The AI Question Everyone’s Asking
That I’m Not Worried About...
Why I stopped defending my tasks and started focusing on outcomes
“Everyone’s using AI to do their job in half the time. I’m trying, but I’m not seeing it. Am I missing something?”
This is the question I get now. Not “will AI replace me?” - that one feels almost quaint now, like something we worried about back in 2023.
The new anxiety is worse: everyone else seems to have figured out AI except you. They’re posting about it. Talking about productivity gains. Meanwhile, you’re spending more time trying to make AI work than you would have just doing the task yourself. (I get it- this was me).
A year or so ago, I tried using AI for everything. Generated useless outputs. Spent ages fixing what it got wrong. Wondered what I was missing that everyone else seemed to have figured out.
Then I realised something.
Most people using AI are doing it wrong!
They’re either avoiding it completely, using it randomly without understanding what it’s good for, or applying it to everything without knowing when human judgement matters more. None of that works.
What actually works:
Stop thinking “how can AI help me do my tasks faster?” and start thinking “which tasks should AI handle so I can focus on work that actually matters?”
Tasks are what you do. Outcomes are what changes because you did it.
AI is brilliant at tasks. It’s rubbish at judgement, context, relationships, or knowing what actually matters right now.
When I stopped spending three hours formatting board decks, I spent those three hours thinking about what the board needed- as humans to see to make good decisions. Strategic work. Irreplaceable.
When AI began drafting routine communications, I focused on the sensitive ones that required nuance. High-value work.
The work I do now is more “strategic” (cough cough- outcome-driven) and more valuable than before AI. Because AI handles tasks, and I focus on thinking.
Here’s what nobody says:
The people struggling aren’t the ones AI might replace. They’re the ones who never figured out how to use AI to do more valuable work.
You don’t need to be an AI expert. You need to know:
What AI handles well vs what it doesn’t
How to get useful outputs (not generic rubbish)
When to use it vs when not to
That’s it.
📌 Paid subscribers get 3 deeper dives:
1. Real Use Cases & The COIF Framework - How EAs actually use AI (meeting prep, research, data analysis, documentation) with Fiona Young’s framework for getting outputs that aren’t generic. Includes the exact prompts I use.
2. What Becomes MORE Valuable - The specific skills that increase in value when AI handles routine work. How to position yourself strategically. Why context and judgement are your competitive advantage.
3. The AI Evaluation Framework - How to decide which work to automate vs amplify. Red flags for when NOT to use AI. What to measure instead of tasks.
Plus: What leaders need to know about AI and support teams.
Jodie Mears
C-Suite Executive Assistant | Mentor | Speaker | Podcast Guest
NETWORK – LEARN – GROW 💥
For Paid Subscribers: How to Actually Use AI in Your Work
Three things that work.
