AI Implementation: The Essential Crew

A year and a half after the public launch of Chat GPT, it will be very hard to find someone who hasn't played around with it at least once.

Students start research projects with at least one conversation. Graphic artists use mid-journey for projects. And regular people use Chat GPT to write better emails.

All of this is absolutely wonderful.

Yet, this easy adoption has not, at least as easily been seen in organisations.

Building An AI Culture

Every leader, (at least on some level) knows that AI might enable them to

a. Drive efficiencies.

b. Discover new ways to create value

Yet, many aren't sure what to do with these possibilities.

This is a big gap.

Organisations that are not able to move fast will be left increasingly far behind.

How will you, in all honesty, compete, if your competition is able to do in 10 seconds what takes you 10 hours?

For the past few weeks I (and my research partner Jaspreet Bindra), have been exploring what it means to build an AI Culture. We have been interviewing people who have implemented AI projects within their organisations to see if we can identify the "magic sauce" within their cultures.

In a few weeks, we will have a lot to share. Our findings will evolve. Perhaps in ways we cannot even start to predict.

But here is what is quickly emerging as a starting point.

You Need A Crew:

Implementing AI across an organisation needs a crew.

And exceptional people in at least 3 critical roles.

1. An Influential Sponsor.

Now, I know this is a bit of a cliche. After all, every project in every organisation needs a sponsor. But not every program has an organisations fate hanging in balance in quite the same way, as its abilities to harness the potential of AI.

This itself has not proven to be easy.

The biggest barrier has been one that should-in some ways-be easy to address. The lack of understanding of AI and Gen AI at senior levels of the organisation.

You can read more here:

Or here:

The key finding of this research? The AI literacy of a company's top management is a direct driver of its ability to a. identify potential; and b. drive implementation. Yet AI literacy is proving to be be the limitation at the very top.

When the board and an organisation fully appreciates the potential of AI it will be able to select a sponsor who in turn will be able to lead this move ahead.

Who would be a good sponsor?

1. The Internal Sponsor HAS TO be Influential. Influential enough to mobilise resources, put together an action team, and influence the larger organisation. This could include organising AI literacy programs for senior leaders, or educating the board.
2. Identify Budgets and Claim Resources for an AI Cell. The sponsor has to be able to be influential enough to claim resources for the organisations AI program. This may mean building support of the executive teams/ and or the board. And of course influencing them to participate in AI literacy programs
3. Select the Captain. The Sponsor needs to be able to then recruit the right person to lead the AI cell. So this means someone with the ability to select and hire the best person internally or externally. And then guide the captain in the organisations AI agenda and program.

The internal sponsor therefore needs to be someone who is trusted by the Chief Executive.

2. An Imaginative Captain

While the sponsor creates the right environment within which AI implementation can begin to grow roots, it is the captain who leads its implementation.

The captain is often the head of the AI cell internally. And is in a very special position to make or break its implementation.

Here are some of the critical jobs the captain will perform:

1. Help Leaders Discover Potential Within Their Functions. For instance in a manufacturing organisation, this may mean helping HR understand how the use of AI can help make better recruitment decisions. It may mean helping supply chain consider how AI can make it far more efficient. Or, it may mean helping marketing teams understand how to increase their outreach. The possibilities are endless.
2. Lead a Team of Technologists who Build AI Tools. Once potential value is discovered, it means leading a team of technologists who can then build solutions for different functions using technology platforms that are emerging. The success of these early pilots is critical to the overall appreciation of AIs potential.
3. Evangelise AI Use Cases. As the AI cell begins to build a repertoire of use cases, the captain can use these examples to build awareness across the organisation and educate other business leaders around the potential of AI.

Who would be a good captain?

What makes this such an interesting role to hire for, is that you cannot hire for experience, simply because no one has ever led an AI cell before. So you will be hiring entirely for potential.

How can you spot potential? What should you be looking for.

1. High Levels of Imagination. Because so much of this role is about creating something that has never been done before, the captain of the AI cell needs high levels of imagination. Someone who can see possibilities well before they have become common. A captain I spoke with recently offered the following suggestion: "Hire people who read science fiction. Whatever science fiction suggests is now becoming a reality." ; or "Hire people who love gaming." There may not be any one person. But high levels of imagination are key.
2. Thrives on Self-Learning. The field of AI/ Gen AI is so new that every few days the field of possibilities expands. The only way to be ahead of the curve is to be constantly out there learning and trying out stuff and learning. You are not looking for someone who needs to be directed every step of the way. Instead for someone who absolutely thrives on the challenge of "figuring new things out" themselves.
3. Quick To Action. The speed of development of AI solutions is so important in building momentum for an AI program. You therefore are looking for someone who is quick with 'building stuff', and showing progress. Turnaround times can be just a few weeks for some projects.
4. Strong Communicator. So much of the role of an AI Cell captain is in being able to explain and build on the possibilities of AI for its internal customers. This means that the captain of the AI cell needs to be able to speak to senior leaders across the organisation, constantly educating them.

3. A Crew

Finally you will be hiring a crew to be part of the AI cell.

To start off this can be a fairly small team. But each person on the team needs to be a 'builder' with an 'entrepreneurial spirit'. They will be working on a technology that is new and changing each day. They will also be working on building solutions where there are few use cases to learn from. So you are looking for a crew that enjoys the process of tinkering and building and constant problem solving.

What Lies Ahead For Leaders

At some level we all know that the world of organisations is being fundamentally re-cast by AI and Gen AI. Organisational structures that will enable the building of such solutions are just emerging. What is clear is that an essential first step is building AI literacy right at the top and then building organisational structures where these possibilities can be leveraged.

About this research: My research partner Jaspreet Bindra and I are studying cultural factors that are behind the successful implementation of AI and Gen AI solutions in organisations at scale. This is a new and emerging field and we hope to contribute to the body of knowledge by helping leaders know what is essential to focus on. Expect to read many such articles from us through the course of the year.

If you know of any organisation that is implementing AI at scale and would like to participate in our research project, please reach out.

And if you would like us to come and share our emerging findings in a leadership talk, DM us.

Unqbe, and my partner Papiya Banerjee , work with leadership teams to identify competencies that are specifically oriented to a fast changing world.

DM us if you would like to find out more.

-----

(About me: I lead Unqbe, a think-tank and advisory firm around building future organisations, and building future careers. We track change through commissioned and primary research. We help leadership teams build the new workplace through a culture that supports change and people practices for the future.)