31. Speed run: H2 2024 🎮
Here’s my professional recap of the past few months ⌛️
For H1 2024 see the previous post here.
Client work
Primary activities:
Strategy: clarified purpose and defined corporate strategy for a Tech company
Strategy: defined vision and clarified strategic directions for a Tech company
Strategy: helped link business strategies of specific business units to the overall corporate strategy for a Tech company
Strategy: advised platform strategy & implementation for a Tech company
Strategy: defined vision and clarified strategic directions for the OD team in a large company post M&A
Strategic Foresight: hosted multiple sessions sharing curated Trends both for companies overall and for specific business units
Strategic Foresight: facilitated the generation and alignment on the long-term vision for a Tech company, based on an initial Insights Radar workshop with 30 people - representative for the whole company
Strategic Foresight: worked with a copywriter and multiple contributors on simplifying a complex long-term vision of a Tech company
Org Design: defined the new operating and organizational model for a Tech company
Org Design: created a new clear visualization for the operating model for a Tech company
Org Design: defined the new operating and organizational model for the OD team in a large company post M&A
Org Design: refined the New Product Development process for a Tech company
Secondary activities and explorations:
Team effectiveness: Team Transformation Toolkit for a large company
Leadership development: Strategic Thinking workshops for multiple companies
L&D: Learning series on Using AI at work for a large company
L&D: Consulting skills workshop for internal consultants
L&D: Visual inspiration workshop (combining Information Architecture, Information Design, Instructional Design and Visual Design principles) for an internal L&D team, along with colleagues from MK & Sales
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Communities and Professional Associations
Leaders in Tech
Context: the 🇷🇴 community of leaders of Tech organizations and teams (site, newsletter, LinkedIn page)
JUL: Strategy offsite with co-founders
SEP: Started leading the newly formed Education team
OCT: Defined and launched the 1st edition of the LiT Mentoring Program
NOV-DEC: Had 1:1 mentoring sessions as a mentor in the LiT Mentoring Program
DEC: Progress check with the LiT Mentors
DEC: Strategy offsite with co-founders
Romanian Product Community
Context: the 🇷🇴 community of software Product builders: product managers, product engineers, product marketers and product designers (LinkedIn page, Slack)
JUL: Kicked off and built the roadmap with the new organising team
JUL: Finalized the Product Marketing practice initiative
AUG: Joined the 6th edition of the Product Mentoring Program as a mentor
AUG: Worked on the purpose and long term strategy of the community
SEP: Prepared the Solopreneurship mentoring track with my co-mentor
OCT-NOV: Had group mentoring sessions on Solopreneurship for Product People, as part of the 6th edition of the local Product Mentoring Program
OCT: Started preparations for the new Adopt-a-Product program, matching Product teams and experienced Product professionals for 1 year pro bono Product Advisory
NOV: Launched the Adopt-a-Product program, organizing a pitching session and facilitating matchmaking
IAF Romania
Context: the 🇷🇴 chapter of the International Association of Facilitation (site, newsletter, LinkedIn page)
JUL-AUG: Started the new Board mandate, serving as VP Comms & Community
AUG: Started organizing the 3rd edition of the local IAF Mentoring Program
SEP: Co-hosted a session on running better meetings, as part of the International Facilitation Week
OCT: Co-hosted the Trends Radar for Facilitation workshop during the IAF Global Facilitation Summit
OCT-NOV: Had group mentoring sessions on Solopreneurship in Facilitation, as part of the 3rd edition of the local IAF Mentoring Program
NOV: Co-hosted the Trends Radar for Facilitation workshop for the extended 🇷🇴 Facilitation community
DEC: Worked with my colleagues in the board on better ways of organizing the whole chapter and also progressed on the 30 under 30 initiative - with 15 colleagues under 30 years joining us
VIP Romania
Context: Voluntari pentru Idei și Proiecte is one of the most vibrant and impactful student NGOs in Romania, developing the leaders and change makers of tomorrow (site, Youtube channel)
NOV: Joined the Board of Directors to shape the long-term strategic directions of the organization, to develop the alumni community into a strong force for making positive changes in Romania and to offer ongoing support to the Board of Executives on the most complex challenges they face.
