It’s New Years Day so perfect timing for this week’s episode to drop as co-hosts Mark and Naomi catch-up on their reflections on 2025 and predictions for 2026.

Key discussion topics include:

2025 Insights:

• Macro trends continued from previous year with advancement in all categories
• Erosion of trust worsened due to AI-related misinformation and deep fraud
• AI advanced significantly beyond initial expectations
• Increased nationalism and tariffs impacted global businesses
• Return-to-office mandates generated headlines vs. reality
• HR and IT functions began merging into "HI" ☺

Major Disappointments:

• CHRO role perceived as declining in C-suite value
• DEI initiatives faced significant backlash, making the topic difficult to discuss
• Return-to-office policies became overly restrictive, reverting to pre-2005 monitoring practices

Proud Moments:

• Approaching 10th anniversary in 2026
• Celebrated 150th podcast episode
• Successful collaborations, particularly "The Complete Leader" with Vanessa Chehlawi
• Community growth and strategic newsletter changes

2026 Hopes:

• Reduce divisiveness and find common ground
• Address entry-level job concerns related to AI
• Support the "tool belt generation" choosing trades over traditional academic paths
• HR operating model evolution with creative solutions
• AI integration becoming seamless in daily tools

We’re excited for many more episodes and guests in 2026!

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