Talking AI Training And Certifications For Change Management With Two Industry Thought Leaders
As the driving force behind SweetRush’s Client Solutions team, Annie Hodson is passionate about creating learning experiences that truly make a difference. With over 15 years of expertise in learning design, Annie believes that effective learning should be both engaging and impactful. She’s dedicated to helping businesses achieve their goals through innovative solutions that foster growth and inspire lasting change. From revitalizing new hire programs to revolutionizing compliance training, Annie and her team are committed to turning learning into an unforgettable adventure.
Olivia Powell is deeply committed to cultivating the transformative potential of learning in the service of a better world. So, in her role as solution architect, Olivia plays imagination activist, strategic partner, and experience designer for and with clients, guiding them not only in identifying short-term leverage points and impactful learning solutions but in visioning what’s possible for their organization and its individuals on a larger scale. With her background as a senior learning designer, consultant, and workshop facilitator for SweetRush; experience designer in the arts and entertainment world; and writer and storyteller, Olivia’s expertise is a unique blend of systems design, change and transformation practice, co-creation, and advanced learning theory. And her style? A mix of intense thoughtfulness and playful curiosity that reflects what learning—and life—is all about.
Today, Annie and Olivia speak with us about planning for change and how organizational leaders can launch learning programs that prepare their teams for the future.
Can you introduce yourselves and tell us a bit about your roles and how they intersect with change management?
Annie: I’m Annie Hodson, and as Chief Client Solutions Officer, my primary focus is understanding our clients’ biggest challenges and helping them develop strategies to overcome them. Right now, a major part of that is helping them build programs that equip their teams to handle the constant, rapid change driven by AI.
Olivia: Hello! I’m Olivia Powell, and while my official title here is “Solution Architect,” I really consider my role as that of Imagination Activist—helping clients ignite curiosity, possibility, and skillful visioning in themselves, their learners, and their peers. So, for example, I’ll leverage my background as a senior learning consultant, experience designer, and storyteller to guide client partners not only in identifying short-term needs and impactful learning solutions to serve them but in imagining what’s possible for their organization and its individuals on a larger scale.
Change management is an essential part of this—not only because of what some call our increasingly VUCA or BANI world, but because change is learning. Change is life. Whether a client is looking to create intentional change (e.g., with a specific large-scale intervention) or upskill learners in a discrete skillset, transformation energy is at play. We help clients become aware of that energy, learn how to meet it, and cultivate it in service of their mission. We think less about “managing” change and more about creating space for it. Because there isn’t one future that we’re all heading for. There are countless futures—some of them possible, some of them preferred, some of them, well, less preferred. The more skillful we can help clients be at facilitating change through the learning experiences we create together, the more successful they can be in realizing their preferred futures.
You mention the constancy of change. Especially with the pace of AI development, how do you help clients keep up? What is it about traditional change management (and traditional learning) approaches that aren’t really working anymore?
Olivia: It’s clear that long-term, rigid plans just can’t keep up with the pace of AI and all the other sociopolitical and economic changes in our world. So the model of creating an annual strategy, planning a year’s worth of learning experiences to trickle that strategy throughout your organization, then expecting meaningful results months later, isn’t really productive anymore. That’s not to say that strategy, planning, and long-term thinking should go out the window. Rather, it’s an invitation to shift how we think about these things. So, instead of asking, “What’s our plan for AI in 2026?” try, “How are we co-creating the future with AI in the next month?” or, “How might we drive how AI shows up in our industry through these next five engagements?” You might also ask, “How are we preparing for the future? What can we do to cultivate more change-ready environments, processes, and teams?” It’s about getting more specific about what “planning” means to you—are you planning to drive change and create futures around your vision and strategy? Are you planning so that your organization is prepared to receive and respond to whatever comes?
In change circles, you often hear about building “change capability”—skills for facilitating and leading change, like noticing signals and scenario planning—and “change capacity”—developing conditions like wellbeing, curiosity, and resiliency so that you’re more equipped to navigate change as it comes. Some of the ways we at SweetRush help our clients build change capability and capacity include:
- Always meeting clients as strategic partners, not only supporting immediate needs but helping them leverage Learning and Development as a gateway to more nimble strategies, more change-ready individuals, and overall business resilience.
- Designing for and with individual learners at the heart of any experience because, as the truism from Peter Senge goes, “People don’t resist change; they resist being changed.” Our learning experiences help you invite individuals into the work of meeting change, meeting AI, and deciding how you as an organization are going to respond. Not only can this help you overcome resistance to change, it allows you to access the otherwise hidden ideas and potential of your people! We have a whole model for this, which we explore in our article on organizational change through learner transformation and a related webinar recording on the subject.
- Sharing trends and research widely, to help raise our partners’ and potential partners’ awareness of what’s emerging, why it’s emerging, and how it impacts organizations.
- Creating learning solutions that embrace the affordances of AI without sacrificing rigor, quality, or the well-being and creativity of learners.
Can you tell us more about the learning programs you’re developing? What does an AI training program with a change management component look like?
Annie: That’s a fantastic question, and it gets to the heart of what we’re doing. The learning programs we’re building—whether for AI or any other major shift—aren’t about just downloading new information. They’re about inviting people into the future.
