December 6, 2022 • 20 mins
In this episode, Vijay Yadav (Director Quantitative Sciences - Digital, Data & Analytics) and Andreas Welsch discuss how allies and so-called pathfinders help navigate the organization and win support for Artificial Intelligence (AI) projects. Vijay shares his approach for identifying project supporters and provides valuable insights for listeners looking to remove common roadblocks in their AI program.
Key topics:
- Understand the most-common challenge in AI projects
- Focus beyond technology for long-term success
- Identify pathfinders remove roadblocks
Listen to the full episode to hear how you can:
- Determine key project stakeholders
- Deliver business outcomes
- Shape AI mindset among business stakeholders
Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/d_iIXiUtyXI
Questions or suggestions? Send me a Text Message.
***********
Disclaimer: Views are the participants’ own and do not represent those of any participant’s past, present, or future employers. Participation in this event is independent of any potential business relationship (past, present, or future) between the participants or between their employers.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Andreas Welsch (00:00):
Today we'll talk about why your AI project needs
a pathfinder and what that.
And who better to talk to aboutit than someone who's been
championing that term for quitea while.
Vijay Yadav.
Hey Vijay, thank you so much forjoining.
Vijay Yadav (00:15):
Thank you, Andreas.
Happy to be here.
Andreas Welsch (00:18):
Perfect.
Wonderful.
Why don't you tell us a littlebit about yourself, who you are
and what you do?
Vijay Yadav (00:23):
I am leading the data science team at Merck.
I have 20 plus experience in thedata practice in different
capacity.
My special adjacent is primarilyinto applying artificial
intelligence and machinelearning in different business
(00:44):
functions.
And some of the solutions I led.
Some of them definitely havebeen successful, some of them
not so successful, and some ofthem were of failure.
And, going through that journey,I think that there's a quite
amount of learning and I'm happyto be here to share some of my
(01:05):
learning with your audience.
Andreas Welsch (01:08):
That's awesome.
Thank you so much.
And I'm gonna say it takes a lotof confidence to say, there are
things that have been somewhatsuccessful and others that might
not have been successful or notsuccessful at all.
We all love to talk about thesuccesses.
So I commend you for that.
And thanks for being so open andsharing your learnings with us.
Vijay Yadav (01:30):
Absolutely.
Andreas Welsch (01:31):
That's wonderful.
So to you in the audience, ifyou're just joining the stream,
drop a comment in the chat.
Where, maybe you have had a needfor a pathfinder or have been
looking for a pathfinder if thegoing got tough in a project.
But Vijay, should we play alittle game to kick things off?
(01:54):
What do you think?
Vijay Yadav (01:54):
Sure, absolutely.
Andreas Welsch (01:55):
Perfect.
So the game is called In YourOwn Words.
When I hit the buzzer, thewheels will start spinning and
when they stop, you'll see asentence and I'd like you to
answer with the first thing thatcomes to mind and why.
In your own words.
And to make it a little moreinteresting.
You'll only have 60 seconds foryour answer.
(02:17):
And in those of you watching uslive, drop your answer in the
chat and why.
So Vijay are you ready for,What's the BUZZ?
Vijay Yadav (02:26):
Yes, I am.
Andreas Welsch (02:27):
Perfect.
Great.
Then let's get started.
If AI were a book, what would itbe?
60 seconds.
Go.
Vijay Yadav (02:40):
Alright.
If AI were a book, what would itbe?
I would say AI cannot reflectthe human empathy and the region
being is that, no matter howmuch we make AI intelligent the
human empathy is that is, comesin the value that we we have in
(03:05):
ourselves, right?
So anytime a decision is beingmade the human empathy is part
of that decision making process.
And it's a critically importantyou can call it ethical side or
other way around.
But I think AI definitely cannotreplace the human empathy, and
(03:25):
that's a critical.
That I think going forward isimportant to keep in mind
hopefully that answered thatquestion.
