What can AI not replace?
Take heart, there's a lot of human stuff you do that AI can't
AI is coming for your job. Well, some of it.
It’ll streamline workflows, taking on stuff like scheduling and emails. (Yes, even complex calendaring, sooner than you think!)
Amazing 🥹
But there are some things it can’t replace.
AI can’t mimic the humanness that makes assistants so brilliant and so indispensable.
As time goes on and many of the tasks you’re doing right now fall away (automated by AI) — take confidence in your humanity.
Sharpen these very human skills and use them to add value in new ways.
That’s what I’m here to talk to you about today, and I’ll get into those in a sec.
⚠️ But first, let me be very clear: this is NOT a justification to bury your head in the sand and ignore AI.
(I’m mentioning this as I’ve spoken to 5+ people this year who’ve said some variant of “Well there’s no way AI could do [insert task AI will surely automate], so my job’s safe.”)
Quite the opposite — embrace AI to be super efficient and free up capacity to do more of the high value human work.
So let’s get into the top four human skills of assistants that AI can’t replace.
Proactive problem-solving
The best assistants are agile.
They can see around corners, as Donald Gogel has said.
In other words, they’re proactive problem solvers who can anticipate issues and navigate them before they even become visible to their exec.
They’re masters of sensing and anticipating. They’re perennially two steps ahead.
Ruthless prioritization
Time, precious time.
Assistants make the constant, mission critical calls on how to allocate it for execs whose currency is time.
As an assistant you are the only person who sees their whole 🌎 world:
Company strategy and the big challenges behind closed doors
What’s going on in their personal life
Their deeply-held values
How they’re actually spending their time
So you’re in a unique position to spot if how they’re spending their time is misaligned with their values and true priorities — and change that.
As my friend Lucy Brazier said to me the other day, your number one job is to make sure every hour and every minute of your exec’s day is maximized, and spent on the right stuff.
The human touch
I’m talking empathy, thoughtfulness, remembering the little stuff.
Like sending a bottle of champagne to a client who just had a baby.
Or checking in when you see a hurricane impacted an area where an employee’s extended family lives.
You make your exec look good by thinking of all the little personal touches they don’t have the headspace to.
An extension of your exec
You represent your exec every day, both internally and externally.
You’re the one to make first impressions with important guests.
And in larger organizations, you’re the face of your exec to employees who have never met them before, and probably never will.
You’re their eyes and ears — able to read the room and understand nuanced emotions. And give them feedback when something they did or said didn’t come across as planned.
And of course their right hand. A trusted partner, a sounding board, a force multiplier as the brilliant Hallie Warner would say.
The bottom line?
Your greatest strength is your humanness. Take advantage of AI tools and use them to supercharge yourself — and become truly indispensable in the process.
I’m curious to know what you’d add to this list of very human skills AI won’t replace. Hit reply to share your views 💡
All my best,
Fi
p.s. if you’re ready to learn AI and accelerate your career, doors are open for the next cohort of the Carve AI course. It kicks off July 8th, limited to just 30 seats, designed especially for assistants. And we have a 20% early bird discount available through June 13th. More details here.