Becoming the Adaptive Professional
How to think about positioning yourself in the Age of AI.
AI is (supposedly) coming for our jobs. Headlines of increasing unemployment and promises that AI Agents are set to replace our white collar workers are in the news every day. And anecdotally, it really does feel like more great people are looking for actively seeking jobs in the market.
I’ve been obsessed with work for close to 30 years. In this time, I’ve watched work grow, shift and change. I also have been quite good at seeing signs of how work will change long before they become reality.
And right now, I believe that the era of permanent, full-time employment is fading.
Of course, not all of these permanent positions will recede into non-existence. In 3 – 5 years, we should expect that most knowledge work roles that remain inside companies will be heavily augmented with AI, which means we should in theory be able to do more with less.
This means there is a risk that there are far fewer permanent ‘knowledge work’ jobs going around than there are today.
My hope is that more forward-thinking companies will reinvest productivity savings, achieved through AI, right back into growth and innovation as the workforce evolves. However, the noise about AI’s ROI equating mostly to headcount reductions is very worrying.
There is no doubt a wider, system-wide shift is coming. AI will have wide-reaching implications for individuals, companies, governments and society writ large. And while all areas deserve equal attention, for now, I’ll start with individuals.
Because what happens to ‘knowledge work’ when vast and wide-reaching is on immediate tap?
What will we value in the workplace if we have digital labour counterparts to do much of the thinking, research, and data crunching required for our jobs?
How will your identity shift if much of what you are valued for can be replaced by AI?
I believe it will take some time for AI to diffuse across organisations and society. So while you have a bit of time to adjust (think months, not years), it’s still critical to be thinking about these big questions now.
Understanding what you can offer during the AI transition – and developing a plan for developing your own skills and expertise (different than before) – will be critical for adapting and thriving in the Age of AI.
Becoming the Adaptive Professional
Traditional skills and tasks models are set to fall. They are mapped to traditional job architectures that will dramatically change with AI augmentation. I know that’s terrifying for HR folk, but how we structure teams and organisations today is not how we are going to make the most of Generative AI.
You can’t wait and see, or rely solely on your company’s support to help you navigate your career trajectory, especially in the face of so much change. But are not without agency. You can start by figuring out where you can contribute to the AI transition, and how you can continuously adapt in the AI.
How? I’ve created a simple model to help you take a step back to understand what unique combination of skills, experience, superpowers makes you, you. Knowing this will help you thrive in the coming years and continuously adapt to an ever changing professional context.
[Note - if you’re less than 5 years into your career, it may be a struggle to fill out the model in full, especially in the area of ‘Specialist expertise’. I don’t have the answer yet, but it’s something I’m working on and will post about it one day].
Becoming the Adaptive Professional is broken down into four key elements to help you get a better sense of your skills and how they overlap. In addition, there are some key enabling qualities that will be essential for you to adapt as both AI evolves, and the organisations shift in response.
AI literacy & technical skills: This includes using AI digital tools & platforms, understanding how generative technology works and continuing to learn about emerging AI capabilities and different emerging applications (i.e. - Agents), as well as practical AI skills including prompt and context engineering.
Human skills: Examples include creative thinking, analytical thinking, managing people, empathy, leadership, systems thinking and social influence are all skills which can be mimicked by AI, but not necessarily replaced.
Specialist expertise: This includes skills and experience in your specialist area. This could be functional in a corporate setting, or in a particular field in which you hold a deeper level of knowledge and expertise. This allows you to apply judgement and discernment to AI generated outputs in a way that’s hard to replicate by someone from a different discipline.
Unique attributes: This is the culmination of the things that make you unique, or sometimes referred to as your zone of genius. What are your superpowers? When do you most feel in flow state? Think about what you bring to the table that sets you apart from others.
Enabling skills for continued success: Resilience, flexibility, agility, curiosity and lifelong learning will be essential in the next 5 – 10 years. These skills have always been important, but now more than ever. Those of us who invest in our own learning and adapt to change will be better placed to navigate the disruption that AI will bring.
Evaluate, then act.
