Behind Successful Design & AI integration

AI-specific focus areas to consider when engaging a Tirian program

As AI accelerates across industries, leadership development faces a critical question: How do we integrate AI meaningfully into learning—without letting it overshadow the human experience? At Tirian, we believe AI should amplify strategic thinking, deepen reflection, and spark innovation—not derail sessions into tool training. That’s why we’ve designed a multi-framework approach for activating AI in workshops that aligns with diverse audience needs, organizational goals, and the ever-evolving AI landscape.

We don’t view AI as just another skill to be taught. We see it as a transformational lens—one that can amplify human ingenuity, challenge assumptions, and reveal new pathways to solve complex problems. But only if it’s introduced in a way that aligns with how people think, learn, and lead. This means the technology doesn’t hijack the conversation; it enhances it.

Choose when to Use!  Ask what the outcomes of the workshop are?

A) PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT AND DEEP UNDERSTANDING OF THE CHALLENGES:

• If the goal is to help participants deeply engage with the challenges presented in the workshop and gamified simulation (such has the using CQ to develop personal creativity, help with process redesign, employee engagement, and customer centricity)—while fostering personal creativity and proactive problem-solving—then group discussions should remain human-centered. Research shows that “brain-only” writing activates deeper memory, executive functioning, and creativity.
• Conversely, as AI/LLMs become more “original,” overreliance on them may reduce user creativity and critical thinking, leading to cognitive offloading or decline.
• Research also shows that people who rely on AI too much, and too quickly, fail to have a deep understanding of the issues. This defeats one of the main learning practices and the purpose of the workshop.

B) FAST SOLUTIONS:

• However, if the focus shifts toward generating solutions to the problems surfaced by the simulation, then collaborative use of AI/LLMs can be valuable.
• Participants might benefit from using AI tools as part of their redesign process.
• It’s important to recognize that AI fluency is a linear learning journey, and participant expertise will vary widely. In this scenario, it’s best to present the big picture of AI’s potential, then let each person engage at their own level using the models they’re comfortable with.

At Tirian, we’re not preparing leaders to master AI tools., we’re preparing them to ask better questions, challenge assumptions, and lead through uncertainty—with or without a chatbot by their side.

The AI Utilization Dial: Maximizing Creativity Without Losing Control

Move Fast, But Don’t Trip: Leading Through the Paradoxes of the AI Race

AI in Action: A Tiered Approach to Meaningful Integration in Leadership Workshops.
From Conceptual Framing to Strategic Tool Use

🔹 Option 1: Framing AI Conceptually

This is our primary focus. Instead of diving into the mechanics of tools, we introduce AI as a strategic enabler—a lens through which participants explore the workshop’s key themes (creativity, innovation, leadership). Every Tirian program now includes AI-aligned debrief questions, anchoring conversation in relevance rather than technical fluency. This keeps the experience inclusive, thought-provoking, and grounded in human ingenuity.

Through guided discussion and immersive simulations, we surface questions like:

• The CSI Suite:
• • What does AI mean for the future of creativity?
    
  • Is AI killing our creativity? 
  • If AI aces the CQ creativity tests what is left for us? 
    
• The Innovate Suite,
  • How can leaders navigate the Paradox of Progress and Precaution in an AI-driven world?
  • Is AI MAD (mutually assured destruction)? Game Theory and Collaboration
  • What tensions does AI amplify in leadership today?
  • How fast can AI transform us before we crash and burn?

🔹 Option 2: Using AI Tools to Solve Problems

🧩 Strategy 1: Using AI Tools, for Big Picture Framing

When the context calls for hands-on use, we take a light-touch, exploratory approach. Participants are invited to use generalist tools like ChatGPT, Copilot, or Perplexity—but without formal instruction. The emphasis remains on strategic thinking and problem-solving, not tool mastery.

This preserves session flow and ensures that facilitators aren’t pulled into the weeds of software training—keeping the learning experience cohesive and accessible across skill levels.

Big Picture Framing Program examples:

• In CSI1 – Creative Quotient, and CSI2 Design Thinking programs: participants test ideation using LLMs to solve case studies.
• In The Chocolate Factory gamified simulation, they redesign engagement strategies with AI-enabled thinking.
• In The Innovation suite, participants use AI to explore best practices of case studies and develop strategic approaches for the organisation.

🧩 Strategy 2: Using AI Tools for Targeted Instructional On-Ramping (when needed)

For more technically confident or homogenous groups, facilitators may introduce AI tools at a more tailored level. However, Tirian does not provide in-depth technical training, as AI fluency requires specialist knowledge, evolves rapidly, and varies widely across industries. To avoid ineffective facilitation or misalignment, this approach should only be used when facilitators possess equal or greater expertise than the group. It’s a strategic consideration not just for facilitation, but for sales and proposal alignment as well.

How to Use AI for Better Results in Creative Thinking & Design Thinking

In The Chocolate Factory gamified simulation, participants redesign engagement strategies with AI-enabled ideas.

Conference design, Emcee (& coaching):

A good Emcee can occupy the anchor role at a conference, once performed by personalities or comedians, but in a way that they do not attract the audience’s attention to themselves. Learn to summarize the previous presentation articulately, link it to the overall learning aims, revise delegate notes and pose insightful interview questions to the presenter. A great Emcee will enhance the ‘takeaway value’ of the presenters and reinforce the total conference learning experience.

Training: Don’t ask us about how to train – we don’t offer it!

Trainers refer to existing material or tell you stories about other people. Thus trainers must be good communicators and perhaps technical experts. Training is about developing a specific skill set, imparting knowledge. Training teaches people what or how to do something with little understanding as to why it is the case. (Education is about developing skills for ongoing learning and enquiry).

Design the ultimate learning experience:

With over 20 years of unique original creative design, we can share with a design team how to create engagement. Engage us to help you design your next learning program: online, face-to-face or the educational learning side of a conference to ensure integrated design & flow. We can design and offer TTT Train the Trainer workshops and programs to help with scale.