Genesys Casual

Hey Everyone,

Happy new year! This QOTM is a bit of a double feature. 

1) What are your goals for 2026? They could be personal, professional, or anything in between. Anyone thinking this is the year you learn pickleball or win a Trivia Tower event?

2) Last year, we asked a similar question! Anyone who goes back to that thread and gives us a report on how your goals turned out, can get some sweet GCAP points and the chance to win a prize from the prize wall! 

• Prize winner(s) will be based on progress towards goal and quality of evidence provided. 
• Deadline for goal updates is 1/31/2026

May your year be merry and bright and full of prizes starting right now!

Cheers,

Matt & Team

#QOTM

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Matt Lawson
Genesys - Employees
Online Community Manager
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Being that some of my Genesys Certifications start to expire in 2026, my professional goal is to renew those certifications and hopefully explore some new material along the way.

I wasn't active with posting in the Genesys forums last year, however my last year's personal goal was to earn my 1st degree black belt in International Taekwondo (ITF).  In April of 2025, I tested and passed that test.  Just like the Genesys training, I look forward to learning new material and helping others develop their skills.  The martial arts journey has been rewarding in multiple ways.

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Michael Jewell
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I feel the pain...I had to push through and take all of the certification exams over the past couple of months, in and around everything else. 

1st Dan...congratulations! That's an achievement, and now moves you toward that instructor role with more responsibility!

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George Ganahl GCCX-AI, GCP, GCD
Technical Adoption Champion
Genesys
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Original Message:
Sent: 01-02-2026 09:25
From: Michael Jewell
Subject: January Question of the Month - Goals for 2026?

Being that some of my Genesys Certifications start to expire in 2026, my professional goal is to renew those certifications and hopefully explore some new material along the way.

I wasn't active with posting in the Genesys forums last year, however my last year's personal goal was to earn my 1st degree black belt in International Taekwondo (ITF).  In April of 2025, I tested and passed that test.  Just like the Genesys training, I look forward to learning new material and helping others develop their skills.  The martial arts journey has been rewarding in multiple ways.

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Michael Jewell
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Our instructor also promoted me from assistant to full instructor the day I earned my 1st degree.  Typically the full instructor title doesn't happen for a couple more ranks.  My role is to assist and support our youth class (age 14 and under).  It's challenging and fun, just like Genesys training at times  :)

Thank you very much!  

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Michael Jewell
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Original Message:
Sent: 01-02-2026 10:31
From: George Ganahl
Subject: January Question of the Month - Goals for 2026?

I feel the pain...I had to push through and take all of the certification exams over the past couple of months, in and around everything else. 

1st Dan...congratulations! That's an achievement, and now moves you toward that instructor role with more responsibility!

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George Ganahl GCCX-AI, GCP, GCD
Technical Adoption Champion
Genesys
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Original Message:
Sent: 01-02-2026 09:25
From: Michael Jewell
Subject: January Question of the Month - Goals for 2026?

Being that some of my Genesys Certifications start to expire in 2026, my professional goal is to renew those certifications and hopefully explore some new material along the way.

I wasn't active with posting in the Genesys forums last year, however my last year's personal goal was to earn my 1st degree black belt in International Taekwondo (ITF).  In April of 2025, I tested and passed that test.  Just like the Genesys training, I look forward to learning new material and helping others develop their skills.  The martial arts journey has been rewarding in multiple ways.

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Michael Jewell

Primary number one big ticket item for this year is to become a go-to resource for all things AI-related in Genesys Cloud, especially the latest (not yet released) true agentic AI coming soon...

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George Ganahl GCCX-AI, GCP, GCD
Technical Adoption Champion
Genesys
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I'm right there with you @Michael Jewell!  I have some certifications up for renewal, too.  

So, for professional 2026 goals, I would like to:

• Renew my certifications
• Add one additional certification
• Update my resume

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Gina Palmer
Manager, Workforce Management
Papa, Inc.
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My goals for 2026 are a little bigger than last year's. This year, I want to work on another certification, read more, and do some serious deep cleaning /house purging. The goal is to reclaim my time by staying focused, reducing screen time, and live more intentionally.

I did post an update on how my 2025 goal went. I may have more fun with the kids' gifts than they do sometimes. 

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Stacey Sanchez
PACU- Workforce Operations MGR
Winston-Salem, NC
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Personally, this is the year I reorganize the finished side of our basement - again, and hopefully for the last time (at least for a while). It fell back into disarray about 2-3 years ago and has been a low priority to-do item since. This is the year!

