g-f(2)2308 Empowering Frontline Teams: The Key to Successful AI Adoption

 

genioux Fact post by Fernando Machuca and Claude

Introduction:

As artificial intelligence (AI) continues to revolutionize the business landscape, companies face the challenge of effectively adopting and implementing this transformative technology. While the knee-jerk reaction may be to appoint a senior leader to oversee AI adoption, this centralized, top-down approach often fails to yield the desired results. Instead, as Sowmyanarayan Sampath argues in his Harvard Business Review article, "Your Teams Should Drive AI Adoption — Not Senior Leadership," companies should empower their frontline teams to drive AI adoption, harnessing their operational expertise and real-time feedback to create meaningful, measurable outcomes.

🌟 genioux GK Nugget:

"In developing applied technologies like AI, leaders must identify opportunities within workflows, empowering frontline teams to drive adoption and create measurable outcomes." — Sowmyanarayan Sampath, Executive Vice President and CEO Verizon Consumer, April 30, 2024

genioux Foundational Fact:

To successfully adopt AI, companies should eschew the centralized, top-down "czar" approach in favor of a decentralized model where innovation happens on the frontlines and is supported by a center of excellence that provides platforms, data engineering, and governance. By giving teams ownership of the process and leveraging their operational expertise, companies can develop AI use cases that drive efficiency, effectiveness, and measurable results.

The 10 Most Relevant genioux Facts:

1. Appointing a senior leader to oversee AI adoption is often a mistake, as they lack the understanding of how work happens on the frontlines.
2. Instead of a centralized top-down structure, AI implementation should be owned by teams close to the work, providing real-time feedback.
3. Frontline teams have the operational expertise to identify the best AI use cases that drive measurable outcomes.
4. A center of excellence should support frontline innovation by providing platforms, data engineering, and governance.
5. Verizon partners with outside companies to fine-tune AI models in operations, network, customer care, and sales.
6. AI is used to relieve the cognitive load on service representatives by providing instant, personalized information.
7. AI enables real-time learning and updates, accelerating the product development cycle.
8. Verizon's AI search bot has achieved an answer accuracy rate on par with human accuracy, with the goal of reaching 99% accuracy.
9. AI-powered proactive sales efforts have increased Verizon's sales conversion rate by over 6%.
10. Empowering frontline teams to guide AI adoption leads to reduced cognitive load, increased efficiency, and improved customer service.

Conclusion:

The success of AI adoption in companies hinges on the empowerment of frontline teams to drive innovation and create measurable outcomes. By decentralizing the decision-making process and leveraging the operational expertise of those closest to the work, companies can develop AI use cases that enhance efficiency, effectiveness, and customer engagement. As Sowmyanarayan Sampath's article demonstrates, Verizon's approach of supporting frontline innovation with a center of excellence has yielded impressive results, from increased sales conversion rates to improved customer service. As AI continues to transform the business landscape, companies that harness the talent and insights of their frontline employees will be best positioned to create a competitive edge and thrive in the age of artificial intelligence.

REFERENCES

The g-f GK Context

Sowmyanarayan Sampath, Your Teams Should Drive AI Adoption — Not Senior Leadership, Harvard Business Review, April 30, 2024.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Sowmyanarayan Sampath, Executive Vice President and CEO Verizon Consumer.

Classical Summary:

In his thought-provoking Harvard Business Review article, "Your Teams Should Drive AI Adoption — Not Senior Leadership," Sowmyanarayan Sampath, Executive Vice President and CEO of Verizon Consumer, challenges the conventional wisdom of appointing a senior leader to oversee the adoption of new technologies like artificial intelligence (AI). Sampath argues that this centralized, top-down approach often fails to yield the desired results, as these "czars" lack the understanding of how work happens on the frontlines and are too far removed from the supply line of information where ideas are put into practice.

