For this month’s War Story, I sat down with our Lead Consulting Partner, Simon Mahony, to unpick one of the most interesting patterns he’s seen emerge from our AI Opportunity Workshops across sectors.
Simon has worked with dozens of organisations- from complex NHS teams to national employability providers- and despite wildly different missions, he’s noticed one recurring theme:
And crucially: every organisation thinks this confusion is unique to them.
“They feel excited. They feel FOMO. They feel pressure. And they also feel fear,” Simon told me.
“It’s a really strange mix of emotions- but the truth is, all organisations are experiencing it.”
According to Simon, this is exactly why the workshops have become such a powerful tool. They create a space to unpack the noise, the hype, and the panic, and help leaders realise they’re not falling behind. They’re simply navigating the fastest technological shift in modern history.
One of the first surprises in every session is how quickly participants realise they have a stronger grasp of AI concepts than expected.
“There’s this idea that ‘I don’t understand any of this’, but once you break AI down into simple building blocks, think, learn, vision, language, execution- people realise they already understand the fundamentals. They just. haven’t connected the dots.”
Once that confidence resets, the real conversation can begin.
Simon was clear on this point:
“Technology on its own doesn’t bring transformation. You start with your business. Your customers. Your patients. Your employees. Your strategy. Then you look at where AI fits.”
The biggest misstep organisations make is jumping straight into tools and pilots before grounding the work in real use cases and desired outcomes. Our workshops are intentionally designed to reverse that instinct.
Some people ask whether they need a certain level of AI readiness before working with us. Honestly, not really.
Whether teams arrive highly motivated, deeply sceptical, or somewhere in between, the workshop works- as long as leadership is involved.
“A workshop only lands when it has senior sponsorship,” Simon explained.
“You need leaders in the room. And you need skeptics too, real skeptics, not cynics. Skepticism keeps teams honest. It stops people from running away with unrealistic ideas about where AI actually adds value.”
Cynics shut progress down.
Skeptics ensure the right progress happens.
Simon considers their presence essential.
Across all industries, Simon sees the same story playing out: organisations are overwhelmed not because they’re late, but because the pace of AI is unlike anything we’ve seen before.
And ironically, once teams realise everyone else feels the same way, they relax- and then the real strategic thinking can start.
“People think their organisation is the only one struggling,” Simon said.
“But it’s everyone. And that’s exactly why the workshops have been so powerful.”
If you’d like to bring an AI Opportunity Workshop to your organisation in 2026, send an email to Chelsea at chelsea.monye@hudsonandhayes.co.uk, and we’ll be happy to talk through what’s possible.
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