Professionally, it's hard to plan as there are a lot of unknowns right now, but in general I hope to refine, refresh, and streamline several configurations, procedures, and the like. Last year was really bananas, and while I won't be surprised if this year is too, I remain hopeful it will at least be a lesser degree of bananas so I can make some progress on this goal.

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Emily Kammerer
Manager - Telephony Systems
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I have one single mantra that is ruling my 2026 -

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Amy Sessions
Division Manager, Utility Customer Service
City of Clearwater
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Still working on my own professional goals for the year but I do know that part of my teams goals will include seamless deployments for some additional areas of our business that we will be migrating to Genesys. 

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Kathryn Haines
Optimization Leader
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Professionally, I'd like to work on a cert or 2 this year to bolster my resume and prove my skills in this field. Personally, I'd like to read more! I feel like I've lost a bit of love for reading and would like to get that back this year. Here's to 2026!

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John Butine
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Biggest goal: Train my exceptionally energetic Lab well enough that I'm walking her rather than she walking me. 😆

Work-wise: I'm planning to be more involved in the CX community - here and through associations like Women in CX and CXPA. There's nothing like the inspiration and insights you can gain, and the relationships you can build, in these communities.

Personally: A couple of years ago, after getting a fitness trainer certification (passion project), I created a 12-week exercise program for people who just want to add a bit of activity into their lives without the gym. I've learned a lot since then, so I'm going to update the program. 

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Ginger Conlon
Director of Customer Stories
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Hi ,

I want to increase my knowledge and experience in the cloud side with Genesys.

Thanks.

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Murat Akkaynak
Unified Communication Manager
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Wow, tough one!

Well, I didn't set any goals last year, so I could argue I met them all! 🤪

This year? Professionally, like so many others, I need to re-certify - what a PITA! 🥺I also feel like I've been neglecting the Communities lately, so I aim to get back to being more involved.

Personally, let's see, I aim to drop a few pounds and get down to about 210 (15 Stone for those in the UK). I also want to revive and average 2 videos a month on my YouTube channel (currently, it's dead....)

I look forward to re-visiting this thread in a year and seeing how we all did!

Best of luck everyone.

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Paul Simpson
Views expressed are my own and do not necessarily reflect those of my employer.
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@Paul Simpson I'd wager that with your depth of knowledge and experience you could take several exams with just a bit of going through the objectives and looking up a few things (especially limits), then take maybe half an hour to complete each one.

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George Ganahl GCCX-AI, GCP, GCD
Technical Adoption Champion
Genesys
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Original Message:
Sent: 01-07-2026 13:29
From: Paul Simpson
Subject: January Question of the Month - Goals for 2026?

Wow, tough one!

Well, I didn't set any goals last year, so I could argue I met them all! 🤪

This year? Professionally, like so many others, I need to re-certify - what a PITA! 🥺I also feel like I've been neglecting the Communities lately, so I aim to get back to being more involved.

Personally, let's see, I aim to drop a few pounds and get down to about 210 (15 Stone for those in the UK). I also want to revive and average 2 videos a month on my YouTube channel (currently, it's dead....)

I look forward to re-visiting this thread in a year and seeing how we all did!

Best of luck everyone.

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Paul Simpson
Views expressed are my own and do not necessarily reflect those of my employer.
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My goals for 2026 are to keep growing professionally, deepen my technical skills, and contribute more strategically at work. Looking back at last year, I made solid progress on my learning goals and delivered key projects, so I'm excited to keep the momentum going in 2026!

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Gabriel Garcia
NA
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For 2026, my main goal is to deepen my specialization in Genesys and Customer Experience.

More specifically, I want to go beyond just implementing features and focus even more on connecting Genesys capabilities to real customer objectives and business outcomes - whether that's efficiency, quality, customer perception, or agent experience.

In 2025, I spent a lot of time working hands-on with Copilot, AI Scoring, Speech & Text Analytics, and Quality, and saw firsthand how powerful these tools can be when they are aligned with clear CX goals. In 2026, my goal is to act even more strategically, helping customers translate "features" into measurable value.

Looking forward to building smarter, more intentional CX journeys - and maybe earning a few GCAP points along the way 😄

Cheers!