Andreas Welsch (03:36):
Sounds great.
So with the icebreaker out ofthe way, let's move to to the
real meat of our session.
I heard you say some things haveworked really well.
Some have been more challenging.
And others, you've run into morechallenges.
So I'm really curious, what haveyou seen be the most common
(03:57):
challenge when you've run an AIproject?
Vijay Yadav (04:01):
Yeah, I think that's a critical question.
So I would say and just that theimpact of the AI projects on
people.
So think, let's understand whathappens in the real world,
right?
So anytime we implement AIsolution, it is going to change
(04:21):
the way people are working orthe way they can perceive it as
a threat.
So how do we handle that?
And if that is not really takeninto account, and I cannot
emphasize enough how importantthat element is, that you gotta
(04:42):
be able to understand the impactof AI projects and manage it
well, right from the beginning.
What I'm talking about is thechange management around the
people.
Now you normally a project whatI've seen is that is not even a
factor to start with, right?
We're just excited about the AIproject, let's go and implement
(05:02):
it.
And that registers from change,right?
When that many people aregetting impacted.
So how do we influence thatelement of that?
And it goes beyond an individuallike me or anybody who's leading
the project.
It goes beyond this fear ofinfluence that we have on those
people.
So how do we extend that fear ofinfluence?
(05:25):
Taking my extension, and that'swhat I call a pathfinder, those
are the people who basicallyextend the sphere of influence.
So the key challenge that youare trying to do is that how do
we manage the change aroundimpact of AI projects on people?
And it is normallyunderestimated, but to me I
(05:48):
think that is a very criticalfactor to take care.
Andreas Welsch (05:53):
Thanks for sharing.
So what types of issues orchallenges do you see when it
comes to change and to yourpoint where a pathfinder can
help?
Vijay Yadav (06:06):
So think about when somebody's getting changed.
We are changing their ways ofworking.
Register to change is really thekey, right?
Sometime they might getthreatened by how their skillset
is getting challenged, right?
AI system is recommendingsomething, a decision making
(06:28):
process, right?
All throughout the live humanshave made the decisions.
On whatever the vision they'retaking now that is getting
challenged by the AI project.
So most likely the challengewould be will they adopt it?
Think about the end of the dayAI project is going to deliver
(06:50):
the value.
If it is not getting adopted,then there's no value to
basically drive.
As simple as that.
So will that be adopted?
If you don't take care of thatelement of that.
So how do we convince peoplethat it is?
How it's going to help them intheir life, whatever they're
trying to?
(07:12):
Or what outcome is it going todrive in as part of the
solution?
So I think influencing them andgetting their buy-in.
The user of the system are thesenior leaders, right?
And I can tell you that sometimewhen AI projects impacting
downstream, the senior leadersare impacted by that as well,
(07:33):
right?
That element.
So I think those are some of thechallenges that comes into.
Andreas Welsch (07:39):
Thanks for sharing.
Now, what I find reallyinteresting and why I'm so
excited to have you on today isthat you are a data science
manager.
You are a practitioner, andtypically I feel, we as people
in the technology space we getso excited about technology and
everything that it enables us todo that we, a lot of times, lose
(08:03):
focus of why we're actuallydoing it.
And so I feel if we just focuson technology so much, these
types of initiatives or projectsare really doomed to fail.
So I think you already touchedon that people aspect quite a
bit, but I'm wondering twothings.
One is if you're in the audienceand you have a question, now is
(08:25):
a good time to put it in thechat while we have Vijay here.
And the other one is you'vetalked about pathfinder as a way
and as a person to helpinfluence others and help them
show the way and get that buy-insupport.
Where have you seen that besuccessful in what's worked
particularly well in, in thatcase?
Vijay Yadav (08:47):
Yeah, sure.
So let me touch base on thetechnology element that you
talked about.
We data people normally comewith a technology background,
most of us, right?
So we are very excited andeverything.
