Gerry Thome

[Gerry Thome @gerrythome]

@craighuss check this out

[Peter Girnus 🦅 @gothburz]

Last quarter I rolled out Microsoft Copilot to 4,000 employees.

$30 per seat per month.

$1.4 million annually.

I called it "digital transformation."

The board loved that phrase.

They approved it in eleven minutes.

No one asked what it would actually do.

Including me.

I told everyone it would "10x productivity."

That's not a real number.

But it sounds like one.

HR asked how we'd measure the 10x.

I said we'd "leverage analytics dashboards."

They stopped asking.

Three months later I checked the usage reports.

47 people had opened it.

12 had used it more than once.

One of them was me.

I used it to summarize an email I could have read in 30 seconds.

It took 45 seconds.

Plus the time it took to fix the hallucinations.

But I called it a "pilot success."

Success means the pilot didn't visibly fail.

The CFO asked about ROI.

I showed him a graph.

The graph went up and to the right.

It measured "AI enablement."

I made that metric up.

He nodded approvingly.

We're "AI-enabled" now.

I don't know what that means.

But it's in our investor deck.

A senior developer asked why we didn't use Claude or ChatGPT.

I said we needed "enterprise-grade security."

He asked what that meant.

I said "compliance."

He asked which compliance.

I said "all of them."

He looked skeptical.

I scheduled him for a "career development conversation."

He stopped asking questions.

Microsoft sent a case study team.

They wanted to feature us as a success story.

I told them we "saved 40,000 hours."

I calculated that number by multiplying employees by a number I made up.

They didn't verify it.

They never do.

Now we're on Microsoft's website.

"Global enterprise achieves 40,000 hours of productivity gains with Copilot."

The CEO shared it on LinkedIn.

He got 3,000 likes.

He's never used Copilot.

None of the executives have.

We have an exemption.

"Strategic focus requires minimal digital distraction."

I wrote that policy.

The licenses renew next month.

I'm requesting an expansion.

5,000 more seats.

We haven't used the first 4,000.

But this time we'll "drive adoption."

Adoption means mandatory training.

Training means a 45-minute webinar no one watches.

But completion will be tracked.

Completion is a metric.

Metrics go in dashboards.

Dashboards go in board presentations.

Board presentations get me promoted.

I'll be SVP by Q3.

I still don't know what Copilot does.

But I know what it's for.

It's for showing we're "investing in AI."

Investment means spending.

Spending means commitment.

Commitment means we're serious about the future.

The future is whatever I say it is.

As long as the graph goes up and to the right.

[Gerry Thome @gerrythome]

@chazblindgolfer @KipHenley Or you’re in Wisconsin…

[Gerry Thome @gerrythome]

@Dogbusdriver Still under ground! We ate it about an hour later!! No pics.. #fail

[Gerry Thome @gerrythome]

In Hawaii at a luau, makes me remember Left Field Lounge back in the day. What do you think @Dogbusdriver ?

[Gerry Thome @gerrythome]

@JimRomeOnX

Winterizing the boat in the garage. Usually listen on the radio, but found you on FAS TV on Vizio…. Looks/sounds great. Gerry in Wisco…

[Gerry Thome @gerrythome]

@Dogbusdriver Was in the same traffic on Saturday - went to see ELO at the United Center. Sorry you had to go through…

[Gerry Thome @gerrythome]

@timmycarr @eric_shanks As I recall is was a spirited conversation, which checks with you two…

[Gerry Thome @gerrythome]

Send @eric_shanks one email in five years, the next night I dream about Eric and @timmycarr arguing about firewalls on Michigan Ave in Chicago. I just can’t explain…

[Gerry Thome @gerrythome]

@HailStateTF @CoachCwoods #HailState

[AHEAD @Ahead]

Attending #VMwareExplore 2023?

Join AHEAD + industry friends for hand-crafted cocktails, appetizers, and a few rounds of darts at Flight Club, located within The Grand Canal Shoppes at the Venetian, on 8/23 from 5-7 PM PDT.

Reserve your spot now ⤵️
https://t.co/1hWHUBtcir

[Gerry Thome @gerrythome]

@jongroeschl I’m sorry you have more time for planter maintenance. I am praying for my sump pump to stay strong.

[Gerry Thome @gerrythome]

Thanks @Dogbusdriver for the hospitality at @DudyNobleField yesterday. You have been treating this yankee like family since 1984. You are a great ambassador for MSU and I count myself lucky to know you!

[Gerry Thome @gerrythome]

@mattthome Plug your phone in…

[Gerry Thome @gerrythome]

@shankuehn Have had the ATT fiber service for about six weeks. Rock solid. Performs to specs.

[Gerry Thome @gerrythome]

@schuelkecorn Golf righty, shoot lefty. I think we just became best friends!

[Chad E. West @Dylangrieco]

Anyone in Twitter land looking for a grain bin? These need to go. 20,000 bushel and 10,000 bushel. Retweets appreciated

[Gerry Thome @gerrythome]

@ScottReder You and I Scott, you and I. And Merchie…

[Gerry Thome @gerrythome]

@stickequips Strat is all heart, all class. Love him.

[Gerry Thome @gerrythome]

@nprignano The temp is one thing, that humidity level is scary! Boil some water or something!

[Gerry Thome @gerrythome]

@JoeOnisick Good job Joe. The cows need you to be calm, cool when they are in duress. #respect