Polaris Pathways - a Synozur podcast

Polaris is a production of Synozur – the transformation company. Synozur reimagines business for our clients, navigating the complexities of transformation and strategy with ease. Four Synozur leaders - Michelle Boyd, Michelle Caldwell, Joshua Christensen & Shari Oswald – join Chris McNulty on a special holiday edition of Polaris to reflect on 2025's seismic shifts in AI, the gap between technology and organizational maturity, and why 2026 will separate those who merely adopted tools from those who fundamentally transformed how work gets done.  KEY TAKEAWAYS Agentic AI arrived in force in 2025 – Microsoft Copilot evolved from a helpful assistant into an embedded constellation of specialized agents across M365 applications, fundamentally changing how teams operate daily.  The maturity gap is widening – Technology advancement is dramatically outpacing organizational readiness, with leadership capability now becoming the real constraint rather than the technology itself.  End-user training is no longer optional – Organizations are finally realizing that responsible AI adoption requires structured learning programs, not just tool deployment—people need guidance on how to have conversations with AI, not just search for keywords.  AI shifted from tech talk to leadership discussion – The conversation evolved from "what can AI do?" to "how do we govern it responsibly?" with leaders focused on accountability, trust, and cultural impact rather than just features.  Authenticity beats perfection – From pop culture to business strategy, 2025 rewarded genuine human connection, long-form conversation, and immersive shared experiences over polished soundbites and surface-level engagement.  Strategy without execution discipline won't cut it in 2026 – Organizations that invest in people, governance, and AI fluency alongside their technology will significantly outperform competitors who only focus on tools.  Decision support is the new frontier – The most sophisticated organizations are operationalizing AI as a decision-making backbone, using it to surface insights, test scenarios, and challenge assumptions in ways that augment human judgment.  Sound Bites Michelle Boyd (Head of Delivery Excellence, Synozur)  "We're not just talking about AI anymore—we're living it. We leverage that agentic embedded experience across the M365 environment every single day, and it's become a game changer for how we operate and how we help our customers."  "AI can surface insights I probably wouldn't have connected on my own. There's the gut check—sometimes we see results and think 'that's not exactly right for me'—but other times AI connects dots I would have missed."  "Organizations on the tip of the spear in AI adoption are going to start using it as an operational backbone—leveraging it for decision-making possibilities, setting up scenarios, and getting recommendations that inform strategy."  Michelle Caldwell (CEO, Synozur)  "AI stopped being just a technology conversation and became a leadership discussion. The real questions shifted to accountability, trust, and how leaders make decisions in an AI-augmented world."  "Technology maturity is outpacing organizational maturity. We're not looking at a technology problem—we're looking at an organizational and leadership maturity challenge."  "In 2026, we'll see two types of organizations: those that adopted AI tools and those that fundamentally redesigned how work gets done. The gap between them will be significant. AI fluency becomes table stakes for leadership."  Joshua Christensen (Head of Future of Work and Product Strategy, Synozur)  "We're going to find more clients who invested in AI over the last year but haven't seen returns. You can't just cast a wide net and pray something good comes out. You've got to narrow your focus and dive deep."  "This is not a button you just turn on and everything's automatically great. It takes thought, initiative, planning, and some hard truths about your organization—not just how it's run, but how your technology stacks were built."  "People that aren't in technology are finally clinging to what generative AI actually is—understanding it's a completely different breed from what they thought AI was, and realizing the true implications."  Shari Oswald (Learning Experience Officer, Microsoft MVP, Synozur)  "I'm so happy to see a refocus back on the end users this year. With the rise of AI, people are realizing their teams need to be trained. Companies are refocusing on learning, and this is probably one of my best years ever."  "When you search, you get content. When you use AI, you get context—but you also have to provide context. It's like coaching a teenage child to do chores. You can't just say 'take out the trash'—you need to give them all the parameters."  "I had 310 people in my Ignite session on prompting 101. People are not comfortable. They don't know where to start. You can't just expect them to pick it up—it's intimidating."  References Center for Humane Technology - "The AI Dilemma"  Presentation by Tristan Harris and Aza Raskin discussing ethical and societal impacts of AI  https://www.humanetech.com/podcast/the-ai-dilemma  Netflix Acquires Warner Bros. Discovery  Major entertainment industry consolidation announced December 2025  https://about.netflix.com  Figma Slides  Professional presentation design tool launched in 2024/2025  The Wizard of Oz at Sphere Las Vegas  Immersive AI-enhanced theatrical experience opened August 2025  Vibe Coding Tools Referenced:  Replit:  Claude Code (Anthropic):  Lovable:  TV Shows Mentioned:  Severance (Apple TV+)  The Paper (NBC Peacock)  Fallout (Amazon Prime Video)  Stranger Things (Netflix)  South Park (Comedy Central)  Synozur Platforms Mentioned:  Orion - AI maturity model platform  Vega - OKR and strategic planning platform for the Company Operating System™ Constellation/SCDP - Time tracking and project management  Nebula - Digital envisioning platform  GUEST INFORMATION & PROFILES  Michelle Caldwell  CEO, Synozur Alliance  LinkedIn: Michelle Caldwell | LinkedIn Michelle Boyd  Head of Delivery Excellence, Synozur Alliance  LinkedIn: Michelle Boyd, MBA PMP SIDL | LinkedIn Joshua Christensen  Future of Work and Product Strategy Leader, Synozur Alliance  LinkedIn: Joshua Christensen | LinkedIn Shari L. Oswald  Chief Learning Officer, Synozur Alliance | Microsoft MVP & Certified Trainer  LinkedIn: Shari L. Oswald, MVP, MCT, MSOM | LinkedIn Events Strategy - Now With AI | January 6, 2026 (Online)  M365 Community Days DC 2026  January 29-30 at Microsoft Innovation Hub in Arlington VA Partner Vibe | January 28-30 at the Marriot Courtyard in South Padre Island Texas M365 Community Conference | April 21-23 at the Loews Saphire Falls in Orlando Florida AI+IM Summit | April 28-30 Hyatt Regency Inner Harbor, Baltimore, MD Production Polaris is produced with help from Riverside.fm. Our holiday theme song, "A Snowflake's Tale" is provided courtesy of Epidemic Sound.  Additional music and sound provided by IndieGuy Records. Graphic design by Josh Brantley. Polaris is available on Apple, Spotify, Amazon, YouTube or wherever you get your favorite podcasts. Thanks.   Chapters 00:00 Introduction and Reflections on 2025 02:50 AI and Technology Trends in 2025 08:35 Achievements and Highlights at Synozur 12:40 Pop Culture in 2025 19:47 Looking Ahead to 2026 30:21 Looking Ahead: Events and AI Strategy 31:41 Reflecting on 2025: Highlights and Milestones 33:40 The Rise of AI: Transformations and Innovations 35:21 Thanks and Happy New Year