Instead, Sampath advocates for a decentralized model where AI implementation is owned by teams close to the work, empowering frontline employees to drive innovation and create measurable outcomes. These teams have the operational expertise to identify the best AI use cases that drive efficiency, effectiveness, and customer satisfaction. To support this frontline innovation, Sampath suggests establishing a center of excellence that provides platforms, data engineering, and governance.

Verizon serves as a prime example of this decentralized approach to AI adoption. The company partners with outside firms to fine-tune AI models in operations, network, customer care, and sales. AI is used to relieve the cognitive load on service representatives by providing instant, personalized information, enabling real-time learning and updates, and accelerating the product development cycle. Verizon's AI search bot has achieved an answer accuracy rate on par with human accuracy, with the goal of reaching 99% accuracy. Moreover, AI-powered proactive sales efforts have increased Verizon's sales conversion rate by over 6%.

Sampath draws parallels between the current AI revolution and the early days of the internet, emphasizing that success in both cases requires more than simply appointing an executive to oversee the transition. Companies that harness the talent and insights of their frontline employees to create an operational edge will be the ones to thrive in the age of AI.

In conclusion, Sampath's article presents a compelling case for empowering frontline teams to drive AI adoption, rather than relying on a centralized, top-down approach. By decentralizing the decision-making process and leveraging the operational expertise of those closest to the work, companies can develop AI use cases that enhance efficiency, effectiveness, and customer engagement, ultimately creating a competitive advantage in the ever-evolving business landscape.

Sowmyanarayan Sampath

Sowmyanarayan Sampath, also known as Sampath, is the Executive Vice President and CEO of Verizon Consumer Group¹. He is responsible for serving the largest consumer customer base in the United States, generating over $103.5 billion in total revenue in 2022¹.

Sampath is a globally recognized leader in the telecom industry with experience spanning consumer, enterprise, security, and critical infrastructure¹. His transformative work at Verizon includes revamping the consumer operating model and empowering its customer-facing organization¹.

Before his current role, Sampath served as the CEO of Verizon Business, leading the digitization of businesses, governments, and communities worldwide¹. With over $31 billion in annual revenue, Verizon Business is a leader in new 5G-based technology-led innovation¹.

Sampath's previous roles at Verizon include President of Global Enterprise and Chief Product Officer, where he implemented major strategic initiatives like Network Transformation and One Fiber¹. These initiatives laid the foundation for Verizon's progress in wireless network densification and 5G¹.

Before joining Verizon, Sampath spent nearly a decade at the Boston Consulting Group, where he was a Partner and Global Sector Leader for the Telecom practice area¹.

Sampath is committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion. He serves as the executive sponsor of United of Verizon, an employee resource group designed to build a diverse company culture¹. He also serves on the board of directors of Canadian Tire¹.

Sampath holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Calcutta, St. Xavier’s College, and an MBA from Boston University¹. He is also a Chartered Accountant¹.

Source: Conversation with Bing, 4/30/2024

(1) Sowmyanarayan Sampath, Executive Vice President and CEO Verizon .... https://www.verizon.com/about/our-company/executive-bios/sowmyanarayan-sampath-sampath.

(2) Sowmyanarayan Sampath named Chief Executive Officer, Verizon Business. https://www.verizon.com/about/news/sowmyanarayan-sampath-named-chief-executive-officer-verizon-business.

(3) Sowmyanarayan Sampath Appointed as New CEO of Verizon Business. https://www.thefastmode.com/leadership-and-management/25432-sowmyanarayan-sampath-appointed-as-new-ceo-of-verizon-business.

(4) Sowmyanarayan Sampath to head Verizon Business. https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/info-tech/sowmyanarayan-sampath-to-head-verizon-business/article65503243.ece.

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Categorization

This genioux Fact post is classified as Breaking Knowledge which means:  Insights for comprehending the forces molding our world and making sense of news and trends.

Type: Breaking Knowledge, Free Speech

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REFERENCES

“genioux facts”: The online program on "MASTERING THE BIG PICTURE OF THE DIGITAL AGE”, g-f(2)2308, Fernando Machuca and Claude, April 30, 2024, Genioux.com Corporation.

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