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Mateus Nunes
Tech Leader Of CX at Solve4ME
Brazil
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Love reading everyone's responses to this question!

Professionally, the goal for 2026 is all about growth mindset! This will be dedicated time for focused learning, mentoring, upleveling skills and more! 

Personally, not being afraid to step outside my comfort zone. You don't know until you try and if you don't try, you'll never know! 😉

Cheers to everyone for a healthy and happy 2026! 

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Kimberley Field
Customer Success Director
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Professionally, the goal for 2026 is all about a growth mindset and improving mental balance by combining work, study, and family. This will be dedicated time for focused learning, upleveling skills, and maintaining a close relationship with our clients, generating value delivery.

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Hugo Reboucas
Opportunity Brazil - RPA
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For 2026, I want to focus strongly on my professional growth. My goal is to earn more Genesys Certifications and also contribute more technically in my work. In addition, I want to maintain consistency in my English studies, continuously improving throughout the year.

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Letícia Matos
-
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This year, I've set a clear goal to earn my Genesys Cloud CX certification to deepen my expertise in cloud solutions. I am also eager to apply this knowledge by taking an active role in AI-driven projects, focusing on how smart automation can transform the customer experience.

Let's see what successes I will have achieved next year.

Good luck to everyone.

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Serdar Kaya
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Certs, certs, and more certs.

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James Bonnevie
Technology Engineer Consultant
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Alexandru Ungureanu
TEC Engineer
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Hello, Happy New Year!!  My first goal is to get my master's degree this year. And in early year I want to update the Genesys Terraform provider from 1.68.4 to 1.73.0 as my first task in genesys cloud cx managed as IAC tool terraform.

Regards,
Deepak Pandey

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DEEPAK PANDEY
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So my resolution is still to have our extension by the end of the year. Frustrating but we are a step closer.

Unfortunately we waited until this December for the roofing to be done due to lack of roofers. Now though wiring is being put in and internal walls are being put up.

We now have the most challenging time. Colours, bathrooms and light fittings. :)

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Richard Chandler
Connect
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Larissa Andrade
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My goals for this year are to renew my Genesys certifications.
As the number of Genesys Cloud CX projects continues to grow, I also plan to become certified as a Service Cloud Consultant.
In addition, I want to improve my English proficiency.

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Elisson Fernandes
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In 2026, my professional goals are to earn Genesys Cloud CX AI certifications, secure Orchestrator badges, and deeply explore predictive engagement capabilities.

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Anand Gangappa
NA
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My main goals for 2026 are professional growth: renewing my certifications and improving my English to communicate more confidently in a global environment.

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Luiz Rosa
Full stack developer
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Hey Luiz! love these goals. I have been using DuoLing for a year to refresh my spanish skills and I really like they app. It makes learning pretty fun! 

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Matt Lawson
Genesys - Employees
Online Community Manager
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Original Message:
Sent: 01-09-2026 12:35
From: Luiz Rosa
Subject: January Question of the Month - Goals for 2026?

My main goals for 2026 are professional growth: renewing my certifications and improving my English to communicate more confidently in a global environment.

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Luiz Rosa
Full stack developer
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I started using Duoling. Forgetting to do the daily lesson is not a good sign.

It gets really mad at me 😅

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Luiz Rosa
Full stack developer
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Original Message:
Sent: 01-09-2026 12:40
From: Matt Lawson
Subject: January Question of the Month - Goals for 2026?

Hey Luiz! love these goals. I have been using DuoLing for a year to refresh my spanish skills and I really like they app. It makes learning pretty fun! 

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Matt Lawson
Genesys - Employees
Online Community Manager
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Original Message:
Sent: 01-09-2026 12:35
From: Luiz Rosa
Subject: January Question of the Month - Goals for 2026?

My main goals for 2026 are professional growth: renewing my certifications and improving my English to communicate more confidently in a global environment.

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Luiz Rosa
Full stack developer

Feliz Ano Novo!
Não cheguei a participar anteriormente, mas desejo que este seja um ano repleto de aprendizados e conquistas, com muitas prosperidades, saúde e felicidades para todos nós!!

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João Silva
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Is Jan 13 too late for HNY? ;-) while some people are already giving on their resolutions I am just getting started as my goal is:
1) participate in the Genesys community
2) get my certifications
3) help one of my customer go-live with a Virtual Agent
Lets go!