We're thinking in the technologyterms, but my experience tell me
that technology is just verysmall part of that.
(09:07):
I think the bigger piece is twothings.
Number one is the businessoutcome that we are trying to
drive the solution, right?
So rather than focusing ontechnology, gotta be able to
understand and define whatbusiness outcome it is going to
drive.
If you just cannot put yourfinger on the business outcome,
you better don't do AI projectas simple as that.
(09:30):
End of the day, if you're notdriving the outcome, it is going
to fail and you're not going toget the credit for what you
basically anticipated, right?
It's critically important.
The second element I would sayis the people side.
People make things happen.
They can make it fail and theycan make it successful, as
(09:50):
simple as that.
Anybody else, anything else is asecondary factor.
People are the one going to makeit success or failure.
Whether those people are thepeople who are decision makers
or the user of the system.
Or just because being in anenvironment it could be a
political for any other regionthey are the one going to do
(10:14):
that.
So you gotta be able tounderstand.
And also the people who are partof your team as well.
They are the one be part of thatequation as well.
So I think everywhere the peopleaspect, I think you gotta be
able to pay more attention tothose elements.
I would say business outcome andpeople aspect, if you can take
that in different directdimensions that can give a high
(10:37):
level of success in that aspect.
Andreas Welsch (10:40):
So as leaders, we, have already a certain
positional power, if you will inan organization.
But also when we lead teams orwe lead organizations or units,
right?
Not everybody in that team or inthat organization has that same
positional power.
How do you help your teammembers embrace that same spirit
(11:03):
and go look for it forpathfinders and sensitize them
to collaborate and find a wayright through that individual
that can influence even if theydon't have that positional
power, but they know the personthat seems to be holding things
up or then have a strongeropinion that somebody else
listens to.
Vijay Yadav (11:22):
That's a really critical point, Andreas.
So I would say that anyorganization has a formalist
structure, right?
You start with the CEO at thenext level and next level and
that's how the hierarchy isdefined.
But lemme tell you, in the realworld, there's a different
organizational structure that'staking place that is a very
informal network of people whoare linked together.
(11:45):
They listen to each other.
That is when the real decisionsare made.
Sometimes you feel likedecisions coming in the
hierarchical structure formulais defined.
But the real world, informallydecision being made and there's
a need that is being made, adifferently small group of
people that coming togetherbasically to make that.
So you've gotta be able to breakin that network of people if you
(12:08):
understand it, that is where theinfluence is.
As a leader, you should be ableto break in into that piece.
Maybe one or two person who canbe your voice in that decision
making bodies, right?
We have a limited influence interms of our circle.
How do we extend that?
You need to find in that small,informal network of people you
(12:31):
need to find the change agent.
People who are passionate aboutdata, people who are passionate
about AI.
If you can get that and you canbreak into that network, you
have a big support there.
Yeah.
So we, and I have severalexamples.
I'm happy to share some of theexamples where it came to the
survival of the project and if Ididn't take that to the
(12:54):
pathfinder, the project wasalmost about to get canceled,
right?
So it is critically importantthat as a leader you gotta be
able to understand the informalstructure where you can have and
understand who are the peoplewho are calling thoughts, the
influence that they have on thelarger audience.
They can be your champion, righton your behalf when someone
(13:16):
speaks on your behalf, you havea more credibility to that,
rather than you trying topromote yourself, right?
You have the story.
So those are some of the veryelement that has to happen.
And I can tell you that does nothappen by accident, right?
I just cannot go on one day, Istart trying to find a
pathfinder.
As a leader, this is what youneed to build as part of your
(13:39):
network in any organization tobe successful.
It takes time, it takesinvestment basically to build
that.
And that is really to many othersecret recipe to success when
you're trying to make a changeat that larger scale.
Andreas Welsch (13:54):
It sounds like that's actually something you
need to do from day one on as aleader to determine who are the
pathfinders, who are the peoplethat have influence.
Or whose word carries a certainweight with others.
