Workday Gold

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How do you take a great idea for improving Workday and turn it into an approved project on your company’s roadmap? In this episode of Workday Gold, Keith Bitikofer and co-host Christian Delcid share strategies for influencing stakeholders, making a strong business case, and building the relationships that lead to “yes.”

From understanding the difference between tickets, backlogs, and roadmap projects, to managing competing priorities and protecting your team’s capacity, Keith and Christian deliver practical insights you can apply immediately. Whether you’re leading a Workday team or flying solo as the only admin, this conversation will help you navigate roadmapping and prioritization with confidence.

For information on all of Keith's books and his coaching services, visit KeithBitikofer.com and https://books2read.com/keith-bitikofer

Connect with Keith on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/keith-bitikofer/

NEW BOOK- Workday Gold, Navigating Your Career

To preorder the book and pick it up at Workday Rising in San Francisco in September

It will officially be released on October 1, 2025.

To connect with Christian Delcid, you can find him on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christiandelcid/

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In this episode of Workday Gold, Christian and I dive into a classic career question: Is it better to specialize deeply in a Workday module or be a generalist with broader reach? We talk through the pros and cons of both paths, share stories from our own journeys, and look at how company size, stage, and even your personality shape that decision.

We also explore how AI is shifting the landscape. As tools evolve, generalists may gain new superpowers—but specialists still play a critical role. Whether you’re early in your Workday journey or reevaluating your next move, this conversation offers practical insight into navigating your path.

Watch for my new book: Workday Gold, Navigating Your Career. Preorder it next week! Release date October 1, 2025.

For information on all of Keith's books and his coaching services, visit KeithBitikofer.com and https://books2read.com/keith-bitikofer

Connect with Keith on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/keith-bitikofer/

To connect with Christian Delcid, you can find him on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christiandelcid/

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In this episode of Workday Gold, Keith Bitikofer welcomes back Steve Atnip to explore the critical (and often overlooked) topic of Workday governance. They discuss what governance really means, how to build an effective model, and why executive sponsorship is essential. They also tackle the challenges of supporting global users, balancing standardization with flexibility, and navigating complex decisions around security, compliance, and business process design.

In the second half, the conversation shifts to AI—what it’s doing today and what it might do tomorrow. From copilots that adapt to your workflow to agents that span across platforms, Keith and Steve explore how AI may transform consulting, support, and how we even think about interacting with Workday data. If you’re in the Workday ecosystem, this is a conversation you don’t want to miss.

AI example mentioned (but not as a recommendation): Realistic AI Phone Calls

For information on all of Keith's books and his coaching services, visit KeithBitikofer.com and https://books2read.com/keith-bitikofer

Connect with Keith on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/keith-bitikofer/

NEW BOOK- Workday Gold, Navigating Your Career

To preorder the book and pick it up at Workday Rising in San Francisco in September

It will officially be released on October 1, 2025.

To connect with Steve Atnip, you can find him on LinkedIn: 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/steveatnip/

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In this episode of Workday Gold, Keith sits down with Workday veteran Steve Atnip to talk about his winding career path, from accounting to HRIS manager to Workday consultant. Steve shares a pivotal elevator pitch moment that led to his first Workday implementation and how that decision shaped his career. They discuss key differences between supporting small vs. large (200,000 employees) Workday tenants, including performance issues, report optimization, and managing large volume events.

The second half of the episode takes a deep dive into performance reviews. Steve challenges the typical compensation-driven approach and makes the case for real performance management rooted in business strategy. Keith and Steve discuss what makes a great performance process, why middle managers need more support, and how managerial courage and emotional intelligence are critical in creating meaningful employee conversations.

For information on all of Keith's books and his coaching services, visit KeithBitikofer.com at 

https://keithbitikofer.com/

https://books2read.com/keith-bitikofer

Connect with Keith on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/keith-bitikofer/

To connect with Steve Atnip, you can find him on LinkedIn: 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/steveatnip/

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In this episode of Workday Gold, Keith Bitikofer is joined by Eric Olson, VP of Customer Operations at OneSource Virtual. Eric shares the winding path of his Workday career, from raising his hand for payroll at CPSG to navigating mergers, acquisitions, and a return to OSV. He highlights the critical role that saying "yes" plays in shaping long-term career growth and offers candid insight into how company culture, leadership mindset, and team trust evolve.

They also explore OSV's strategic transformation after divesting its professional services division. Now, OSV focuses entirely on in-tenant business process services for Workday customers. Eric discusses how that shift has opened new doors for collaboration and alignment. The episode wraps with powerful leadership lessons on transitioning from contributor to manager to executive, especially the unseen challenges and responsibilities that come with each level.

For information on all of Keith's books, newsletter and his coaching services, visit KeithBitikofer.com and https://books2read.com/keith-bitikofer

Connect with Keith on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/keith-bitikofer/

To connect with Eric Olson, you can find him on LinkedIn at

https://www.linkedin.com/in/ericolson1/

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In this episode of Workday Gold, Keith Bitikofer and Christian Delcid unpack the intersection of AI and Workday. From slow adoption in enterprise settings to the rising importance of AI literacy—even for non-technical roles—they explore why now is the time to get hands-on with tools like ChatGPT and Claude. Keith shares practical tips like replacing your Google searches with AI prompts to start building confidence.

