From Escalations to Empowerment: Using Coworker to Accelerate AJO Adoption
As the Head of Digital Content Management and Communication Operations at EchoStar, I lead a team focused on improving how we work, embracing new technologies and building more effective processes.
When my team began onboarding to AJO, we faced a familiar challenge: learning a complex new platform while delivering against aggressive business timelines.
We didn’t have months to become experts before putting the platform to work. We needed to learn quickly, solve problems as they came up and build the team’s confidence along the way.
We started using Coworker as a troubleshooting partner. What began as a way to navigate an unfamiliar platform has changed how my team approaches problem-solving and develops technical expertise.
Changing the Way We Troubleshoot
One of the biggest challenges with a new platform is knowing where to start when something doesn’t work as expected. With AJO, that might mean troubleshooting a campaign, understanding audience behavior or navigating complex data structures.
Rather than immediately escalating issues to a manager or technical expert, we established a simple expectation: Start with Coworker.
We also developed three guidelines to make those interactions more effective.
1. Start with the facts, not a theory.
We identify the specific campaign, activity or audience and describe the behavior we’re seeing. We avoid including our own hypotheses about what’s wrong.
It’s easy to get attached to your first theory. Starting with the facts helps us explore possibilities we might otherwise overlook.
2. Provide context.
We include relevant screenshots and details whenever possible. Giving Coworker a clearer picture of the issue helps narrow our investigation and identify potential causes.
3. Apply human judgement.
Coworker helps break complicated logic into manageable questions and identifies areas to investigate. My team is still responsible for validating the diagnosis, evaluating proposed solutions and testing changes before anything is pushed to production.
The goal isn’t to have AI make decisions for us. It’s to help ask better questions and find answers faster.
The Bigger Win: Building Team Expertise
Faster troubleshooting is valuable, but the most meaningful outcome has been watching my team develop a deeper understanding of the platform.
Learning a complex platform can feel like navigating a new city. At first, you know how to get to a few familiar places, but the moment you encounter an unexpected detour, you need someone to give you directions.
Coworker isn’t just giving us directions, it is helping my team learn the map. Instead of receiving an answer from someone with more experience, my team members can explore how different parts of the platform connect and understand why something is happening.
Over time, they become more confident navigating unfamiliar problems on their own.
When someone brings me an issue, one of my first questions is now, “What did you learn from Coworker?”
Often, they’ve already found the path forward. When they haven’t, they come with a better understanding of the problem, what they’ve investigated and where they need support. Our escalations have become more targeted and productive while the team has gained greater ownership of its work.
My Advice: Make AI Part of the Learning Process
If your team is onboarding to AJO or another platform, think beyond using AI to resolve individual issues.
Build it into the way your team learns. Establish consistent troubleshooting practices, encourage independent investigation and reinforce the importance of validating AI-generated recommendations.
For us, the biggest benefit isn’t just resolving today’s problem faster. It’s building the knowledge and confidence to better navigate what comes tomorrow.
How is your team using Coworker to accelerate learning or improve troubleshooting? I’d love to hear what’s working for you.