Vijay Yadav (14:10):
Yeah, absolutely.
That's the point I'm trying tomake.
As a leader, you gotta be rightfrom the beginning.
And I cannot take a project if Icannot find something.
If I understand that I cannothave the influence and I can
tell you that I have yet to finda single project where I did,
which things went smooth andthere was no resistance and
there was, are no struggles todo that.
(14:31):
I have yet to find.
I have not done it any of those,right?
So I am literally anticipatingthat piece coming my way and I'm
prepared right from thebeginning till the end that it
goes into the piece.
So I think you have to plan forit rather than try to figure
things out when things are aboutto hit the ceiling.
Andreas Welsch (14:50):
In a room full of people, how do you make out
who's the pathfinder.
What do they do?
How even if you're not part ofthe group, what is it about
them?
Vijay Yadav (15:00):
When I joined any new organization, I think my six
months time, this is what I'mtrying to find out.
Talking with the people, and youcan really feel it just by the
mindset someone, when you talkto how passionate are they about
the change, about the data,about the technology.
You know the value that they'regonna deliver.
(15:20):
They are not the one directlyresponsible for their
sponsorship or for your project,but they have someone who are
passionate about that and theywant to be part of the success.
The very key thing is everybodywants success, right?
If you can bring someone to bepart of that and they have a
bigger influence, they wouldlove to be part of that, even
(15:41):
though the project is notdirectly impacting them.
Andreas Welsch (15:45):
I think with the last few questions, we've also
hit on what Jesse was asking.
What are your best suggestionsfor gaining major buy-in from
stakeholders?
And Carlo was asking how to dealwith that one person that's
there at enterprise end-to-endAI solutions.
I see there's one question fromMike that I would like to pick
(16:06):
up here.
And that is with pathfinder, isit good to focus on a central
unified strategy to harmonizethe team's vision?
And do you think KPIs are a goodmeasure for success towards
this?
Vijay Yadav (16:21):
I would say the centralized, but also I will go
where the AI is something youcan't take the Big Bang theory
and implement to make thechange, right?
So I would be focused on wherethe value, the outcome, and the
place where we can make thebigger impact, right?
So you do want to have a biggerpicture strategy in mind, but I
(16:42):
think when we need to go and getthe success.
You want to focus where we candeliver the value, right?
Other element is really as partof that, right?
So think about why someone wouldbe part of your journey.
What is in for them, right?
Are you doing something that canmake them successful?
Whatever the role they are in.
(17:04):
So if you can pick up someonewho is really a pathfinder,
passionate about things, maybeyou start a project for him or
her and we started small withthat one.
And once that person see thesuccess, now they're your
champion, right?
So I think organically you wantto go and working with the
(17:24):
people and you build yournetwork of people who can be
your influencer in the largerscale.
Hopefully that I answered thatquestion.
Andreas Welsch (17:36):
Thank you.
We are coming up close to theend of the show.
So Vijay, I was wondering if youcould summarize the top three
takeaways for our audiencetoday.
Vijay Yadav (17:45):
Number one takeaway I talked about earlier is the
people.
Please be focused on peopleunderstand people involvement in
every part of that, whetherthey're part of your team or
they're part of the business, orpart of the people, the users
are the decision maker.
You gotta be able to understandevery stakeholder.
(18:06):
So what I'm suggesting is thestakeholder analysis, really
critical piece to do that.
That's number one.
They can make it fail or succeeddepending upon how you handle
it.
Number two things would be, Iwould say that no AI project can
succeed if you do not deliverthe business outcome.
(18:27):
Technology is just one piece ofit.
Business outcome is, that's whatit is physically is going to
drive.
And number three I would say isif you want AI project to be
successful, a data leader, youwant to be shaping the thinking
of the people, right?
How do we show them a successwhen people see the success?
(18:49):
That is one, they basically geta buy-in.
