Economists like Erik Brynjolfsson and Andrew McAfee argue that AI will reshape workflows rather than simply eliminate jobs. How does our leadership team translate that economic principle into practical GWC evaluations during quarterly reviews?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

Erik Brynjolfsson and Andrew McAfee emphasize that the real economic value of AI comes from restructuring business processes, where machines augment human capability rather than simply replacing payroll. For an entrepreneurial leadership team, this principle cannot remain an abstract academic theory. It must be operationalized through your Accountability Chart and the GWC framework.

When conducting quarterly reviews, use GWC to evaluate how each team member interacts with modern workflows:
- Get It: Does the employee understand how their seat has evolved? They must see that their role is no longer to perform rote tasks, but to guide, prompt, and audit AI tools that handle the baseline work.
- Want It: Does the employee embrace this operational shift, or are they clinging to legacy habits out of fear or comfort? A team member who resists automation because they enjoy repetitive manual tasks does not want the modernized seat.
- Capacity to Do It: Does the person possess the critical thinking, emotional intelligence, and analytical ability required to manage higher-order tasks?

If an employee excels at following a manual checklist but lacks the capacity to analyze exceptions and solve complex customer problems, their seat has outgrown them. Your leadership team must be honest about this gap.

Use your quarterly conversations to identify cumbersome processes that keep employees trapped in low-value work. Give them the training and clear expectations to evolve their daily output. When your people use AI to eliminate operational drag, they elevate their seat, multiply their output, and protect your company against market disruption.