205. Say What Sucks: Catalyzing Organizational Change with AI

Think Fast Talk Smart: Communication Techniques

Think Fast Talk Smart

Communicating, Influence, Career Skills, Career, Business, Education, Leadership, Careers, Communication, Career Growth, Public Speaking, Language Learning, Improv

4.7 • 711 Ratings

🗓️ 27 May 2025

⏱️ 41 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

A live SXSW panel on how employee complaints illuminate the path to organizational innovation.

Wrong question: How can AI revolutionize productivity in my organization?

Right question: What do my employees hate most about their jobs?

For the Portland Trail Blazers, a winning game plan for AI implementation didn’t begin with a tech-first approach — it began with a talk-first one. “The whole concept was to talk about pain points," explains David Long, VP of Digital Innovation, describing the "Lunch and Launch" sessions where employees could openly share frustrations about their daily work. “People really enjoy talking about what they hate about their jobs,” says Christa Stout, Executive Vice President and Chief Strategy & Innovation Officer, and as they did, they illuminated opportunities for optimization. “By getting this insight across the whole company, it is already opening our eyes [to how] we can potentially transform the business more broadly,” Stout says.

In this special live episode of Think Fast, Talk Smart, recorded at SXSW, host Matt Abrahams leads a panel with Long, Stout, and Stanford colleague Jeremy Utley, exploring how "catharsis catalyzes change.” For any team wanting to implement new technology or rethink workflows, these experts reveal how creating space for complaints can catalyze meaningful innovation throughout an organization.

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Chapters:

(00:00) - Introduction
(04:42) - The Business Behind Basketball
(06:13) - Why AI and Why Now?
(07:21) - Collaborating with the Team
(08:39) - The Lunch & Launch Method
(11:11) - Branding AI Initiatives
(12:29) - David Detractor & Kelly Kindness
(16:00) - Human Connection through AI
(16:45) - Auditing for Brand Consistency
(18:53) - AI in National Parks
(21:36) - Making AI Personal
(22:58) - Using AI to Learn AI
(27:27) - Encouraging AI in the Workplace
(30:21) - Change Management: Iteration Over Perfection
(34:07) - Start with Curiosity and Empower Action
(37:50) - Communication Ingredients
(39:22) - Conclusion

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Searching for a job shouldn't feel like a full-time job, but for many of us, it does.
0:07.0	Between figuring out if you're qualified and wondering if anyone else is reading your application, the process can feel broken.
0:14.0	LinkedIn is changing that, helping you explore better opportunities without the usual frustration.
0:20.0	LinkedIn is reimagining the job search experience to help you confidently navigate your next move.
0:26.6	I use LinkedIn regularly, and I've seen how it's personalized insights can help all of us discover opportunities
0:32.6	aligned with our skills and career goals.
0:36.6	This year, LinkedIn is rolling out new AI-powered job search tools that go beyond keyword
0:41.4	matching.
0:42.4	They actually understand your intent and suggest roles tailored to your strengths.
0:47.4	One feature I'm excited about is job match, which shows how well a job aligns with your
0:52.0	background and gives you actionable next steps.
0:55.6	Dare to discover what's next.
0:57.4	Explore your job potential at LinkedIn.com slash jobs.
1:01.6	That's LinkedIn.com slash jobs.
1:08.0	When it comes to AI, catharsis catalyzes change.
1:12.9	My name is Matt Abrahams, and I teach strategic communication at Stanford Graduate School of Business.
1:19.1	Welcome to this special live episode of Think Fast Talk Smart, the podcast, recorded at South by Southwest.
1:29.1	Many of us know about AI, and some of us even use it.
1:32.9	But how do you bring AI to your organization and make it have a positive, productive impact?
1:38.9	This is what I have been curious about for a long time.
1:41.7	So when my friend and two-time former guest, Jeremy Utley,
1:45.9	asked me to facilitate a panel to discuss his AI implementation work with the MBA's Portland Trailblazers,
	...

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