So I'm trying to see how can wechange the culture, the shape of
the peop, shaping the thinking,digital mindset, what data can
do for them, right?
So I think the whole culturepiece and awareness seating the
value of data, showing thesuccesses and building the
(19:10):
partnership and allyship, Ithink that would make AI
initiative success.
Andreas Welsch (19:17):
Awesome.
Thank you so much for the wrapup.
I think that was an excellentsession, and I hope you and the
audience feel the same way.
Vijay Yadav (19:23):
Thank you so much.
Glad to be here and happy toshare.
Today we'll talk about why your AI project needs
a pathfinder and what that.
And who better to talk to aboutit than someone who's been
championing that term for quitea while.
Vijay Yadav.
Hey Vijay, thank you so much forjoining.
Vijay Yadav (00:15):
Thank you, Andreas.
Happy to be here.
Andreas Welsch (00:18):
Perfect.
Wonderful.
Why don't you tell us a littlebit about yourself, who you are
and what you do?
Vijay Yadav (00:23):
I am leading the data science team at Merck.
I have 20 plus experience in thedata practice in different
capacity.
My special adjacent is primarilyinto applying artificial
intelligence and machinelearning in different business
(00:44):
functions.
And some of the solutions I led.
Some of them definitely havebeen successful, some of them
not so successful, and some ofthem were of failure.
And, going through that journey,I think that there's a quite
amount of learning and I'm happyto be here to share some of my
(01:05):
learning with your audience.
Andreas Welsch (01:08):
That's awesome.
Thank you so much.
And I'm gonna say it takes a lotof confidence to say, there are
things that have been somewhatsuccessful and others that might
not have been successful or notsuccessful at all.
We all love to talk about thesuccesses.
So I commend you for that.
And thanks for being so open andsharing your learnings with us.
Vijay Yadav (01:30):
Absolutely.
Andreas Welsch (01:31):
That's wonderful.
So to you in the audience, ifyou're just joining the stream,
drop a comment in the chat.
Where, maybe you have had a needfor a pathfinder or have been
looking for a pathfinder if thegoing got tough in a project.
But Vijay, should we play alittle game to kick things off?
(01:54):
What do you think?
Vijay Yadav (01:54):
Sure, absolutely.
Andreas Welsch (01:55):
Perfect.
So the game is called In YourOwn Words.
When I hit the buzzer, thewheels will start spinning and
when they stop, you'll see asentence and I'd like you to
answer with the first thing thatcomes to mind and why.
In your own words.
And to make it a little moreinteresting.
You'll only have 60 seconds foryour answer.
(02:17):
And in those of you watching uslive, drop your answer in the
chat and why.
So Vijay are you ready for,What's the BUZZ?
Vijay Yadav (02:26):
Yes, I am.
Andreas Welsch (02:27):
Perfect.
Great.
Then let's get started.
If AI were a book, what would itbe?
60 seconds.
Go.
Vijay Yadav (02:40):
Alright.
If AI were a book, what would itbe?
I would say AI cannot reflectthe human empathy and the region
being is that, no matter howmuch we make AI intelligent the
human empathy is that is, comesin the value that we we have in
(03:05):
ourselves, right?
So anytime a decision is beingmade the human empathy is part
of that decision making process.
And it's a critically importantyou can call it ethical side or
other way around.
But I think AI definitely cannotreplace the human empathy, and
(03:25):
that's a critical.
That I think going forward isimportant to keep in mind
hopefully that answered thatquestion.
Andreas Welsch (03:36):
Sounds great.
So with the icebreaker out ofthe way, let's move to to the
real meat of our session.
I heard you say some things haveworked really well.
Some have been more challenging.
And others, you've run into morechallenges.
So I'm really curious, what haveyou seen be the most common
(03:57):
challenge when you've run an AIproject?
Vijay Yadav (04:01):
Yeah, I think that's a critical question.
So I would say and just that theimpact of the AI projects on
people.
So think, let's understand whathappens in the real world,
right?
