It's that time of year. Overeating. Overthinking. Overimbibing. But full of festive spirit and reflection. What are YOU reflecting on this last week of 2024?

On this show we have a tradition of recording an end-of-year discussion. This year we share our most profound learnings from 2024... But it isn't pie in the sky stuff... No. We always keep it fresh and practical for the cats out there...

We Discuss:

• What's the one thing that each of us has learned from this year that other consultants might benefit from?
• If you're just an associate at a big consulting firm, how can you incorporate and influence culture when you're not setting it?
• How do you know what the right amount of risk is when making career decisions?
• How can you maintain focus and avoid "squirrel brain" when there are multiple exciting opportunities?
• What are the cast's "things of the year" that had the biggest impact?

7 Takeaways:

1. The value of embracing a beginner's mindset was highlighted through Whynde Kuehn's personal journey of learning Norwegian and sailing, demonstrating how stepping out of expertise and into unfamiliar territory can lead to personal and professional growth.
2. Consultants often struggle with maintaining focus and avoiding "squirrel brain," as illustrated by Oliver Cronk's experience of chasing multiple interesting opportunities while needing to learn when to rein in distractions and prioritize impactful work.
3. The tendency to become risk-averse as careers progress and comfort levels increase can limit growth potential, suggesting that professionals need to consciously balance risk and reward even in later career stages.
4. Establishing the right culture, particularly in virtual team settings, is crucial for group success and requires intentional focus on elements like psychological safety and clear communication norms.
5. The definition of enterprise architecture as "the architecture of the enterprise, not just information systems" emerged as a crucial clarification for the field, helping to resolve ongoing debates about its scope and purpose.
6. The podcast's evolution to include live recordings at prestigious venues like the British Computer Society demonstrated how taking calculated risks with new formats can lead to unexpected success.
7. The current state of AI technology was compared to historical necromancy, suggesting that while AI tools can provide valuable insights, their outputs should be treated with careful skepticism as they can be unpredictable and occasionally incorrect.