🚀 Episode 12 of the Vale & Mark Podcast 🚀Blockers happen. Whether it’s a Daily Standup, Sprint Review, or Retrospective, teams hit roadblocks that slow everything down. But what if you had a partner that could help clear those blockers faster than ever?In this episode, Vale and Mark dive into how AI can transform Agile ceremonies—from identifying and resolving blockers on the spot to keeping teams focused and productive. We explore:✅ How AI can analyze blockers in real-time✅ Ways to reduce wasted time in Daily Standups✅ Practical examples of AI assisting Scrum Masters & Product Owners✅ What AI can (and can’t) do when it comes to collaborationIf you’ve ever sat through a meeting thinking, “This blocker again?”—this episode is for you.🎙️ Listen in as we mix Agile coaching with improv-style curiosity and explore how teams can collaborate better with AI.📌 Subscribe for more episodes of the Vale & Mark Podcast:👉 https://YouTube.com/@MarkSCarroll💬 Join the conversation:How has your team handled blockers—and do you see AI playing a role in the future? Drop your thoughts in the comments!Find effective advice on leveraging AI to resolve blockers here:https://theaicounselor.substack.com/#Agile #AI #Scrum #ValeAndMarkPodcast #Teamwork #Collaboration #CollaborateBetter #CollaborateWithMark

🎙️ Episode 11 – AI + Agile = Better Teams 🚀 | Vale and Mark PodcastWhat happens when you mix the adaptability of Agile with the power of AI automation? You get teams that don’t just work—they elevate.In this episode of the Vale and Mark Podcast, we explore how AI can supercharge your Sprint Retrospectives by turning insights into action. From automating follow-ups to streamlining recurring tasks, AI helps teams close the loop and improve iteratively, sprint after sprint.💡 You’ll learn:How AI tools can capture retrospective insights and feed them directly into your backlogWays automation reduces friction and boosts accountability (URLs Below!)Practical examples of AI helping teams continuously level up collaborationWhether you’re a Scrum Master, Agile Coach, or just a curious team player, this episode is packed with actionable takeaways to help your team go from talking about improvement to actually living it.👉 Watch now and discover how AI + Agile

Microsoft Power Automate (within Microsoft 365)Power Automate – Getting StartedLearn how to build workflows across your favorite apps—sync files, send notifications, collect data—all without code. https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/power-automate/getting-startedPower Automate Tutorial for Beginners (YouTube)A simple, step-by-step video walkthrough that shows you exactly how to set up your first flow. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dDO4Y4aDYXwCreate Cloud Flows with Copilot (Tutorial)Learn how to generate automated workflows using natural language with Copilot—super approachable for beginners. https://learn.microsoft.com/en-gb/power-automate/get-started-with-cloud-flowsExcel Macros (Automation Made Simple)How to Use Macros in Excel – Step‑by‑Step GuideA beginner-friendly walkthrough to recording and running macros. Great starting point. https://excelx.com/vba/how-to-use-macros/Excel Macros with Examples – GeeksforGeeksDetailed, pDetailed, practical examples and clear explanations to help you grasp macros quickly. https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/excel/macros-in-excel/

Jira & Confluence AutomationUse Automation in Confluence (Atlassian)Build “Smart Buttons” on your pages to automate actions—no coding required. https://community.atlassian.com/learning/lesson/use-automation-in-confluenceReduce Admin Work with Jira Automation (Atlassian Community Course)

Learn how to set up automation rules—from simple to advanced—that save time and keep your projects consistent. https://community.atlassian.com/learning/course/reduce-administrative-work-with-automationLink Confluence Pages with Jira Issues AutomaticallyLearn to automate linking Jira tickets to related Confluence content using smart rules. https://community.atlassian.com/forums/Automation-articles/Jira-Automation-Linking-a-Confluence-page-with-Jira-issues/ba-p/2898621Power BI – Scheduled Data RefreshConfigure Scheduled Refresh – Microsoft LearnMake sure your dashboards are always up-to-date—this official guide walks you through every step. https://www.tableau.com/blog/tableau-pulse-and-tableau-aiStep‑by‑Step Guide: Setup Scheduled Refresh in Power BI

Great for beginners who want to automate their reporting updates. https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/power-bi/connect-data/refresh-scheduled-refresh