Think of a traditional training program as building a sturdy, well-lit path for people to walk down. It’s safe, predictable, and efficient. But in this new, rapidly changing world, that path might just lead to a dead end. What we’re doing is less about building a path and more about equipping people to navigate a wild, untamed landscape. It’s about giving them a compass, a map, and the courage to explore, to create their own trails.
So, what does an AI learning program with a change management component look like? It’s not a single course on “how to use ChatGPT.” It’s a journey of discovery. We design programs that are more like a flight path, a series of connected experiences, than a one-and-done event.
First, we address the human element head-on. As you mentioned, it’s about confronting the fears and anxieties that emerge. We help leaders and teams move from a place of “What is this technology going to do to me?” to “What is this technology going to do for us?” We create spaces for intentional conversations about the “why”—why this change is necessary, what opportunities it unlocks, and how each person can be an active participant, not just a passive observer. It’s a crucial part of the process, and you can learn more about it in our article on understanding the emotional landscape of organizational change.
Second, we build what Olivia called change capability and capacity. On the capability side, we go beyond technical skills. We provide practical, human-centered frameworks that help leaders facilitate courageous conversations and guide their teams through ambiguity. This isn’t just about using a new tool; it’s about learning how to be a more effective, empathetic leader in a fluid environment.
And on the capacity side, we build in experiences that cultivate curiosity and resilience. We often weave in elements of storytelling, scenario planning, and even playful experimentation. The goal is to build a deeper muscle: the ability to be agile, to pivot, to fail safely, and to learn from it. We’re cultivating a mindset where change isn’t something to be managed or endured, but something to be co-created and welcomed.
What about certification programs? How do they help leaders build this kind of change management muscle within the organization?
Annie: The demand for formal certification programs has really taken off because organizations are realizing that it’s not enough to just talk about change—they need to be able to do it. They need to build a muscle for it, and certifications provide the rigorous, structured training to do just that.
But what makes these programs so powerful isn’t just the certificate at the end. It’s the journey they take people on. A certification program becomes a cultural ignition point, a way to formalize and celebrate the kind of leadership that is so critical today. We’re not just teaching a set of skills; we’re establishing a new standard for what it means to be a resilient leader. If you’re interested in learning more about this, we have an article on developing certification and skilling programs and a webinar recording on building credible and engaging experiences.
These programs take leaders on a deep dive into the human dimensions of change. They learn to identify the signals and emotions at play, from natural resistance to passionate advocacy. They get hands-on experience with practical tools and frameworks, but more importantly, they learn to use those tools with empathy and vision. It’s about empowering them to not just manage a transition but to actively co-create a new future with their teams.
When a client invests in this kind of program, they’re not just upskilling a few individuals. They’re cultivating an internal network of change agents—a powerful, ripple effect of people who are equipped to step up and lead when the unexpected happens, whether it’s a new AI policy or a shift in the market. They become the go-to people who can guide their teams to not only survive the transition but to find opportunities and thrive in the transformation.
When it comes to AI and change, what are leaders not thinking about that they should be?
Olivia: With any AI development comes that narrative about how the technology won’t “take your job” but instead free you up to be more productive and to do more creative and fulfilling work. Well, what does it mean to be (more) creative at work, and does your system allow for creativity from all individuals? What is “fulfilling work”? Do you have a clear sense of what that means for you? Do your employees know what that means for them? How might you support them in connecting with their purpose, their longings, their unique potential, and service?
Without addressing these questions, this common AI narrative is at best an empty promise and at worst a thinly veiled euphemism for AI as a path to hyperproductivity and dehumanization of the working individual. Your people will sense this, so it should be no surprise when you encounter fear and resistance to any change efforts.
That’s why, at SweetRush, our mission to be in service of life potential is becoming ever more essential and tangible—for example, through our Transformational Design Standards—as a guide for our client engagements. Whether in strategic solutioning conversations or design workshops on a Custom Learning project, we help clients both embrace the emergent opportunities of AI and create space for humans to be more human—to explore, imagine, connect, and ultimately, be able to better contribute to both individual and collective missions. For more on this, we invite you to download our free eBook, The AI Blueprint.
What’s one key piece of advice you’d give to any organization looking to navigate the changes brought by AI?
Annie: I’d say focus on the “why.” Change is always easier when people understand the purpose behind it. For AI, it’s about making it clear that these tools are there to enhance human potential, not replace it. Show them how AI can free them from mundane tasks so they can focus on more creative, strategic, and fulfilling work. When you pair technical training with a compelling narrative about purpose, you create a powerful opportunity for positive change.
Olivia: Absolutely. And if you need a place to start? Try a simple exercise like this: close your eyes and reflect on your day-to-day at work right now. What does that look like? Feel like? Sound like? Now imagine someone at work 100 years in the future, maybe your grandchild or great-grandchild. What are they seeing? Where are they? What are they doing? What do they feel—in the environment, about what work means, about learning? What do you hope they feel? When you open your eyes, what’s one thing you can do, share, or research today to help realize that preferred future?
Wrapping Up
Thanks so much to Annie and Olivia for taking the time to share their insights on change management in the age of AI. If you’d like to learn more about how SweetRush can help you find the best solution for your needs, you can get in touch, and they’ll get your inquiry to the right person on their team.