australia is missing the opportunity to harness the power of diversity in Boardrooms and senior leadership, where strategic, long-term decisions are made and that this has the potential to inhibit our organisation’s (and Australia’s) ability to grow and successfully compete in an increasingly complex and globalised world…. then the Race and Culture Coalition encourages you / your organisation to put forward this view in you / your submission to the ASX Corporate Governance Council to help shape the 5th Edition of the ASX Corporate Governance Principles (due on 6th May 2024). https://lnkd.in/gXhuepkG

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Glad to have been able to join the CFS AI journey. Another real world use case, I asked CoPilot to write me a LinkedIn Post to share below, this is what it came up with: "Excited to share this insightful video on how Colonial First State (CFS) is pioneering the use of AI to empower Australians in their retirement journey. With a significant number of Aussies set to retire soon, CFS's early adoption of generative AI technologies like Copilot for Microsoft 365 and Azure OpenAI Service is revolutionizing wealth management. Discover how these innovations are enhancing the way members manage their finances and paving the way for industry-wide transformation. #AI #Innovation #WealthManagement #RetirementPlanning"

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The SoftEd IIBA Australia Chapter Ltd and IIBA New Zealand Chapter Festival of Business Analysis is just 2 weeks away. "Rooms full of people" (that you don't even know) for a day at a time isn't everyone's idea of fun times - this episode of Business Analysis Live! might have some helpful tips to ensure you get the most from your time at the event.

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In today’s hyperconnected world, clearer boundaries between working time and rest are crucial. Right to Disconnect has sparked some fascinating conversations about what this really means for workers and their employers. However you might feel about the specifics of this legislation, it represents an important step towards encouraging a culture where employees feel rest, and work-life boundaries are both respected and preserved. With less than 2 weeks to go, I'd love to hear how this is impacting your workplace #righttodisconnect #closingloopholes #humanresources #wellbeing #workplaceculture

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I enjoyed this episode with Lauren Lance. Give it a listen if you have some time and are interested in improving your PMO

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In celebration of national donut day (yes, it's a real thing), despite primarily being a US holiday, I know there's a few Krispy Kreme stores in #Melbourne handing out a few freebies today, so those of you in Australia - definitely be on the lookout! 🍩 I also thought I'd take this opportunity to offer a donut of my own. Something from tool I'm working on in #PowerBI called Advanced Security Selection & Evaluation Tool or ASSET for short. Using #CTI data from MITRE ATT&CK, the tool let's you quickly and easily interact with your favourite attack tactics, techniques and most importantly, mitigations! 💡 An interesting insight I'm sharing here is that Privileged Account Management (PAM) alone helps mitigate 107 attack techniques across 16 combined categories in the kill chain...107! I guess that makes #PAM solutions pretty good value! Here's a sneak peak 👇 Happy to share this tool once I've finished it. Let me know if you'd like a copy. 🙏 #threatinformeddefense #MITRE #mitigations #msft #tools

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