Artificial intelligence (AI) is poised to transform telco, but many operators are struggling to fully embrace its potential. This episode’s guest, strategic HR veteran Jim Abolt, believes they need a critical shift in thinking to reach their goal to become AI-first organizations. He shares insight into what most companies are getting wrong about AI transformation, and offers a practical framework for using AI to achieve breakthrough business results. Listen now to hear:

Why starting with "let's go do AI" is the wrong approach [04:34];
A framework for successfully rolling out AI across your organization [06:59]
Jim's refreshingly honest take on AI's impact on jobs [10:07]
Why AI tools have to become integrated with employees' daily work rather than separate initiatives [14:07]

Links and Resources

Need help with telco AI use cases that drive business value? Give Totogi a call. We can show you how to Change the Work and get your employees using and loving AI.
Check out these resources to help you put AI to use the right way in your org:
- Ep 101 – Anthropic’s BIG PLANS for telco
- Ep 96 – How TELUS turned its data swamp into an AI oasis
- If you focus on business value, AI pays for itself
- Getting AI right is hard 🚀
- 10 examples of how telcos are using AI (BESIDES customer support!)
Jim has appeared on Telco in 20 more than any other guest, including on our very first episode back in October of 2020. Maybe I should start a Five Timer’s Club, like on Saturday Night Live! Listen to his other episodes next:
- Ep 7 – The HR Series: Telcos, get ready for workforce transformation
- Ep 1 – It starts with…transformational leadership
I love this brilliant ad from Fiverr that shows exactly what’s wrong with using AI only for AI’s sake.
Watch this episode on our YouTube channel.
You can find the episode transcript here.

Wanna talk AI and public cloud? Telco execs, set up a meeting with our team to learn how to tap the immense business value it can bring.

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This week’s guest

Jim Abolt is a retired HR executive who is widely regarded as an expert in leadership development, culture shaping, and large-scale organizational change. His career spanned multiple industries, disciplines, and continents. Starting as a labor relations specialist in a Midwest steel mill, he ultimately held global senior management positions with leading companies in the consumer packaged goods, pharmaceutical, and software development industries. Jim holds an A.B. from Dartmouth College, and a J.D. and M.A. from the University of Illinois.

Podcast Credits

Executive Producer and Host: Danielle Rios, TelcoDR
Senior Producer: Lindsay Grubb, TillCo Media
Senior Editor/Brand Manager: Alisa Jenkins, Springboard Marketing
Audio Editor: Andrew Condell
Supervising Producer: Amanda Avery
Associate Producer: Kriselda Dionisio
Music: Dyami Wilson

Ep 103 - How to build an AI-first organization

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