Student Name: Date Started: Date Completed:
Quick Reference: The Four Tiers
Keep this in mind as you work through the module.
| Tier | Definition | Threatened by AI? | How? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Employee | Has required skills, executes reliably | Yes, directly | Task-level skills are being commoditized |
| Good Employee | Employee + cultural fit + reliability | Less directly | Still valued, but less differentiated |
| Great Employee | Good Employee + adaptable + learns fast | No | Skill to direct AI is increasingly valuable |
| Invaluable Employee | Great Employee + multiplies team capability | No | Value is in human judgment, not execution |
Lesson 1: The Definition Nobody Uses
Main idea: A job is tasks. An employee is skills. This clarity is essential right now.
Your reflection:
What five recurring tasks make up most of your role?
1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
For one of these tasks, what skills does it require? Be specific — not "communication" but "the ability to write clearly under time pressure" or "the ability to recognize when a technical approach won't scale."
Lesson 2: The Four Tiers
Main idea: The pyramid shows you what's threatened and what isn't. Notice what's absent from the base.
Your reflection:
Place yourself on the pyramid right now. Pick one tier that best describes where you are today (not where you want to be):
[ ] Tier 1: Employee [ ] Tier 2: Good Employee [ ] Tier 3: Great Employee [ ] Tier 4: Invaluable Employee
What evidence puts you there? (One sentence)
What would moving to the next tier require from you?
Lesson 3: What AI Actually Changes
Main idea: The base tier is being reshaped. The tiers above it remain untouched.
Your reflection:
From your five tasks above, which ones could AI meaningfully assist with?
Which require judgment in a way that doesn't depend on the technical skill alone?
If those Tier 1 execution tasks moved to AI, what new skill would that create for you?
Lesson 4: The Inventory Problem
Main idea: Honest assessment is hard. Panic and denial are both mistakes.
Your reflection:
Are you underestimating what AI can do (denial) or overestimating (panic)?
What's a task you do that you think is irreplaceable, but might actually be in reach of AI?
What's a task where AI could handle 80% of the work, but 20% still needs you?
Lesson 5: What This Changes About Your Career
Main idea: The durable move is not defending Tier 1. It's building Tier 2 and 3.
Your reflection:
What defensive skill move have you considered making?
What structural move could you make instead?
Who in your field do you think will actually be safe and valuable in five years? What are they good at?
Exercise Workspace
Exercise 1: Task Audit
Your tasks in Column A (AI can do now):
Your tasks in Column B (AI assists, human judgment required):
Your tasks in Column C (AI cannot do reliably):
What you notice: (What percentage of your time is in each column? What surprised you?)
Exercise 2: Tier Assessment
Your tier: (Write the tier name)
Evidence for this tier:
The gap to the next tier: (What specifically would move the needle?)
Exercise 3: Irreplaceable List
Irreplaceable #1:
Why only you (or someone like you) can do this:
Irreplaceable #2:
Why only you (or someone like you) can do this:
Irreplaceable #3 (if applicable):
Why only you (or someone like you) can do this:
Your Role Inventory (Draft)
Write your final 500–800 word Role Inventory here. Use the structure from the deliverable.
[Your Role Inventory will go here once you complete it. Reference the three sections: (1) Your Role in Tasks and Skills, (2) Your Position on the Pyramid, (3) What's Irreplaceable.]
Reflection: 30 Days Later
Return to this page in thirty days. How has your thinking changed?
Have you moved on the pyramid? Even slightly?
What irreplaceable thing did you double down on?
What task have you delegated to AI that you thought you couldn't?
Notes and Thoughts
(Use this space for any insights, questions, or observations as you work through the module.)