So anytime we implement AIsolution, it is going to change
(04:21):
the way people are working orthe way they can perceive it as
a threat.
So how do we handle that?
And if that is not really takeninto account, and I cannot
emphasize enough how importantthat element is, that you gotta
(04:42):
be able to understand the impactof AI projects and manage it
well, right from the beginning.
What I'm talking about is thechange management around the
people.
Now you normally a project whatI've seen is that is not even a
factor to start with, right?
We're just excited about the AIproject, let's go and implement
(05:02):
it.
And that registers from change,right?
When that many people aregetting impacted.
So how do we influence thatelement of that?
And it goes beyond an individuallike me or anybody who's leading
the project.
It goes beyond this fear ofinfluence that we have on those
people.
So how do we extend that fear ofinfluence?
(05:25):
Taking my extension, and that'swhat I call a pathfinder, those
are the people who basicallyextend the sphere of influence.
So the key challenge that youare trying to do is that how do
we manage the change aroundimpact of AI projects on people?
And it is normallyunderestimated, but to me I
(05:48):
think that is a very criticalfactor to take care.
Andreas Welsch (05:53):
Thanks for sharing.
So what types of issues orchallenges do you see when it
comes to change and to yourpoint where a pathfinder can
help?
Vijay Yadav (06:06):
So think about when somebody's getting changed.
We are changing their ways ofworking.
Register to change is really thekey, right?
Sometime they might getthreatened by how their skillset
is getting challenged, right?
AI system is recommendingsomething, a decision making
(06:28):
process, right?
All throughout the live humanshave made the decisions.
On whatever the vision they'retaking now that is getting
challenged by the AI project.
So most likely the challengewould be will they adopt it?
Think about the end of the dayAI project is going to deliver
(06:50):
the value.
If it is not getting adopted,then there's no value to
basically drive.
As simple as that.
So will that be adopted?
If you don't take care of thatelement of that.
So how do we convince peoplethat it is?
How it's going to help them intheir life, whatever they're
trying to?
(07:12):
Or what outcome is it going todrive in as part of the
solution?
So I think influencing them andgetting their buy-in.
The user of the system are thesenior leaders, right?
And I can tell you that sometimewhen AI projects impacting
downstream, the senior leadersare impacted by that as well,
(07:33):
right?
That element.
So I think those are some of thechallenges that comes into.
Andreas Welsch (07:39):
Thanks for sharing.
Now, what I find reallyinteresting and why I'm so
excited to have you on today isthat you are a data science
manager.
You are a practitioner, andtypically I feel, we as people
in the technology space we getso excited about technology and
everything that it enables us todo that we, a lot of times, lose
(08:03):
focus of why we're actuallydoing it.
And so I feel if we just focuson technology so much, these
types of initiatives or projectsare really doomed to fail.
So I think you already touchedon that people aspect quite a
bit, but I'm wondering twothings.
One is if you're in the audienceand you have a question, now is
(08:25):
a good time to put it in thechat while we have Vijay here.
And the other one is you'vetalked about pathfinder as a way
and as a person to helpinfluence others and help them
show the way and get that buy-insupport.
Where have you seen that besuccessful in what's worked
particularly well in, in thatcase?
Vijay Yadav (08:47):
Yeah, sure.
So let me touch base on thetechnology element that you
talked about.
We data people normally comewith a technology background,
most of us, right?
So we are very excited andeverything.
We're thinking in the technologyterms, but my experience tell me
that technology is just verysmall part of that.
(09:07):
I think the bigger piece is twothings.
Number one is the businessoutcome that we are trying to
drive the solution, right?
So rather than focusing ontechnology, gotta be able to
understand and define whatbusiness outcome it is going to
drive.
If you just cannot put yourfinger on the business outcome,
you better don't do AI projectas simple as that.
(09:30):
End of the day, if you're notdriving the outcome, it is going
to fail and you're not going toget the credit for what you
basically anticipated, right?
