Paper presented at the #2012waic conference - Ghent, Belgium

1. Taking'Enough'Time''
Back'to'Basics'of'the'AI'Summit''
Mauricio'Puerta'(Universidad'Esan)'
Isabel'Wong'(Atrever'Consultores)'

2. Co#construc*on+of+a+new+
organiza*onal+reality+requires+*me+
1. to'define'the'work'
2. to'build'an'empowered'steering'
commiHee''
3. to'spread'the'inquiry'
4. to'make'meaning'of'the'inquiry'
5. to'hear'everybody'in'the'room'
6. to'learn'from'the'process''

3. Taking'(me'to'define'the'work'
20'hours'' NEXTEL&VIBRA&
in'individual'conversaPons'with'members'of'top'
management'team'''
2Qdays''
offQsite'meePng'with'top'management'team'to'idenPfy'
prioriPes'
'
'
EffecPve'acPon'requires'clarity'of'intenPon''
'
Slowing'down'the'decisionQmaking'process'
and'taking'Pme'to'define'the'work'before'
acPng'helps'you'effecPvely'respond'to'the'
needs'of'the'organizaPon.'
'
''
“I+am+happy+because+we+have+now+a+focus+and+a+clear+
opportunity+to+do+something.++Before+we+had+very+
confusing+ideas.++Now+we+have+reached+a+consensus+about+
our+priori*es.++Now+we+have+guidelines+to+allocate+our+
resources.”+(VP+of+Opera*ons)+

4. Taking'(me'to'build'an'empowered'Steering'
Commi8ee'
2'days' PASIÓN&POR&CREAR&NEXTEL&
offQsite'AI'learning'session'
3'weeks'
preparaPon'and'delivery'preQSummit+
'
The'key'to'an'empowered'steering'
commiHee'is'the'development'of'a'sense'
of'ownership'of'the'process.'''
'
'to'learn,'to'pracPce'and'
to'adapt'AI'
'
'“We+have+learned,+during+these+past+months,+
how+to+take+responsibility+and+ac*on+of+a+
project+that+involves+the+en*re+organiza*on.++
Usually+only+the+leadership+team+conducts+this+
type+of+efforts.+But+this+*me+we+did+it+together,+
collabora*ng+across+func*onal+areas+and+
hierarchical+lines”.++(Second+line+manager+HR)''
'

5. Taking'(me'to'spread'the'inquiry'
1000'hours'
One'on'one'and'group'interviews'
'
If'we'really'believe'that'‘words'create'worlds’'and'that'we'coQ
create'the'organizaPon'through'the'conversaPons'we'have,'
the'language'we'use'and'the'stories'we'share,'then'it'is'
essenPal'to'take'the'Pme'to'involve'a'criPcal'mass'of'the'
organizaPon'to'begin'a'new'conversaPon.''
+
“Par*cipa*ng+in+the+inquiry+has+allowed+me+
to+hear+amazing+and+beau*ful+stories.++I+feel+
I+am+budding+again+aPer+many+years.++I+
have+renewed+apprecia*on+for+the+company+
and+its+people.”++(Second+line+manager+IT)+
'

6. Taking'(me'to'make'meaning'of'the'
inquiry'together'
2'weeks'
organizing'data'
20'hours'
themaPc'analysis'of'interviews'
'
It'is'essenPal'to'take'the'Pme'to'discover'the'themes'and'the'
language'manifested'through'the'interviews,'so'it'informs'the'
construcPon'of'the'interview'guide'and'the'structure'of'the'
Summit.''
+
“Now+I+am+clear+about+what+brings+life+to+our+company.++I+
know+now+the+specific+areas+I+need+to+aSend+to+sustain+and+
foster+a+culture+of+passion+to+create+Nextel.”+(VP+of+HR)++

7. CoQconstrucPon'of'themes'
Priori(es'of'Top' Themes'by'Steering'
Management'Group' Commi8ee'
1. the'need'to'develop' 1. What'connects'you'to'
organizaPonal'capacity' Nextel'
to'face'new' 2. Building'Nextel'daring'
commercial'and' the'impossible'
technological'
challenges'' 3. The'development'of'our'
people'is'our'success'
2. the'need'to'empower'
the'second'line'of' 4. Nextel’s'generaPve'
managers' sinergy'
3. the'need'to'foster' 5. At'the'forefront'of'
employee'engagement'' tecnological'soluPon'
NEXTEL&VIBRA& PASIÓN&POR&CREAR&NEXTEL&
'

8. Taking'(me'to'hear'everybody'in'the'
room'
2'hours'
One'on'one'interview'
60'Tables'
Heard'during'the'first'day'
25'provocaPve'proposiPons'
Heard'during'the'2nd'day'
45'prototypes'
Presented'during'the'third'day'
'
AI'summit'is'an'act'of'coQcreaPon'through'conversaPon'and'it'
requires'all'stakeholders'to'seed'the'collecPve'work.'Taking'Pme'to'
converse'and'hear'all'voices'creates'a'virtuous'cycle'leading'to'the'
formaPon'of'a'collecPve'affect'and'images'for'acPon.''
'
“I+have+come+to+realize+something+I+had+never+even+imagined.++Our+
people+have+the+wisdom,+the+crea*vity,+and+the+passion+to+respond+
to+the+big+challenges+we+have+ahead.++I+do+not+understand+why+have+
we+relied+for+so+long+solely+on+external+consultants+when+we+have+
all+this+talent+in+our+own+home.”+(VP+of+Marke*ng)'

9. Taking'(me'to'learn'from'the'process'
2'days'
MeePng'on'lessons'learned'
'
'
AI'summit'is'a'significant'an'Learning'opportunity'for'the'
organizaPon'and'its'leaders'
'
'
The'result'was'a'reported'shi'in'the'mindset'of'some'of'
these'leaders'about'their'own'way'of'leading,'and'a'set'of'
pracPces'to'foster'innovaPon,'collaboraPon'and'engagement'
at'mulPple'levels'of'the'organizaPon.'

10. Closing'Reflec(ons'
• Taking'enough'Pme'is'not'an'easy'task'in'the'
mist'of'so'many'compePng'organizaPonal'
prioriPes.'''
• Taking'Pme'is'an'intenPon'that'requires'full'
commitment'from'all'the'people'involved'and'
needs'to'be'constantly'negoPated.'''
• If'this'intenPon'is'upheld'from'beginning'to'
end'the'organizaPon'will'harvest'significant'
rewards,'as'we'saw'with'Nextel.'

11. Epilogue'
MIDDLE'MANAGERS'
TOP'MANAGEMENT'GROUP'