Authentic AI Adoption and Cultural Impact: Dessalen Wood

From Workplace Stories by RedThread Research by Stacia Garr & Dani Johnson

February 17, 2026 · 58 min · Episode 121

About this episode

Dessalen Wood discusses how Syntax is embedding AI across departments while focusing on cultural shifts and collaboration.

From overcoming initial anxieties through hackathons and playful experiments, to setting an ambitious organizational roadmap for AI, Dessalen Wood shares how Syntax is embedding artificial intelligence across departments, focusing on pragmatic progress rather than hype. You’ll hear stories about driving excitement, learning by doing, and the all-important challenge of measuring real impact. More than just technology, this episode dives into the culture shifts, collaboration with IT, and leadership mindsets that are pushing companies out of their comfort zones and into the future, while keeping authenticity and humanity front and center. You will want to hear this episode if you are interested in... 00:00 Overcoming AI fear through collaboration 03:30 Defining AI readiness today 09:55 AI's role in business transformation 15:46 AI anxiety in the workplace 22:05 Making AI adoption fun 28:11 AI expertise requires human touch 36:42 AI strategy: Three layers explained 41:31 True transformation vs. improvement 53:21 Rethinking work, technology, and AI Overcoming AI Anxiety Early stages of AI adoption in organizations are often marked by fear. Employees worry about being displaced…

People in this episode

Hosts: Stacia Garr, Dani Johnson

Guest: Dessalen Wood

Topics covered

AI adoption
organizational culture
collaboration
business transformation
leadership mindsets
employee engagement

Keywords

AI
hackathons
employee anxiety
business transformation
organizational roadmap
collaboration with IT
human touch in AI
measuring impact

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Syntax