Robert Richman AI Transformation Is a Culture Problem

Everyone is buying the technology. Almost no one is changing how people work, and that gap is where AI initiatives go to die.

Drawing on 15 years of culture work and his own hands-on AI building, including the voice agent that books his keynotes, Robert shows why adoption is a human-system problem and how to design the goals, rules, scoreboards and opt-in dynamics that turn AI anxiety into AI momentum.

In this keynote, audiences will learn:

• Why the bottleneck to AI value is culture, and the data that proves it.
• The four properties every adoption effort needs: a clear goal, known rules, a visible score and opt-in play.
• Why mandated adoption creates compliance while voluntary adoption creates momentum.
• Live proof: the AI voice agent Robert built to book his own speaking business.
• What leaders should do before buying another platform.

Ideal for: leadership teams, HR and people leaders, all-hands meetings and association conferences.

Culture Hacking is a way for anyone at any level to shift the culture. Culture is a network of people, and networks can be hacked to make them better. The most powerful person in a computer network isn't the systems designer or the programmer. It's the hacker, who gets in and makes big changes quickly.

As Culture Strategist for Zappos and manager of Zappos Insights, Robert learned how to create change fast by using the power of hacking for good and applying it to culture. He shares the principles and techniques behind culture hacking so every employee can own the culture. Robert leaves the group with three practical tools that can be used immediately to create long-term change. Audiences are excited to become culture hackers and often report making changes the very next day.

An engaging all-company meeting format that taps the genius of the whole room instead of speaker after speaker, bringing people together across departments to solve their most pressing issues.

Using principles of high performance and self-organization, Robert creates a game that lets the group focus on what they are most passionate about, then follows up with recorded insights and action items. It is a fast way to surface what people really think about a big change, including AI.

This experience delivers:

• A fun, safe environment to explore the most important issues.
• The most important topics to achieve the shared goal.
• Connection across departments.
• An actionable report across the company.
• A renewed spirit in the culture.

Drawing on the mythology of The Matrix and advanced placebo research, Robert developed the Xpill: an inert pill and activation process that helps people make commitments, gain clarity and break through blocks. A highly interactive game, the experience uses guided intention rather than an active ingredient.

Xpill is a placebo. Its power comes from its central role in a mind-shifting practice. In the AI era, the experience helps people explore the invisible resistance that can stand in the way of adoption.

The Xpill Experience will:

• Help participants become aware of unconscious blocks.
• Show participants what is in their way.
• Give clarity on goals.
• Connect participants with other leaders.
• Create fun, connection and new inspiration.

Engaged employees are productive, efficient, and have a great time. This means low turnover, and highly motivated employees you don’t have to micro manage. Values-based companies have employees who manage and motivate themselves. Robert shares stories of the strength of the core values at Zappos.com (A company that became the #6 Best Place to Work in America and #1 in Customer Service), then shares the science behind why they work so well. Once you learn the secrets behind how values work, you will know how to shape culture. Robert gives the group a process to use in discovering and then implementing the values across the organization.

Warren Buffett said there is one determining factor for successful brands: They delight their customers. Inspire your people to deliver outstanding service in this energized experience about surprise and delight.

Zappos became known for being the #1 Customer Service brand according to American Express customers. Zappos delivers a 90% NPS average (Net Promoter Score).

Learn the secrets of creating a great experience from Robert Richman, the Culture Strategist from Zappos.

IN THIS KEYNOTE, YOU’LL GET:

• A highly entertaining and engaging experience.
• The principles of outstanding customer service.
• Why customer complaints are gold.
• How to create a culture of surprise and delight from within.
• Key hacks to put to use, immediately.