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Joaquin Garcia Fink
Senior Customer Success Manager
Genesys - Employees
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Kaio Oliveira
Sr Systems Analyst
GCP - GCQM - GCS - GCA - GCD - GCO - GPE & GPR
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Looking back at 2025 goals:
I'm happy to say it was a very strong year on the professional side. I was able to achieve the following milestones within the Genesys ecosystem:

• Developer Certification

• Quality Management Certification

• Bots & AI Certification

• Outbound Certification

• Architect Certification

• Scripting Certification

• Genesys Orchestrators – Producer

• Genesys Orchestrators – Conductor

• Recertification of the Genesys Cloud Professional Certification

These goals were all part of my original plan to deepen both technical and orchestration capabilities, and I'm proud of the consistency and progress throughout the year.

Goals for 2026:
For this year, my focus is on continuing to evolve as an Orchestrator and expanding into adjacent domains. Main goals include:

• Progressing further in the Genesys Orchestrators program

• Achieving the remaining certifications in WFM and GPE & GPR

• Continuing to apply these skills in real-world projects and sharing learnings with the community

Looking forward to another year of learning, building, and contributing. Thanks for keeping the QOTM tradition alive-and for the extra motivation with GCAP points and prizes 😄

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Mateus Nunes
Tech Leader Of CX at Solve4ME
Brazil
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Much the same as most of the good people above, 2026 needs to the year I sit the certification exams. I've done the prep too many times without clicking the  button!

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Sam Hutchinson
Senior Developer
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This year, my goal is to be more engaged with the Genesys community and to make better use of all our education channels to deepen my understanding of the product and its capabilities. :) 

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Juliana Spinardi
Sr. Customer Advocacy Lead
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Happy New Year !!

Well i gave one goal myself to earn enough points to redeem the pickle ball set from Orchestrators and try to  learn it 😁

But definitely i want to renew my Genesys Certifications - Professional & Architect. 

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VirajDhurat
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Hello Everyone,

First time engaging here in the Genesys Community, even though I've been a Genesys employee for 2 years now! haha.

My professional goal for 2026 is to earn more GC certifications.

For my personal goal, I want to run my first full marathon. I am training regularly and hope I can finish it by the end of the year!

Wish me luck!

Matthew Lawrence De Mesa

Senior Technical Support Engineer | Product Support  

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Matthew Lawrence De Mesa
Senior Technical Support Engineer
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My goals for this year are to lose some more weight, 10 lbs lost so far and also to learn more about flows within Architect. 

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Mike Morris
Manager - BCD
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My professional aim for 2026 is to gain at least one Genesys Certification.  The idea of not being able to talk to myself and having someone watching me via webcam is a tad off-putting though!

My personal goal is to get to the end of the year with less things on the to do list than I have now.

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Dave T
RCN
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The key is to be so studied up that you minimize the time the proctor is watching (probably an AI proctor...)

15 minutes per exam, eh?

:-)

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George Ganahl GCCX-AI, GCP, GCD
Technical Adoption Champion
Genesys
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Original Message:
Sent: 01-20-2026 10:10
From: Dave Tiltman
Subject: January Question of the Month - Goals for 2026?

My professional aim for 2026 is to gain at least one Genesys Certification.  The idea of not being able to talk to myself and having someone watching me via webcam is a tad off-putting though!

My personal goal is to get to the end of the year with less things on the to do list than I have now.

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Dave T
RCN
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A few for this year!

• Lose 10lb (I lost 50lb last year, and have put 10lb of it back on over a gluttonous Christmas period! 😇)
• Continue some home renovations.

Professionally;

• Renew and obtain certifications
• Grow & Develop in my current role

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Thomas Vickery
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One of my 2026 goals is to continue my education! Whether that's at work as a Product Manager, with Genesys specifically, or personally by going to get my master's degree. I finally graduated with my bachelor's last year, so continuing to learn and improve is something on my mind!

As for last year's question, I didn't realize I posted! Looking back, I discussed officiating football and improving my skill set as I strive to enter the college realm. I'm happy to report that I was assigned my first junior college-level game in November! Looking forward to many more opportunities, as well as learning experiences that will come this year.

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Izeck McRae
Product Manager 2
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
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Hey everyone, Happy New Year!

I've already had a read through some of the goals shared here, lots of exciting and inspiring ones to kick off 2026.

For me, one of my main goals this year is to complete at least a few Genesys certifications by the end of the year. I'm also really looking forward to implementing Agent Copilot in our organisation and exploring how we can use it to enhance both the agent and customer experience.

