Map the role before you hire: the worksheet we use

This is the worksheet we use on discovery calls. It takes 10 to 15 minutes and shows what the job really is before you write the post.

Write every task the way you'd say it. Keep asking "What else?" until you run out, then ask: "What am I doing myself right now because nobody else is?"

1. 01Write the real task list.Not the job title. Everything the person would actually do in a week.
2. 02Mark how often.Daily, weekly, or now and then. The daily tasks are where the hours go.
3. 03Mark where it happens.Phone, calendar, inbox, in person, or paperwork.
4. 04Circle phone and calendar work.Answering calls, booking, rescheduling and reminders, the same questions, taking messages. Mark each one Yes or Partly. Partly means Ai could handle the first step (answer, collect the details, book) and a person finishes it. These parts can often be covered without a hire.
5. 05Keep what needs a person.Walk-ins, judgment calls, hands-on work, and anything sensitive. That's the real job description.

Add a row for every task in a normal week. Call every number an estimate.

ROLE MAP: [job title]

Task (in your words) | How often (daily / weekly / now and then) | Where (phone / calendar / inbox / in person / paperwork) | Could Ai cover it? (yes / partly / no) | Needs a person because…
1. ________ | ________ | ________ | ________ | ________
2. ________ | ________ | ________ | ________ | ________
3. ________ | ________ | ________ | ________ | ________
4. ________ | ________ | ________ | ________ | ________
5. ________ | ________ | ________ | ________ | ________
6. ________ | ________ | ________ | ________ | ________
7. ________ | ________ | ________ | ________ | ________
8. ________ | ________ | ________ | ________ | ________
9. ________ | ________ | ________ | ________ | ________
10. ________ | ________ | ________ | ________ | ________

Phone and calendar work: ____ tasks, about ____ hours a week
What needs a person: ________

Which fits? No hire / Part-time instead of full time / The hire I planned, with a clearer job description

Paste your task list into ChatGPT, Claude or the assistant you use.

Here's my task list for a [role]: [paste]. Sort it into a table: task, how often, where it happens (phone, calendar, inbox, in person, paperwork), and whether it needs a person. Then list the phone and calendar tasks separately.

A smaller, clearer role. Sometimes part-time instead of full time. Sometimes no hire at all. Sometimes the hire you planned, now with a clear list.