RCN Digital Leadership: Donald Thompson-Greiff, Cdr

May 5, 2023 - Defence Stories

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Donald Thompson-Greiff

Born and raised in Calgary, Commander Donald Thompson-Greiff is the RCN's Naval Personnel Manager and is based in Ottawa. Prior to working full-time for the RCN in 2002, Donald was enrolled in an engineering program at the University of Calgary. The curriculum included software programming; he thought it wasn't for him. However, he was keen to use technology to maintain his connections with his family and friends while away on military courses and taskings. The formative experiences of staying in touch with loved ones, and completing an undergraduate degree while on ship, and in the internet cafes of various foreign ports has led to a strong understanding of digital communications.

As Donald's professional responsibilities have increased, the use of technology and its applications across the CAF have also grown in complexity. In his current role, effective meeting facilitation within digital spaces is critical, as it is for many DND personnel. D365 and cloud-based products have been key for bringing together disparate teams across multiple locations. Fostering digital fluency particularly for online collaboration requires both persistence and repetition of these perishable skills.

For successful digital and hybrid meetings, Donald recommends the following:

• Share an intentional agenda (plus documentation) with attendees in advance
• Provide alternate means of attendance (PACE plan)
• Rehearse meeting logistics, presentation methods, and content sequencing
• Test meeting equipment in situ (conference phone, projector, speakers, etc)
• Ask for training on tools and equipment
• Engage with technical staff to support the meeting
• Use live materials that can be updated during sessions
• Pay attention to your attendees, ensuring that remote participants haven't lost connectivity
• Avoid straying from the agenda; new topics can drive the next meeting's agenda

For those who would like to improve their digital skills, you can start at the ADM(IM) D365 training page (Accessible only on the National Defence network).