It's critically important.
The second element I would sayis the people side.
People make things happen.
They can make it fail and theycan make it successful, as
(09:50):
simple as that.
Anybody else, anything else is asecondary factor.
People are the one going to makeit success or failure.
Whether those people are thepeople who are decision makers
or the user of the system.
Or just because being in anenvironment it could be a
political for any other regionthey are the one going to do
(10:14):
that.
So you gotta be able tounderstand.
And also the people who are partof your team as well.
They are the one be part of thatequation as well.
So I think everywhere the peopleaspect, I think you gotta be
able to pay more attention tothose elements.
I would say business outcome andpeople aspect, if you can take
that in different directdimensions that can give a high
(10:37):
level of success in that aspect.
Andreas Welsch (10:40):
So as leaders, we, have already a certain
positional power, if you will inan organization.
But also when we lead teams orwe lead organizations or units,
right?
Not everybody in that team or inthat organization has that same
positional power.
How do you help your teammembers embrace that same spirit
(11:03):
and go look for it forpathfinders and sensitize them
to collaborate and find a wayright through that individual
that can influence even if theydon't have that positional
power, but they know the personthat seems to be holding things
up or then have a strongeropinion that somebody else
listens to.
Vijay Yadav (11:22):
That's a really critical point, Andreas.
So I would say that anyorganization has a formalist
structure, right?
You start with the CEO at thenext level and next level and
that's how the hierarchy isdefined.
But lemme tell you, in the realworld, there's a different
organizational structure that'staking place that is a very
informal network of people whoare linked together.
(11:45):
They listen to each other.
That is when the real decisionsare made.
Sometimes you feel likedecisions coming in the
hierarchical structure formulais defined.
But the real world, informallydecision being made and there's
a need that is being made, adifferently small group of
people that coming togetherbasically to make that.
So you've gotta be able to breakin that network of people if you
(12:08):
understand it, that is where theinfluence is.
As a leader, you should be ableto break in into that piece.
Maybe one or two person who canbe your voice in that decision
making bodies, right?
We have a limited influence interms of our circle.
How do we extend that?
You need to find in that small,informal network of people you
(12:31):
need to find the change agent.
People who are passionate aboutdata, people who are passionate
about AI.
If you can get that and you canbreak into that network, you
have a big support there.
Yeah.
So we, and I have severalexamples.
I'm happy to share some of theexamples where it came to the
survival of the project and if Ididn't take that to the
(12:54):
pathfinder, the project wasalmost about to get canceled,
right?
So it is critically importantthat as a leader you gotta be
able to understand the informalstructure where you can have and
understand who are the peoplewho are calling thoughts, the
influence that they have on thelarger audience.
They can be your champion, righton your behalf when someone
(13:16):
speaks on your behalf, you havea more credibility to that,
rather than you trying topromote yourself, right?
You have the story.
So those are some of the veryelement that has to happen.
And I can tell you that does nothappen by accident, right?
I just cannot go on one day, Istart trying to find a
pathfinder.
As a leader, this is what youneed to build as part of your
(13:39):
network in any organization tobe successful.
It takes time, it takesinvestment basically to build
that.
And that is really to many othersecret recipe to success when
you're trying to make a changeat that larger scale.
Andreas Welsch (13:54):
It sounds like that's actually something you
need to do from day one on as aleader to determine who are the
pathfinders, who are the peoplethat have influence.
Or whose word carries a certainweight with others.
Vijay Yadav (14:10):
Yeah, absolutely.
That's the point I'm trying tomake.
As a leader, you gotta be rightfrom the beginning.
And I cannot take a project if Icannot find something.
If I understand that I cannothave the influence and I can
tell you that I have yet to finda single project where I did,
which things went smooth andthere was no resistance and
there was, are no struggles todo that.
(14:31):
I have yet to find.
I have not done it any of those,right?
