Recently, Seth Godin shared an insightful perspective in his blog, “The Lego Problem, Revisited,” that offers an interesting way to think about the future of work.
For decades, LEGO bricks represented creativity. A box of pieces could become anything a child’s imagination could design. As Godin points out, LEGO later shifted to highly structured kits with detailed instructions. A business decision that helped save the company but also changed the experience. Instead of creating something entirely new, success became following the directions correctly.
His observation is especially relevant as artificial intelligence becomes part of our daily work.
This piece resonated with me as my mentor, Jack Healy, was instrumental in bringing LEGO to Connecticut. While cleaning out his office, I found a three-ring binder containing a marketing plan for LEGO. He would often speak of the design around LEGO being for imaginative play – not structured.
For generations, organizations have sought people who could follow processes, execute procedures, and complete tasks consistently and on time. Those skills remain important, but AI is becoming remarkably good at following instructions. Whether it’s analyzing data, writing reports, generating code, or automating repetitive workflows, AI excels when the rules are clearly defined.
The competitive advantage is shifting.
The value of people is no longer simply in executing the plan. It is increasingly found in creating the plan and being able to verify it.
Manufacturers understand this better than most. Every day, production teams face problems that have no instruction manual. A customer changes specifications. A machine begins producing inconsistent results. A supply chain disruption requires an entirely different approach. A new technology creates opportunities that didn’t exist six months ago.
These situations require critical thinking and the ability to connect ideas. Qualities that remain uniquely human.
The workplace has spent decades debating generations. Baby Boomers were often praised for loyalty but criticized for resisting change. Generation X earned a reputation for independence and skepticism. Millennials were sometimes labeled as wanting constant feedback or challenging traditional management. Generation Z is frequently described as digital-first, entrepreneurial, and expecting flexibility.
While each generation brings different experiences and perspectives, one thing is becoming increasingly clear: the future will reward people based on their ability to learn, adapt, question assumptions, and solve new problems.
AI is becoming the great equalizer.
The people who thrive won’t necessarily be those who know every answer. They’ll be the ones who know how to ask better questions, validate information, recognize when AI is wrong, and combine technology with experience and judgment.
AI can generate answers in seconds, but it doesn’t always generate the right answer. As AI becomes more integrated into engineering, operations, quality, cybersecurity, and business decision-making, employees must possess enough foundational knowledge to evaluate the results. Understanding the fundamentals isn’t becoming less important; it is becoming more important because people must determine whether AI’s recommendations are accurate, applicable, and safe.
Manufacturing has always been built on continuous improvement. Today’s workforce challenge is extending that mindset beyond the production floor. We need employees who don’t simply accept an answer because a machine produced it. We need people who investigate, verify, improve, and innovate.
The organizations that invest in developing problem solvers, not just instruction followers, will be the ones that fully realize the promise of AI.
As Seth Godin reminds us, the future belongs to those who can design the next model, not just assemble the current one.
MassMEP helps manufacturers prepare for this future by combining AI adoption with workforce development and technology implementation. Our goal isn’t simply to help companies use AI, it’s to help build organizations where people and technology work together to solve increasingly complex manufacturing challenges.
Inspired by Seth Godin’s blog post, “The Lego Problem, Revisited” (July 2026), used here as the basis for discussion and commentary.