In this special holiday episode of Polaris, guests from Synozur reflect on the past year, discussing significant events, innovations in technology, and personal highlights. They explore the impact of AI on businesses and the community, share memorable pop culture moments, and make predictions for 2025, emphasizing the importance of adapting to change and focusing on the human side of technology.

Takeaways

• 2024 was a year of both challenges and innovations in technology.
• AI is expected to be leveraged in new and impactful ways in businesses.
• The rise of fractional expertise is becoming a trend in organizations.
• Pop culture moments, like the Olympics and music events, shaped the year.
• The importance of focusing on the business value of AI is critical.
• A more skeptical approach to AI investments is anticipated in 2025.
• Diversity in STEM fields is increasing, as seen in events like the Excel World Championships.
• The future of AI should prioritize ethical considerations and human values.

Sound Bites

• "AI has been going along for like 65 years."
• "There's a lot of incentive to get this right."
• "The business value of AI has yet to be proved."

·       Enhanced Geothermal Systems:  Advancements in geothermal energy for commercial use. MIT Technology Review

·       James Webb Space Telescope: Provided unprecedented clarity in astronomy with stunning images of distant galaxies and exoplanet atmospheres.  NASA's Webb Depicts Staggering Structure in 19 Nearby Spiral Galaxies

·       Gartner Report on Generative AI: Discusses the deployment and expectations of generative AI solutions in businesses. Gartner Says More Than 80% of Enterprises Will Have Used Generative AI APIs or Deployed Generative AI-Enabled Applications by 2026

·       CrowdStrike Outage: Impact on Windows systems and the need to modernize technology infrastructures. Understanding the CrowdStrike-Induced Microsoft Outage

·       Coldplay's Music Video "All My Love": Features Dick Van Dyke, highlighting his career and family. Dick Van Dyke sings with Coldplay's Chris Martin in 'All My Love' music video

·       Olympics 2024: Memorable moments including Snoop Dogg's hosting and breakdancing as an Olympic sport. Snoop Dogg’s BEST MOMENTS At The 2024 Paris Olympics

·       Madonna's Truth or Dare (1991): Mentioned in the context of AI discussions. Madonna: Truth or Dare - terrific documentary

·       Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce: Their relationship's impact on the Super Bowl and pop culture. Travis Kelce Reveals How Taylor Swift Romance Has Impacted Pop Culture

·       Shogun TV Series on Hulu: Detailed depiction of Japanese culture and its intersection with Western culture. Shōgun: The brutal Japanese history that inspired 2024's latest TV hit

·       Anora (2024): An exotic dancer's trouble with the Russian mafia, both hilarious and heartbreaking. Anora - Wikipedia

·       Olympic Mountains: Mentioned in the context of global events. Olympic National Park (U.S. National Park Service)

·       Breckenridge, Colorado: Mentioned as a skiing destination. Colorado Skiing & Snowboarding | Breckenridge Resort

·       Iceland: Locations where the aurora was observed. Northern Lights in Iceland - When & Where To See the Aurora

·       Whidbey Island: Locations where the aurora was observed. Northern Lights over Whidbey

·       M365 Community Conference: Scheduled for May 4th-9th in Las Vegas, featuring keynotes from Jeff Teper and Jared Spataro. Microsoft 365 Community Conference

·       TechCon 365 Seattle: Scheduled for June 23rd-27th at the Seattle Convention Center. TechCon 365 Seattle

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Guest Introductions 00:52 Guest Introductions 02:43 Highlights of 2024: Innovations and Discoveries 10:09 Reflecting on Synozur's Year: Achievements and Growth 15:20 Pop Culture Moments of 2024 26:08 Looking Ahead: Predictions for 2025 33:24 Upcoming Events and Conferences 34:25 Closing Thoughts 36:05 Thanks and Happy Holidays

This podcast was produced with Riverside.fm, and features the song A Snowflake's Tale by Howard Harper-Barnes, courtesy of Epidemic Sound.

© 2024 The Synozur Alliance, All Rights Reserved

In the latest episode of Polaris, Matt Shaffer delves into the concept of Company Operating Systems (CoS), exploring its framework, key components, and the importance of documentation and communication in achieving business goals. We discuss the distinction between strategic and operational focuses, the difference between strategy and planning, and share real-world applications of CoS in various organizations. The conversation also touches on the role of software in implementing CoS, best practices for successful implementation, and future trends in organizational design and strategy.

·       A Company Operating System is a framework that helps maintain focus on business priorities.

·       The four key components of a CoS are business foundations, strategy, annual plans, and focus rhythm.

·        Goals are just one small piece of a larger operating system.

·       Documentation is crucial for intentionality in achieving business objectives.

·       Strategy involves long-term choices, while planning is about execution.

·       Leading practices for implementation include (1) educate on CoS components; (2) understand the difference between strategy and planning; and (3) don't over-commit on quarterly rocks your first time.

How to get going  = candid discussions with leaders, then workshops.

"

·       You can discover more about Polaris Hall at the US Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs at Polaris Hall • United States Air Force Academy

·       Matt has additional CoS resources hosted at www.salient7.com

·       The “Think System” of Professor Harold Hill in The Music Man. [Spoiler: it doesn’t really work – bands have to actually, umm, practice.]

·       The story behind the origin of “Big Rocks”, popularized by Stephen Covey in his work The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. Summary – big rocks have to be tackled first.