Mapping yourself onto the Adaptive Professional Model is the first step. Be honest about what elements you have covered, and where you might be lacking. Then make a plan for filling the gaps, especially AI literacy, as soon as you can. There may be other areas too that you think is smart to act on.
Then, take some time to think deeply about the elements / skills come together. Ask yourself:
How do these elements overlap, specifically for you?
What am I uniquely placed to talk about?
What am I able to offer to the world – both publicly and in the workplace – because of this unique combination?
Understanding how these elements come together is where the magic happens. The centre of the Adaptive Professional Model is very much unique to you, and provides a solid foundation to build on.
But build what you may ask? Your personal brand.
Why personal branding matters more now?
With fewer permanent, full-time roles available, you need to constantly evaluate how you fit into an ever-changing system. This means keeping on top of AI developments and observing how your workplace / industry is changing in the face of AI. And, to get that edge to remain gainfully employed with a company, you’ll need to create and maintain your personal brand.
Regardless of where you are working today, your position, or state of your industry, your personal brand will be the one thing you CAN control over the next few years.
I know, personal branding feels like A LOT to some, especially in the age of curated social media. But I try to think of it more as ‘what do you want to be known for’?
Many of you will have a permanent job with a company, which may make external communications tricky. I would still talk to your HR, Communications or Legal teams to see if there is a way for you to put yourself out there publicly, and include any specific disclaimers to do so.
Also, consider how to build your personal brand inside your company. This may mean posting on an internal social media site, or offering bespoke upskilling sessions on a topic you’re uniquely placed to talk about. You can share resources like podcasts or interesting articles to colleagues in your area of expertise. Consider creating an internal community of interest. Start a professional book club. Whatever it is, take some small steps within your organisation to be ‘known’ for something.
If you’re free to talk externally, or are independent (i.e. - working for yourself, a start up), personal branding can take many forms. Write regularly on LinkedIn, or consider starting a longer-form Substack (sound familiar, readers?). It could mean venturing into videos with TikTok (yes, there is an audience for everything there). Try and get yourself published on relevant websites or land an interview on a podcast. This could also mean attending conferences, delivering talks and attending networking events that align with your unique brand.
Use the Adaptive Professional Model to help inform where to start. But, I implore you, start now.
Personally, as I venture our on my own, I wish I had started writing and speaking publicly on the human aspects of the Future of Work and AI / Digital Transformation years ago. I have been so surprised about how many people I reach through my LinkedIn content, and how often my portfolio of posts, carousels and videos ‘credentialise ’ me with prospective clients my network.
I don’t even have a website yet, but through my content and conversation (thanks, Anna Mackenzie), potential work has materialised.
Putting yourself out there, consistently and authentically, will pay you dividends. It may feel entirely daunting to climb cringe mountain, but I promise it gets easier as you go on.
Need more? Here’s how I can help
I completely understand how this feels so very overwhelming. The level of AI-driven change we will experience individually, at work and across society is genuinely unprecedented. I am getting more and more questions from the people I love about how to navigate this transition, and what they can do to get started.
I am to offer free resources to help you evolve at work (hence the name), but sometimes that’s not enough. Often, you use want to talk to a skilled-human.
Especially one who is a qualified coach, has worked in AI / Digital for 6 years, and has spent her +20 year career designing operating models for businesses, including individual roles.
Put simply, I understand work, humans and AI. I am choosing to be a guide to people through this difficult transition at all levels. But I want to start with one to one human connection.
So, I’m launching my first offering: Becoming the Adaptive Professional.
I am designing a short, sharp way to support you with your AI career transitions.
Becoming the Adaptive Professional sits somewhere between mentoring, coaching and applied expertise. It will likely include a combination of detailed questionnaire, prep-work (including a workbook to move through the model), a 1-2-1 session with me and potentially async support via voice notes.
It’s all really exciting and I can’t wait to start helping individuals make sense of how AI will impact their jobs and their industries at a personal level.
Interested? Be the first to know about it in late August 2025!
Subscribe to Work, evolved on Substack
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Email me at robyn@humanfluency.ai with questions or if you’re interested in the pilot program (likely August).
