STOP THINKING LIKE A TASK RABBIT
Last week, I was talking with a colleague who owns a company. He mentioned something I’ve heard many times before: his accounting team is scared AI will take their jobs. It’s a legitimate fear, but one based on a flawed premise. The problem isn’t that AI is coming for their jobs; it’s that they see their jobs as a series of tasks instead of a vital role.
Let me explain.
When we define ourselves by what we do, “I send invoices,” “I schedule meetings,” “I file reports,” we set ourselves up for obsolescence. Those individual tasks can, and often will, be automated. But when we instead define our roles in terms of outcomes, “I help the company get paid,” “I drive strategic coordination,” “I ensure compliance and insight,” we step into higher-level thinking that AI can’t replace.
It’s the difference between being a cog in the machine and being the driver of the vehicle.
From Task to Trajectory
A powerful analogy came up in our conversation: driving. The tasks of driving include turning the wheel, pressing the gas, adjusting mirrors. But your role is being the driver, navigating, responding, making judgment calls. Whether you’re driving a 1975 Pinto or a brand-new Porsche, your role remains the same. In fact, automation like cruise control or GPS can make you a more confident, capable driver, not a redundant one.
It’s the same with AI. It can handle the gears, but it still needs a driver.
In sectors like architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC), where legacy systems and tradition dominate, this mindset shift is essential. AI isn’t here to erase humans, it’s here to elevate us. But only if we let it.
The Case for Meta Skills
This is where meta skills come in.
Meta skills are higher-order, transferable skills that enable you to effectively learn, develop, and apply other skills in various contexts. They are foundational abilities that cultivate adaptability, problem-solving, self-management, social and emotional intelligence, critical thinking, and lifelong learning. Essentially, meta skills are the core capabilities that help you navigate complexity, become an adaptive learner, and thrive in unpredictable environments by providing the "how" and framework for acquiring and improving other skills.
Other important meta skills include self-awareness, creativity, resilience, effective communication, and the ability to receive feedback. These skills are timeless and apply across different roles, industries, and situations, acting as a blueprint for continuous personal and professional growth.
According to LinkedIn research, 70 percent of the job skills we use today will change by 2030. And while AI might take over the data crunching, this is why meta skills are your career insurance policy. No longer labeled “soft skills” and “nice to have,” they are in demand and mandatory.
Shift Your Focus: From Tools to Impact
The people who thrive in an AI-driven world will not be the ones who resist change or hoard tasks. They will be the ones who see themselves as stewards of outcomes, not owners of workflows.
If you’re in accounting, your role isn’t to send emails, it’s to manage financial health.
If you’re in marketing, it’s not to post on social, it’s to create connections and drive demand.
If you’re in operations, it’s not to maintain the spreadsheet, it’s to enable strategy and scale.
When we reframe our roles like this, AI becomes an ally. It handles the repetitive so we can focus on the irreplaceable.
How to Start Thinking Bigger Today
Audit your identity at work: Are you defining yourself by your tasks or your impact?
Build your meta skills: Focus on one, like adaptability or creative problem-solving, and work on it consistently.
Stay visible and valuable: Show how your contributions drive outcomes, not just activities.
Be the driver: Use AI as a tool, not a threat. Let it shift the gears while you steer the course.
In the AEC industry and beyond, what some call a "technological revolution" is really a mindset revolution. Success belongs to those who think beyond their to-do lists and step into their full potential.
AI won’t take your job.
But a task-based mindset will.
Kristin's Final Thought
Training is the glue that makes all of this transformation possible. Without intentional and ongoing learning, teams will default to old habits and remain stuck in task-based thinking. Training builds the confidence, clarity, and capability people need to shift their mindset, adopt meta skills, and unlock the true potential of AI. For the AEC industry, investing in training is the catalyst that supports cultural change, accelerates AI adoption, and empowers professionals to deliver value in new, more strategic ways.