• ESPC24 - December 2--6 Stockholm Sweden, Jeff Teper keynote, Microsoft  365 an Azure teams and the best of the community across Europe and beyond.  www.sharepointeurope.com
• Upgrade your Company Operating System Webinar - December 5: Join Matt for a live overview of company operating systems – a great place to get your questions answered. Register at https://aka.synozur.com/COS2024
• CollabCon - December 12: Hosted in Orlando, Florida – learn more at www.collabconforall.com

·       00:00 Opening

·       00:16 Introducing Matt Shaffer and the Company Operating System

·       06:27 Common Leadership Challenges in Organizations

·       09:30 Understanding Company Operating Systems

·       12:19 Key Components of a Company Operating System

·       15:02 The Importance of Intentionality in Strategy

·       17:54 Distinguishing Between Strategy and Planning

·       20:38 Real-World Applications of Company Operating Systems

·       22:51 The Role of Software in Company Operating Systems

·       25:49 Best Practices for Implementing a Company Operating System

·       27:51 Future Trends in Organizational Design and Strategy

·       36:16 Introduction to Polaris and Its Significance

·       38:18 Matt Shaffer Wrapup

·       39:30 Upcoming Events and Announcements

·       40:50 Closing

Today we examine the emerging role of the Chief AI Officer (CAIO) and its growing importance within organizations. While the CAIO may not be necessary in every company, particularly those in the early stages of AI adoption, their role becomes increasingly vital as AI adoption matures. We outline the key responsibilities and benefits of a CAIO, including driving AI strategy, managing AI initiatives, ensuring ethical AI development, and bridging the talent gap in AI expertise. 

Portions of this podcast were generated by Google Notebook LM AI, and is based on Andrew Borg's excellent post on the Synozur blog -  The rise of the Chief AI Officer. Andrew discusses the quality and ethics issues that can arise with machine generated content based, in part on other machine generated content.

• AI is rapidly evolving and requires ethical oversight.
• The Chief AI Officer role is becoming essential for organizations.
• AI maturity varies across companies, influencing the need for a CAIO.
• Regulations are being established to ensure responsible AI use.
• Transparency in AI processes is crucial for building trust.
• AI tools can significantly enhance content creation efficiency.
• Organizations must prepare for AI integration into operations.
• Learning agility is vital for adapting to AI advancements.
• AI-generated content raises ethical considerations.

• Andrew Borg's blog post on the Synozur web site, The rise of the Chief AI Officer — The Synozur Alliance, is a great introduction to the business context and success criteria for establishing a Chief AI Officer role.
• Andrew also discusses how it's important to assess where any organization is on the MIT Sloan School AI Maturity Model, as published In MIT Sloan Management Review Fall 2024, "Do You Really Need a Chief AI Officer?", the authors describe 5 keys stages of AI
• Isaac Asimov's famous Three Laws of Robotics - Wikipedia
• All this has happened before - the concept of the ghost in the machine originated with 20th Century Oxford philosopher Gilbert Ryle. And its reference in the Police's fine album in 1981 Ghost in the Machine and also SZA's 2022 song Ghost in the Machine with Phoebe Bridgers.

• Google's fascinating NotebookLM AI knowledge management and analytics workspace  is available in beta now.
• Claude by Anthropic
• And of course, Copilot from Microsoft

• Worktech Seattle | November 7, 2024 | Seattle, WA USA
• TechCon365 - Dallas | Nov. 11-15, 2024 | Dallas, TX, USA
• Microsoft Ignite (+ more info) | Nov 18-22, 2024, Chicago, IL, USA

Chapters

00:00 Introduction 00:34 Introduction to Polaris Pathways 01:38 The Role of the Chief AI Officer 03:25 Google NotebookLM 05:17 Introduction to Andrew Bork's Background 08:35 The Role of Chief AI Officer (CAIO) 11:30 Determining the Need for a CAIO 15:07 Using AI Tools for Content Creation and Ethical Considerations 20:59 The Transformative Power of AI 21:34 Google's amazing NotebookLM 36:08 Ethical Considerations in AI Technology 38:12 New Chapter 43:06 Closing Thoughts on AI Engagement 44:35 Editor's Note 44:51 Upcoming Events 46:16 Conclusion

Today we examine the emerging role of the Chief AI Officer (CAIO) and its growing importance within organizations. While the CAIO may not be necessary in every company, particularly those in the early stages of AI adoption, their role becomes increasingly vital as AI adoption matures. We outline the key responsibilities and benefits of a CAIO, including driving AI strategy, managing AI initiatives, ensuring ethical AI development, and bridging the talent gap in AI expertise. 

Portions of this podcast were generated by Google Notebook LM AI, and is based on Andrew Borg's excellent post on the Synozur blog -  The rise of the Chief AI Officer. Andrew discusses the quality and ethics issues that can arise with machine generated content based, in part on other machine generated content.

• Andrew Borg's blog post on the Synozur web site, The rise of the Chief AI Officer — The Synozur Alliance, is a great introduction to the business context and success criteria for establishing a Chief AI Officer role.
• Andrew also discusses how it's important to assess where any organization is on the MIT Sloan School AI Maturity Model, as published In MIT Sloan Management Review Fall 2024, "Do You Really Need a Chief AI Officer?", the authors describe 5 keys stages of AI
• Isaac Asimov's famous Three Laws of Robotics - Wikipedia
• All this has happened before - the concept of the ghost in the machine originated with 20th Century Oxford philosopher Gilbert Ryle. And its reference in the Police's fine album in 1981 Ghost in the Machine and also SZA's 2022 song Ghost in the Machine with Phoebe Bridgers.

• Google's fascinating NotebookLM AI knowledge management and analytics workspace  is available in beta now.
• Claude by Anthropic
• And of course, Copilot from Microsoft

• Worktech Seattle | November 7, 2024 | Seattle, WA USA
• TechCon365 - Dallas | Nov. 11-15, 2024 | Dallas, TX, USA
• Microsoft Ignite (+ more info) | Nov 18-22, 2024, Chicago, IL, USA