Workshop facilitator guide

Operational guidance for anyone facilitating the HR AI literacy curriculum or a standalone AI enablement session. This is the “how to run the room” companion to the curriculum’s content. Use both together.

Before the session

Two weeks out:

One week out:

Day of:

Facilitation notes by module

Module 1 (How AI works): This is the module most likely to run long because of tangents into “but is my job safe” discussion. Acknowledge the concern directly and briefly, then redirect: “That’s real, and it’s exactly what Module 3 on governance and Module 4 on scaling responsibly are for. Let’s get the mental model right first.” Don’t skip the redirect. An unaddressed anxiety in the room will resurface and derail later modules.

Module 2 (Hands-on lab): This is the highest-value session. If time is tight anywhere in the series, protect this module and cut elsewhere. Walk the room during the lab. Don’t just present and wait. Most learning happens when you’re standing next to someone whose prompt didn’t work, asking “what did you actually want it to do?”

Module 3 (Governance): Generates the most pushback, usually from two directions: people who think the rules are overkill, and people who think no amount of governance makes this safe. Both reactions are useful signal, not a problem to shut down. Budget real discussion time. This module should not be delivered as a monologue.

Module 4 (Scaling): Energy tends to dip here because it’s less hands-on than Module 2. Counter this by making the small-group exercise genuinely about their real top-5 ideas, not a hypothetical. The gallery walk at the end works best if you require every group to give one piece of specific feedback to another group, not just admire the work.

Handling common resistance patterns

What you’ll hear What’s usually underneath it How to respond
“This is just going to replace us” Genuine job security fear Don’t argue it away. Acknowledge it’s a real question, point to the human-in-the-loop design principle, and be honest about what is and isn’t true for your org’s roadmap
“AI gets things wrong, why would I trust it” Bad early experience or unfamiliarity Agree. That’s exactly why verification habits (Module 2) and governance (Module 3) exist. Don’t oversell reliability
“We don’t have time to learn a new tool” Workload, not resistance to AI specifically Reframe: the goal is time back, not one more thing. Use a concrete before/after example from the prompt library
Silence / disengagement Could be skepticism, could be past change fatigue Ask directly in the room: “What’s making this feel like it’s not worth engaging with?” Don’t fill silence by talking more
Over-enthusiasm, wants to automate everything immediately Missing the governance and scope boundaries Useful energy to redirect, not shut down. Point them to Module 3 and the risk assessment template before they build anything

Format adaptations

Virtual delivery: Breakout rooms for the Module 4 small-group exercise need a facilitator or co-facilitator per room, not just a timer. The Module 2 lab works virtually but takes longer. Build in 15 extra minutes for people to unmute, share screens, and troubleshoot access.

Self-paced adaptation: If converting to self-paced, Module 2’s lab and Module 3’s scenario discussions lose the most value. They depend on live interaction. If you must go self-paced, replace group discussion with a written reflection prompt and a scheduled office hour for questions, rather than dropping the interactive element entirely.

Single-function audience (e.g., just Talent Acquisition): Swap in examples specific to that function throughout, especially in Module 2’s demo and Module 3’s scenario cards. A recruiting team sitting through generic HRBP examples will disengage faster than one working through their own workflows.

After the session