So I am literally anticipatingthat piece coming my way and I'm
prepared right from thebeginning till the end that it
goes into the piece.
So I think you have to plan forit rather than try to figure
things out when things are aboutto hit the ceiling.
Andreas Welsch (14:50):
In a room full of people, how do you make out
who's the pathfinder.
What do they do?
How even if you're not part ofthe group, what is it about
them?
Vijay Yadav (15:00):
When I joined any new organization, I think my six
months time, this is what I'mtrying to find out.
Talking with the people, and youcan really feel it just by the
mindset someone, when you talkto how passionate are they about
the change, about the data,about the technology.
You know the value that they'regonna deliver.
(15:20):
They are not the one directlyresponsible for their
sponsorship or for your project,but they have someone who are
passionate about that and theywant to be part of the success.
The very key thing is everybodywants success, right?
If you can bring someone to bepart of that and they have a
bigger influence, they wouldlove to be part of that, even
(15:41):
though the project is notdirectly impacting them.
Andreas Welsch (15:45):
I think with the last few questions, we've also
hit on what Jesse was asking.
What are your best suggestionsfor gaining major buy-in from
stakeholders?
And Carlo was asking how to dealwith that one person that's
there at enterprise end-to-endAI solutions.
I see there's one question fromMike that I would like to pick
(16:06):
up here.
And that is with pathfinder, isit good to focus on a central
unified strategy to harmonizethe team's vision?
And do you think KPIs are a goodmeasure for success towards
this?
Vijay Yadav (16:21):
I would say the centralized, but also I will go
where the AI is something youcan't take the Big Bang theory
and implement to make thechange, right?
So I would be focused on wherethe value, the outcome, and the
place where we can make thebigger impact, right?
So you do want to have a biggerpicture strategy in mind, but I
(16:42):
think when we need to go and getthe success.
You want to focus where we candeliver the value, right?
Other element is really as partof that, right?
So think about why someone wouldbe part of your journey.
What is in for them, right?
Are you doing something that canmake them successful?
Whatever the role they are in.
(17:04):
So if you can pick up someonewho is really a pathfinder,
passionate about things, maybeyou start a project for him or
her and we started small withthat one.
And once that person see thesuccess, now they're your
champion, right?
So I think organically you wantto go and working with the
(17:24):
people and you build yournetwork of people who can be
your influencer in the largerscale.
Hopefully that I answered thatquestion.
Andreas Welsch (17:36):
Thank you.
We are coming up close to theend of the show.
So Vijay, I was wondering if youcould summarize the top three
takeaways for our audiencetoday.
Vijay Yadav (17:45):
Number one takeaway I talked about earlier is the
people.
Please be focused on peopleunderstand people involvement in
every part of that, whetherthey're part of your team or
they're part of the business, orpart of the people, the users
are the decision maker.
You gotta be able to understandevery stakeholder.
(18:06):
So what I'm suggesting is thestakeholder analysis, really
critical piece to do that.
That's number one.
They can make it fail or succeeddepending upon how you handle
it.
Number two things would be, Iwould say that no AI project can
succeed if you do not deliverthe business outcome.
(18:27):
Technology is just one piece ofit.
Business outcome is, that's whatit is physically is going to
drive.
And number three I would say isif you want AI project to be
successful, a data leader, youwant to be shaping the thinking
of the people, right?
How do we show them a successwhen people see the success?
(18:49):
That is one, they basically geta buy-in.
So I'm trying to see how can wechange the culture, the shape of
the peop, shaping the thinking,digital mindset, what data can
do for them, right?
So I think the whole culturepiece and awareness seating the
value of data, showing thesuccesses and building the
(19:10):
partnership and allyship, Ithink that would make AI
initiative success.
Andreas Welsch (19:17):
Awesome.
Thank you so much for the wrapup.
I think that was an excellentsession, and I hope you and the
audience feel the same way.
Vijay Yadav (19:23):
Thank you so much.
Glad to be here and happy toshare.
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