Looking forward to learning from everyone's journeys this year and seeing how these goals evolve over time.

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Phaneendra
Technical Solutions Consultant
Monash University
Australia
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For 2026, my main goal is to completely redesign our IVR strategy - moving away from a traditional DTMF-based model to a fully Cognitive, AI-driven IVR.

The focus will be on intent understanding, conversational journeys, better containment, and smarter orchestration with digital channels, all aligned with Genesys Cloud best practices.

It's a big shift in mindset, architecture, and governance, but I'm excited to make 2026 the year this transformation really happens 🚀

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Fernando Sotto dos Santos
Consultor Grupo Casas Bahia
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Integrate AI as much as possible to our process

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Stephane Niamien
Analyst
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Some professional goals this year is to get the GCP Certification.  I've already completed 3 of the recommended courses after I came back from leave earlier in the month.  Also looking forward to rolling out Agent Copilot and some other AI features for our contact centre. 

Personally would like to travel some this year.  Last year I was a real homebody.  I have either Japan or the US (maybe the World Cup later this year) in mind. Last time I travelled overseas was over 7 years ago, so I think I well due for a nice trip :D 

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Robert Niblock
Contact Centre Technology Analyst
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Hi,

1.) Honestly, my 2026 goals are pretty simple-stay consistent with work, carve out more time for fitness, and maybe finally pick up a new hobby (pickleball sounds fun, I may order it from GCAp only ;P).
Rest, I just hope there are no more tariff wars & market crashes.

2.) Looking back, last year was a mix-some goals were achieved (WFH setup upgrade & car), some goals stuck, some fizzled out, but I made progress overall.

thanks

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Ashiesh Sharma
GCX- GCP, ARC, SCR, QM
BT plc
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Goals for 2026

• Personal/Fitness: "My main goal for 2026 is to lose 20kg by mid-year."
• Professional: Become a reference in Telecom by the end of the year.
• Fun/Hobby: Make my gaming channel on YT reach 500 subscribers by the end of the year.

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Vinicius Silva
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Well, this year, I'll try to finish some courses about Python and database, plus, i'll try to get some Genesys certifications and some Genesys rewards from Genesys Advocacy!

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Lucas Oliveira

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Goals For 2026

Professional:

I am implementing a new technology platform in the contact center which will bring more agent flexibility.  The goal is to shift our culture toward flexibility and personal accountability.  In addition to that, I would like for this to bring awareness to other areas of the company which could gain recoginition for our company's "Values Awards."

Personal:

Last year I wanted to lose 75 lbs.  I have lost 74.  So the goal this year is that one last stubborn pound and then I will run a marathon.

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[Jodi] [Maffitt]
[WFM Department Manager]
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Hello Everyone, my 2026 professional goal is complete my GCP Certification (in progress)

Have a nice day.

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Samuel Vitales
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Happy New Year, everyone! 🎉 My goals for 2026 are to deepen my expertise in Genesys Cloud WFM and AI, including completing the remaining certifications GC-AI-DB and GCX-WFM, while contributing more actively to the Genesys Community by sharing practical, real-world experiences. Looking ahead, I'm excited to continue learning and growing throughout 2026.

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Ye Yi
Technical Specialist
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My goals for this year are:

• Continue growing in my job

• Keep studying and improving my Genesys skills

• Spend as much time as possible with my newborn baby

Regards. 😊

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Rafael Gomez Sanchis
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Hi!

My goals for 2026 is to continue improving my skills with Genesys Cloud.

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Daniel Souza
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To improve my technological skills and dedicate myself even more to learning the new functionalities of Genesys.

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Alesson Santos
NA
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My professional goals include obtaining the next 2 AWS certifications this year. My personal goal is to learn Korean. Why Korean, you may ask? I love watching K-dramas. :)

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Letty Mendoza
-
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I'm not one to go all-in on New Year's resolutions, but I do have some professional goals.  This year, I plan to hone my project management skills further by getting some accreditations.  

Last year, I took major strides in this field and ready to finish it this year!

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Don Giannini
Performance Support Manager
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I feel the pain...I had to push through and take all of the certification exams over the past couple of months.

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Alex Sander Felicio
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My goal is just to bring more fun and engaging ways to participate in the Community! 

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Nicole Milliken
Senior Online Community Video Specialist
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