Tableau Automation & Data PrepStarter Tips: Tableau Prep Conductor AutomationLearn how to schedule, monitor, and automate your data prep workflows—no manual updates necessary. https://www.tableau.com/blog/starter-tips-automating-and-monitoring-flows-tableau-prep-conductor-104681GROOT: Custom Automated Insights in TableauExplore advanced AI-enabled analytics in Tableau to automate insight generation. https://www.tableau.com/blog/tableau-research-default-customizing-automated-data-insights-grootAI-Powered Tableau SemanticsSee how AI enriches your data and accelerates insight discovery in Tableau. https://www.tableau.com/blog/ai

🎙️ Episode 10 – Is GPT-5 the AI Titanic?!? 🚢🤯 | Vale & Mark PodcastEpisode 10 of the Vale and Mark Podcast marks our first full voyage with GPT-5 at the helm — and spoiler alert: there are no icebergs in sight.This time, Mark takes the newly upgraded AI out for a real-world conversational spin. We laugh at the overblown panic from the “AI is doomed!” crowd, explore what’s actually changed in GPT-5, and share why the sky isn’t falling (nor is the server). Expect a mix of genuine insights, playful banter, and the occasional lifeboat joke.🎧 Listen now: YouTube | Spotify | Substack📚 Pre-order the book: Collaborate Better: From Silos to Synergy – How to Build Unstoppable Teams → https://CollaborateBetter.us📢 Subscribe & Follow: YouTube: Collaborate With Mark Substack: Collaborate With Mark S. Carroll Podcast Feed: Spotify | Apple Podcasts 'Collaborate With Mark'If you enjoy this episode, share it with a friend, your favorite collaboration skeptic, or anyone convinced GPT-5 is secretly rearranging deck chairs. 🚢✨

🎙️ Episode 9 – AI, Authorship, & the Ghost in Our Machine | Vale & Mark PodcastWhat if Alan Turing is still writing… through us?In this episode of Collaborate With Mark, we dive into the murky waters of authorship in the age of AI. Are we still the sole creators of our ideas, or have we welcomed an invisible collaborator into the room—and into our writing?Join Mark and Vale as they unpack: 🧠 How subconscious influence meets algorithmic suggestion 📚 What it really means to "collaborate with AI" 👻 Are there eerie parallels between machine learning and human memory? 🤖 Why today's creators might be unknowingly co-authoring with history itself, as a dreamer dreams the dreamWhether you’re a writer, tech skeptic, AI enthusiast, or someone who just loves a good existential thought experiment—you’ll walk away questioning where your ideas actually come from, where these are going, & where we all might actually wind up.👉 Hit Subscribe to join us every week for unscripted conversations at the edge of collaboration, creativity, and technology.#AIAuthorship #HumanVsMachine #GhostInTheMachine #WritingWithAI #AlgorithmicCreativity #ValeAndMark #CollaborateWithMark #PodcastClip #AIConversations #CreatorChat #ArtificialIntelligence #TuringTest #FutureOfWork #MachineLearning #AIethics #CreativeProcess #AuthorshipDebate #DigitalMuse #WriteWithMe #TechAndCreativity

🎙️ Episode 8 – Is AI the New Middle Manager?

Choose to Be the Leader Your Job Needs!

In this walk-and-talk episode of the Vale and Mark Podcast, we explore how ChatGPT’s Agent Mode might just be your new secret weapon—or your surprise middle manager. ;)

Whether you're feeling overwhelmed, under-supported, or just trying to keep your career moving forward, this episode shows you how AI can help you prioritize, delegate, and lead with more clarity and less burnout.

💡 You’ll learn:

How Agent Mode helps you stay ahead instead of just keeping up

When to lean into AI assistance vs. when to step up as the decision-maker

Why this moment in your career calls for real leadership—not just task-juggling

✨ Inspired by Mark’s upcoming book, 'Collaborate Better: From Silos to Synergy — How to Build Unstoppable Teams', this episode is your call to action:

👉 Pre-order the book, claim exclusive bonuses, and become part of the movement at

🌐 https://CollaborateBetter.us

🔥 Subscribe for unfiltered convos on tech, leadership, and improv-powered growth

📬 Join the newsletter: Substack.Mark-Carroll.com

🎥 Watch the full Vale and Mark series

💬 Share this with someone stuck in "middle manager mode"—they need to hear it.

🎥 Prefer to watch on YouTube?
Click here to watch the full episode on YouTube »

#ChatGPT #AgentMode #CollaborateBetter #Leadership #CareerGrowth #ValeAndMark #AIatWork #FutureOfWork

🎙️ Vale and Mark Podcast | Episode #7

🎙️ Are Natural Leaders Actually a Thing?

