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If you’re struggling to identify the skills you need to beat the machine, read on.
Since watching i-Robot as a kid, AI has always been a fear of mine. And I’m not alone.
Many fear that, as AI becomes more intelligent, more jobs will be replaced.
This is totally justified, as this is slowly becoming a reality.
So what can we do about it?
Having worked in tech for 10 years I’ve seen AI evolve from:
“That’s pretty cool, but I can’t see how anyone will use it”,
To:
“Holy sh**, is that a person or an AI?”
When ChatGPT was released at the back end of 2022, my first reaction was:
“That’s the most amazing productivity tool I’ve ever seen.”
Which quickly turned into:
“What will my future look like if AI can produce more value than I can?”
After being left in a tailspin and suffering an identity crisis (still ongoing) I started digging into what differentiates humans from machines.
Some words that kept coming up:
- Perspective
- Emotional Intelligence
- Ability to think critically
All of these fall into the category of meta-skills:
Que ChatGPT definition:
“A meta-skill is a higher-order skill that enables the development and application of other skills. These skills are often more abstract and transferable across various domains and contexts. They are essential for adapting to new situations, solving complex problems, and continuous learning. Meta-skills include abilities such as critical thinking, problem-solving, self-management, adaptability, learning how to learn, and systems thinking. These skills underpin and enhance the acquisition and utilization of more specific, domain-based skills, making them crucial for personal and professional growth in an ever-changing environment.”
When looking back at how I’ve built a successful career I can identify with a lot of this.
- My EQ has always been better than my IQ
- I’m always looking at new ways to learn
- I’ve always tackled problems head on
- Systemisation is my default
And it’s my unique combination of all of these skills that’s made me hard to replace.
This is how I can stay ahead of the robot curve.
But what is the robot curve?
Taken from "Metaskills: Five Talents for the Future of Work" by Marty Neumeier.
The Robot Curve is as follows:
- Creative work - Unique, imaginative, non-routine & autonomous
- Skilled work - Standardised, talent-driven, professional & directed
- Rote work - Interchangeable, routinised, outsourceable & managed
- Robotic work - Algorithmic, computerised, efficient & purchased
As AI evolves, it will creep further and further up the curve, consuming more elements of rote and skilled work.
This means we now need a hard focus on how to produce unique and imaginative create work.
Let’s look at an example of how meta-skills can place us at the top of the robot curve.
Not long ago had the pleasure of part-leading a team of superstars.
It was a strong team, but there wasn’t a huge amount of knowledge share.
Given how competitive the industry was, we had to be on the top of our game.
So I set myself a project.
A Monday ‘Lunch and Learn’ session that I’d deliver to share techniques and best practises on a certain topic.
This involved:
- Critical thinking - Gauging the challenges the team were facing
- Emotional Intelligence - Identifying the skillsets and situation of each team member
- Learning how to learn - Sythesising my own knowledge and related resources
- Systems thinking - Ensuring we had a process, i.e set schedule, agenda, topic matter
- Self-management - Delivering a credible presentation to get the team fired up
- Adaptability - Last minute changes based on recent events
As a result I continued to upskill (there’s no better way to learn than teaching others) and became a more integral / valuable part of the team.
AI wouldn’t be able to do the above in the way that I did.
So where does this place me on the robot curve?
- Did I do this autonomously without direction? Yes
- Was it unique and imaginative? Yes and No
- Would it be hard to standardise? Yes
Lunch and Learns aren’t anything new. But my unique delivery, knowledge and ability to gauge the most relevant subject matter for a specific audience are hard to match.
So let’s distill this into a framework.
1. Zoom Out
Meta-skills are the skills that sit behind the skills.
Let’s take the skill of Decision Making.
Zooming out, the meta-skill is Critical Thinking.
To upskill in Critical Thinking you can:
- Study principles like logic, reasoning and argumentation
- Expose yourself to different viewpoints & perspectives
- Engage in practises that require reflection
- Practise Socratic questioning
And in turn skills like analytical thinking, decision making, problem-solving, communication and planning will improve as a result.
2. Project
Set yourself a project that involves a combination of these skills.
I used the example of a presentation, but here’re a few more.
- Leading a transformation initiative
- Finding someone to coach
- Hosting a podcast
It should be a project that challenges you, as it’s the only way we can test our skills and grow as individuals.
3. Benchmark
Consider where that project of activity places you on the ‘Robot Curve’.
As yourself questions like:
- Is this unique and imaginative?
- Is this directed by myself as opposed to others?
- Is this something that can be standardised?
It’ll become increasingly easier to stay ahead once you internalise these principles.
To put this into practise, here’re a few prompts you can experiment with:
Prompt 1
“I am trying to improve [enter skill]. Please give me the associated meta-skill that sits behind it, and a step by step curriculum for how to build that meta-skill”
Here’s an example using the skill communication, with Emotional Intelligence as the associated meta-skill.
Prompt 2
“I am looking for a project that that will involve the following meta-skills:
- Critical Thinking
- Emotional Intelligence
- Learning how to learn
- Systems thinking
- Self- management
- Adaptability
The project should be unique, imaginative, and non-routine. I am a [job title] working in a [company type] in the [industry]. Give me some project suggestions that I can use to develop myself and others around me.”
Here’s an example using a financial controller that works in a Saas company that supports the hospitality industry.
It is our unique combination of skills and quirks that allows us to stay ahead of the ‘Robot Curve’.
Seek out opportunities to upskill using projects where you can put principles into action.
Do this and you’ll become an irreplaceable individual geared up to win at life.
Until next time
Adam
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