Comic Book Update! Where are we?

What’s up folks, December is almost here, but the feeling is far from festive at work.

Deadlines, Go-Lives, Close-out - everyone’s scrambling to end the year off on a good note.

And no different for me. So much riding on this year’s deliverables.

Best of luck to all of us for the next few weeks of madness!

Work on the Comic so far has been challenging.

But the people need progress!

So today, I just want to tell you where we are with the comic, and what to expect from us in your “Christmas stocking” this year.

Grab your coffee and let’s get to it!

First, a shout out to our VIPs!

Who are the VIPs?

VIPs and VVIPs are true fans of scarymanagement.com.

For your loyalty, you will qualify for swag, discounts, previews etc - coming soon!

How to become a VIP?

*Not by paying…

VIP = open 80% of the emails you receive from us.

VVIP = open 100% of the emails.

For me, this newsletter is not about how many subscribers I have or followers on LinkedIn.

It’s about the quality of the content I am putting out there.

And building a community of like-minded people.

I want highly engaged readers who see value.

How many of you are VIPs?

The metrics from the Beehiiv newsletter platform show that our audience is small, but highly engaged - so we are on the right track :-)

Thanks again guys, your support with reading and engaging (clicking on the ads, links etc) is truly appreciated.

Take a sip of coffee and check out this week’s sponsor - HubSpot.

HubSpot is an AI-powered customer platform with all the software, integrations, and resources you need to connect your marketing, sales, and customer service.

Basically, your whole front office in one platform.

Unlock the full potential of your workday with cutting-edge AI strategies and actionable insights, empowering you to achieve unparalleled excellence in the future of work. Download the free guide today!

Ok, back to the Comic…

So, why are we doing this?

Three reasons:

1. To help you get better at management.

   • make the world of work better

2. To help build my storytelling skills.

   • improve my impact at work

3. To learn Gen AI by doing.

   • 70% on the job

The power of storytelling

"The human species thinks in metaphors and learns through stories." – Mary Catherine Bateson

Storytelling isn’t just a nice-to-have skill for managers and leaders.

It’s one of the most powerful tools in your management toolbox.

For senior and executive managers, it’s essential.

Everything boils down to the narrative.

A well-told story helps you communicate more effectively, build stronger connections with your team, and align everyone toward a shared vision. And aligning the team towards a shared goal is half the battle won.

One of the smartest CIOs I know once told me - “Own the narrative.”

Because if you don’t actively tell the story, someone else will—and it may not be the version you want. This could lead to misalignment that can compromise your goals and objectives.

Reflecting on that statement, I can confidently say now, that most of my management career setbacks were due to me not controlling the narrative.

PS: This is gives me an idea for a future newsletter - Narratives, Optics and Politics.

People remember stories, not bullet points.

A compelling narrative can make complex ideas relatable, foster trust, and inspire -self-confidence and action.

Like someone who went through a similar journey handing you a map so that you can also succeed.

The Comic book is just that - an easy, relatable and entertaining story that will make the management journey seem less scary, and highlight the hard and soft skills you need in order to succeed….

Where are we now with the Comic?

Scary Xmas Presents!

Like I said, this year has been challenging.

But we are committed to ending the 2024 on a strong note!

You can expect a draft copy of Part One on Xmas day in your inbox - Ho ho ho!

Character Development and profiles: Finalizing. These are pretty much complete now, with just the supporting characters to be finalized.

• Main characters - Done. Thandi and Anand are fully fleshed out thanks to your input over the past few weeks. Their character profiles, career history and personality have been decided, so they are good to go.

• Supporting Cast - Finalizing. There won’t be as much fanfare to announce the supporting cast, but look out for their profiles in upcoming newsletters and LinkedIn posts.

Visual Layout & Artwork: In Progress. This is still a challenge from a Gen AI perspective. Right from the start, the goal was to create the comic purely ourselves, with no assistance from artists. The reason? To immerse into the Gen AI landscape and learn by actually doing. So far, Midjourney has been great, but consistent characters has been tripping us up a bit.

• Consistent Character Designs: Midjourney CREF (character reference parameter) has been a bit of a disappointment so far.

• Expressive Emotions: It’s not easy to add subtle emotions – anger, empathy, and those "aha" moments to the character images.

Story & Script: In Progress. The original playbook is undergoing a revamp and the focus is on splitting it into 4 logical parts. Each of the four parts will be it’s own standalone comic.

Mark Your Calendar!

December 25th – A Rough Comic draft is coming to your inbox!

This will be the first peek at Part One: The Call to Lead.

A mix of panels, storytelling, and early artwork.

I need your feedback for improvement.

To help shape the final release.

Can’t wait to share with you!

Till next week! ☕️

P.S. That’s it for today - got thoughts, ideas or questions? Let me know – just reply to this email.