They also reflect on their Workday journeys—what they wish they knew at the start, why Workday always keeps you learning, and how people and psychology play an outsized role in success. Whether you're deep into Workday or just getting started, this episode is filled with relatable stories, helpful mindset shifts, and encouragement to take ownership of your career in this fast-changing ecosystem.

For information on all of Keith's books and his coaching services, visit KeithBitikofer.com.

Connect with Keith on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/keith-bitikofer/

To connect with Christian Delcid, you can find him on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christiandelcid/

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In this episode of Workday Gold, Keith Bitikofer sits down with George Whitaker, head of innovation at Maxi Group, to explore his fascinating journey from Workday customer to Built on Workday partner. George shares the story of transforming PGA of America's decades-old systems and building one of the early Workday Extend success stories—the Purse Payout Tool that manages winnings from 6,000 annual golf events. The conversation reveals how Workday has evolved from a software company to a true platform, enabling rapid application development that once took months of integration work.

The discussion dives deep into the Built on Workday marketplace, where George's team has released multiple applications on Workday’s Marketplace solving real customer problems, from customer portal payments to IBAN (international bank account number) validation. They explore the differences between building apps for individual customers versus the marketplace, the role of AI beyond simple text generation, and how Workday's agent model could revolutionize business process management. George offers practical career advice drawn from his experience on both sides of the Workday ecosystem, emphasizing the power of networking, continuous learning, and approaching problems with creativity rather than predetermined solutions.

For information on all of Keith's books and his coaching services, visit KeithBitikofer.com at 

https://keithbitikofer.com/

https://books2read.com/keith-bitikofer

Connect with Keith on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/keith-bitikofer/

To connect with George Whitaker, you can find him on LinkedIn: 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/georgewhitaker/

Or at: [email protected]

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In this episode of Workday Gold, I’m joined by longtime friend and Workday veteran Joe Jackson. Joe brings over 16 years of experience across the Workday ecosystem—serving as both a customer and a consultant. We reflect on our first Workday implementation project together at Wycliffe nearly a decade ago and dig into how those early experiences shaped our careers. From navigating go-live without a public date to solving for complex organization needs before Extend even existed, it’s a walk down memory lane packed with insights.

But this isn’t just about history. Joe shares what it’s really like to juggle multiple clients as a consultant, the reality of being measured by utilization, and the pros and cons of management roles.

Whether you’re considering a move to consulting or trying to decide if leadership is your next step, this episode is filled with hard-earned wisdom, practical career advice, and a few good laughs.

For information on all of Keith's books and his coaching services, visit KeithBitikofer.com and https://books2read.com/keith-bitikofer

Connect with Keith on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/keith-bitikofer/

To connect with Joe Jackson, you can find him on LinkedIn: 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/joe-jackson-2262212/

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In this episode of Workday Goal, host Keith Bitikofer and guest Christian Delcid tackle the journey from Workday analyst to manager. They explore practical strategies for developing leadership skills before a management position opens, including volunteering for coordination roles, practicing effective delegation, and finding leadership opportunities outside the workplace. Keith shares what qualities he looks for in potential managers and why raising your hand when others won't is a crucial indicator of leadership potential.

Beyond tactics, they dive into the realities of management—from having difficult conversations to handling confidential information—and discuss how to determine if a management path aligns with your strengths and goals. 

This conversation offers valuable insights for Workday professionals considering their next career move. It emphasizes that true leadership isn't about titles but impact and that the most successful transitions happen when individuals are already demonstrating leadership in their current roles.

For information on all of Keith's books and his coaching services, visit KeithBitikofer.com and https://books2read.com/keith-bitikofer

Connect with Keith on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/keith-bitikofer/

To connect with Christian Delcid, you can find him on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christiandelcid/

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In this episode of Workday Gold, hosts Keith Bitikofer and Christian Delcid tackle the transformative impact of AI on Workday professionals. They share practical examples of how they're using tools like ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and Copilot to revolutionize their daily work, from meeting preparation to request categorization and document creation. Through candid discussion, they reveal how different AI platforms produce dramatically different results and why "AI first" thinking is essential for career survival in 2025.

Beyond just tool recommendations, Keith and Christian explore the deeper implications for Workday analysts' career paths, including the crucial "translator" role between technology and business needs. They address the concept of the "super worker" and why waiting for formal training or company directives is a dangerous career strategy. The episode concludes with Christian's powerful reframing of AI adoption: not as a threat, but as an opportunity to focus on "doing the things that only I can do" for organizations. 

 Resources Mentioned:

• Josh Bershyn's research on "The Rise of the Super Worker"
  https://joshbersin.com/
• Mando (Workday documentation AI tool) - Check out Christian's separate podcast episode on this!
  https://www.mando.work/
• Major AI platforms: ChatGPT, Claude, Google Gemini, and Microsoft Copilot

For information on all of Keith's books and his coaching services, visit KeithBitikofer.com and https://books2read.com/keith-bitikofer

Connect with Keith on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/keith-bitikofer/

To connect with Christian Delcid, you can find him on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christiandelcid/