NOV-DEC: Started working on pressing organizational challenges before clarifying the long-term strategy for the organization
APF
Context: leading the Book Club of the Association of Professional Futurists (site, LinkedIn page)
AUG: Started preparations for the 1st APF Book Club edition
NOV: Co-hosted the 1st edition of the APF Book Club around History of Tomorrow
DEC: Started preparations for the 2nd edition of the APF Book Club, discussing History of Tomorrow with the author, Roman Krznaric - will take place on Feb 11th 2025
EODF
Context: leading the Book Club of the European Org Design Forum (site, LinkedIn page)
AUG: Reconnected with the 🇷🇴 EODF chapter
NOV-DEC: Organized the new edition of the EODF Book Club around The Fractal Organization with the author, Patrick Hoverstadt - will take place on January 7th 2025
EMCC
Context: i’m part of the 🇷🇴 chapter of the European Mentoring & Coaching Council (site, LinkedIn page)
SEP: Joined the MOZAIC Mentoring Program, both as a mentor and as a mentee
SEP: Launched the invitations for the 1st edition of the EMCC Book Club, discussing Teaming by Amy Edmondson
SEP: Joined the Let’s Talk Mentoring conference as a guest speaker
SEP-OCT: Had 1:1 mentoring sessions in the MOZAIC Mentoring Program, both as a mentor and as a mentee
ODNE
Context: OD Network Europe is the professional association of OD practitioners (site)
DEC: Rejoined ODNE as a member, aiming to revisit the OD resources for restarting my Org Design & Development newsletter
Other volunteering
JUL: Preparing workshops for young volunteers for a chess club
AUG: Hosted workshops for the young volunteers, on community building and problem solving
DEC: Hosted an Intro to Business Strategy workshop for a local BNI chapter
DEC: Had a 1:1 career mentoring session with an experienced Product professional
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My solo initiatives
GandireStrategica.ro 🇷🇴
Context: events and resources on strategic thinking - better decisions on what to do going forward (site, Youtube channel)
NOV-DEC: hosted the 3rd season of the series
Oct 25th: Applying chess principles for better decisions, with Christiansen Sava - chess coach and co-founder of the Hannibal Chess Club
Nov 1st: Intro to business strategy
Nov 15th: The evolution of the global business context, with Sorin Anagnoste - vice-dean of FABIZ, ASE
Nov 22nd: Mental fitness fundamentals, with Alina Florea - management performance coach
Nov 29th: Foresight workshop on 4 scenarios of human-AI collaboration
Dec 6th: Business Strategy simulation
Dec 11th: Leadership Stories, with Steliana Moraru - COO at OTP Leasing
Dec 16th: When to play offense or defense, in chess and in business? with Christiansen Sava - chess coach and co-founder of the Hannibal Chess Club
Solopreneur Gym
Context: Helping highly experienced professionals make a good living as solopreneurs (newsletter)
AUG: Started first business mentoring sessions for solopreneurs
SEP-DEC: Started sharing DIY exercises for solopreneurs via the newsletter
DEC: Hosted the first live workshop in the series, about Positioning for Solopreneurs
Product Evolution
Context: Inspiration for evolving Product development practices worldwide (newsletter)
SEP: Hosted a session about Duolingo’s Growth Model
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Writing
I started writing my 1st book, dedicated to helping seasoned professionals become successful solopreneurs
I was a book reviewer and guest speaker at the launch of the Business Strategies book by Sorin Anagnoste
I’ll share about the mix of newsletters that i write in a future post, this one got very long already 😅
Game on 🎮
Bülent
I’m a lifelong learner like you.
Thanks for reading my personal blog and stay tuned for new posts 🔜