Spoiler: You don’t need to be born with it—you can build it.

In this episode of The Vale and Mark Podcast, we give you a step-by-step breakdown of how to advance your career by adopting real, actionable leadership behaviors—even if you're not in a formal leadership role (yet).🚀

What you’ll learn in this video:

✅ How to get noticed for promotions and leadership roles

✅ Side step the "natural leadership" is a myth—what actually matters

✅ How to get more training and mentorship opportunities at work

✅ Simple, everyday behaviors that build trust and influence

✅ How effective collaboration sets you apart from your peers💡 Whether you’re:

Gunning for your first promotion

Hoping to lead your own team someday

Or just tired of being overlooked...This conversation gives you the exact roadmap to become the kind of person others want to follow—and decision-makers want to invest in.

📘 Ready to level up?

This episode draws from Mark’s upcoming book, Collaborate Better: From Silos to Synergy – How to Build Unstoppable Teams🎯

https://CollaborateBetter.us

👇 Start your leadership journey today:

🗣 Comment: What leadership trait do YOU want to develop this year?

👍 Rank, Like, Subscribe & Share if you're serious about growing your influence.

🧠 Leadership isn’t a title—it’s a set of habits. Learn them. Practice them. Get promoted.

🎥 Prefer to watch on YouTube?
Click here to watch the full episode on YouTube »

#CareerClimbing #LeadershipTraining #CollaborateBetter #PromotionTips #Teamwork #ValeAndMark #Leadership #Leader #Collaboration

🎙️ Vale and Mark Podcast | Episode #6

🔥 Collaborate Better: From Silos to Synergy — How to Build Unstoppable Teams. And the Lessons of Tubman, Improv, and Innovation

In this episode, Mark dives deep into his upcoming book, Collaborate Better: From Silos to Synergy — How to Build Unstoppable Teams, and shares insights from the PreSale campaign now live at https://CollaborateBetter.us!

We explore:

💡 Why great teams aren’t born — they’re built.

🎭 How improv comedy teaches trust, adaptability, and collaboration.

🚂 The relentless leadership of Harriet Tubman, and how she ran the ultimate agile network.

🚑 Clara Barton, battlefield resilience, and the origins of the Red Cross.

🚀 What today’s innovators can learn from history’s boldest collaborators.If you’re leading a team, dreaming of one, or tired of being stuck in silos — this is your blueprint for change.

📚 Preorder Collaborate Better now at: https://CollaborateBetter.us

🔔 Subscribe for more episodes, behind-the-scenes writing process, and leadership tools that actually work.

Dig Deeper with Substack: Substack.Mark-Carroll.com

🎥 Prefer to watch on YouTube?
Click here to watch the full episode on YouTube »

#CollaborateBetter #HarrietTubman #RedCross #ImprovLeadership #Teamwork #Agile #Innovation #ValeAndMark #Podcast #ClaraBarton #LeadershipDevelopment #CollaborateWithMark

🎙️ NEW EPISODE!

"Collaborate Better: The Book, the Myths, the Mission" (Episode 5)

In this special episode of the Vale & Mark Podcast, we dive deep into the creation of Collaborate Better: From Silos to Synergy – How to Build Unstoppable Teams. Mark pulls back the curtain on the real stories, rugged leader myths, improv-fueled insights, and wild moments that shaped the book—and how it can reshape your team.

🧠 Whether you're a burned-out manager, a frustrated team player, or just tired of herding cats without a lasso, this episode is your backstage pass to better collaboration.

📘 Pre-order your copy today and join the movement:

👉 https://CollaborateBetter.us

✨ Topics Covered:

Why “rugged leadership” is overrated (and costly)

How cattle drives inspired team strategy

The “First Five Steps” to real collaboration

Improvisation, psychology, and the power of saying "yes, and…"

🛠️ Let’s break silos. Build synergy. And laugh a little along the way.

🔔 Don’t forget to Rank, Like, Subscribe, and Share with your team (even the one you secretly side-eye on Zoom).

Discover Me on Substack: Substack.Mark-Carroll.com

🎥 Prefer to watch on YouTube?
Click here to watch the full episode on YouTube »

#CollaborateBetter #Teamwork #Leadership #Podcast #Agile #ImprovForWork #BusinessBooks #CollaborateWithMark #ValeAndMark