Recently, Godel has been actively exploring trends in artificial intelligence and implementing innovative AI initiatives that help developers integrate new tools into their work. However, Iryna Strazdzina, Lead Business Analyst at Godel, noticed that there is also demand from non-technical employees. That’s why she developed a workshop on using ChatGPT, which helps such specialists understand AI capabilities and effectively apply them in their daily activities.

Understanding the need for AI training

Since the summer of 2024, Iryna Strazdzina has been actively involved in AI implementation initiatives within the company, studying AI tools that assist developers. Her research, along with a Copilot course conducted by Lead .NET Software Engineer Alexander Belenkov, revealed unexpected opportunities to apply AI tools outside of development.

The idea of conducting a ChatGPT workshop emerged during work on a test project with a client who actively used AI tools, including Copilot. During facilitation sessions, which were attended not only by developers but also by product owners, manual testers, and other specialists, Iryna noticed that non-technical employees were also interested in ChatGPT and other AI tools. However, existing courses, particularly those on Copilot, were more suited to developers, and Iryna saw a gap in training for a broader range of specialists.

“When I conducted these sessions, it was clear that many non-technical specialists wanted to understand how to apply AI tools in their everyday work. I thought it was necessary to create something practical and accessible,” says Iryna.

With the support of colleagues such as Chief Delivery Officer Elena Polubochko and Chief Technical Officer Victor Nekrasov, Iryna started developing the workshop in October 2024, which became a blend of theory and practice with an emphasis on real-world cases. “It was important to find a balance so that the theory wasn’t too boring, and the practice would be useful and interesting,” shares Iryna.

Elena and Victor actively guided Iryna and approved her ideas. Since the workshop is related to training, it had to go through the company’s Learning and Development function. “Vera Dudochkina, Head of L&D, also expressed interest in reviewing the workshop, so I prepared a mini-intro for her. As a result, both Vera and Elena participated in my workshop, and I received positive feedback from them.”

How the ChatGPT workshop is structured

The workshop lasts two days. The first day is more theoretical, with a small portion of practice. Participants familiarise themselves with the basic principles of working with ChatGPT, analyse prompts, learn how to formulate them correctly, and develop a framework for using the tool. In the first session, Iryna shared her experience and used real cases from her work. Throughout the process, participants also discuss their own examples and teach each other.

“The main thing I try to convey is the ability to formulate prompts correctly. Even if I give perfect prompts that work for me, they may not work for others. It’s like fishing: I can give you fish every day, but it’s much more useful to teach you how to fish,” explains Iryna.

The practical part of the workshop, held on the second day, is entirely focused on real tasks. Participants take on roles such as product manager, business analyst, or scrum master, and based on fictional data, they develop roadmaps, write emails to stakeholders, and solve other tasks that are close to real work practice. For example, the product manager’s task was to create a high-level roadmap for the quarter.

“My heart warms when people, who were initially skeptical, are surprised by how many solutions ChatGPT can offer. A task that usually takes several hours can now be completed in 15 minutes,” shares Iryna.

At the same time, workshop participants receive useful life hacks that help overcome the limitations of ChatGPT and other AI tools. “Everyone who works with this tool faces certain challenges. I show how ChatGPT can be used to increase efficiency and avoid routine tasks,” adds Iryna.

The first workshop sessions were held in January 2025. In total, around 100 people attended, and Iryna noticed that the demand was growing. Initially, only three sessions were planned for January, but due to high interest, it was decided to continue training in February.

“Each group had 12 to 15 people, and each session lasted two days, two hours each. We use a Miro board, which participants can return to at any time. This allows them to access the materials after the workshop,” explains Iryna.

How the workshop transformed attendees’ use of ChatGPT

After the successful launch of the workshop, Iryna received a lot of positive feedback. “The feedback was overwhelmingly positive, even those who were skeptical about using ChatGPT in their work began to actively apply it after the workshop,” she shares. Among the participants were business analysts, ADC, as well as employees from the Learning & Development and marketing functions. Many noted that they can now use ChatGPT much more effectively in their daily activities, and several people admitted that they had previously hesitated to use the tool, considering it an unfair way to get work done.

My impressions of the workshop are positive. The balance between theory and practice was well-maintained, and everything was helpful and it systematized my current knowledge. I theoretically knew most of the information, but about 20% of it was new for me. I hope the knowledge gained will help me use ChatGPT more actively in my work.

Dzmitry Yarash, Lead Business Analyst

At the workshop, there were many examples, practical tasks, and visuals. It was interesting to try new possibilities with ChatGPT, like using it to create charts. This course inspired me to come up with new ideas and approaches.

Aksana Sutuginas, Senior Agile Delivery Coordinator

For Iryna, the most important reward was not only the positive feedback but also the realization that her work helps colleagues adapt to new technologies faster and optimize their work. “Every time participants come back and say they’ve started using ChatGPT in their work, I understand that all the efforts were worth it,” concludes Iryna.

Despite the energy-intensive process, Iryna plans to continue conducting workshops in future and update the content in line with new tools and opportunities. “New AI tools keep emerging, and I want to update the content of the workshop, adding new practical tasks and connections between the tools,” concludes Iryna.