Where Will Your Skills Take You?

Estimated reading time: 5 minutes

What are skills and how do you acquire them? We hear terms all the time like highly skilled surgeon. skilled mechanic or athletic skills. What exactly does skilled anything mean? And where will your skills take you? The Business Dictionary defines skills as:

An ability and capacity acquired through deliberate, systematic, and sustained effort to smoothly and adaptively carryout complex activities or job functions involving ideas (cognitive skills), things (technical skills), and/or people (interpersonal skills).

Everyone is skilled at something. It doesn’t matter if it is a short order cook or an amateur golfer, there are opportunities to build on what we can call their “base skill”.  With time, dedication and education the cook could go on to become a world-famous chef and the golfer could be the next PGA champion. It all depends on the skill development. The question is, how will they turn their base skill into what is commonly called a skill set?  Very important for personal and professional growth. Take a few minutes to watch this short video from Dan Lok on How to Develop a Millionaire Skill Set.

Before we get into what Lok tells us, let’s understand a little about the effect that mindset has on our ability to learn. The information available from Skills You Need tells us that mindset is recognized in two ways – Fixed (ability) or Growth (intelligence).    

Intelligence or Ability

Ability is fixed or ingrained – in other words, we are born with a certain level of ability and we cannot change that. This is called a fixed mindset.

We can develop our ability through hard work and effort. This is called a growth mindset.

We could investigate mindset in much greater depth but in short, these two brief points tell us that our personal beliefs have much to do with our ability to learn. If your mindset is “fixed” there is a limited possibility that new skills will be learned. If you possess a growth mindset, there is little doubt you will be able to expand your skill set.

How does it work?

Dan Lok raises some interesting thoughts in his video. He was very specific in his process of building one complementary skill at a time on top of the other. The key word to remember here is complimentary. As you seek to add to your skill set be sure that you are well grounded in your base skill. Ideally, at this point, you are considered a subject matter expert in your base so you can now move easily on to the next complimentary skill. This is a process Lok calls “Stack Your Skills”.

Where to now? 

Why do you want to add to your skillset? Is it more money, do you want a better job, move up the corporate ladder or is it simply recognition? Either way, this is a process so don’t expect it to be an overnight success. Put it all in perspective and think about it in logical steps. Lok reminds us it is not a linear journey. Don’t allow yourself to be distracted and remain focused on the complementary skill you are adding to your base. Anything worth having in life starts with a goal and this is no different.  Determine what your goal is before you start. Indeed has some great insights into the process of building your skills

What do these skills get me?

Value points! If you are highly skilled in sales and your skill set includes expertise in marketing and closing techniques, you are a valuable commodity. These skills are considered transferable and in most cases, the product to be sold does not matter. Your education and experience are highly desirable and will give you a head start with most employers. Product knowledge may be desirable but is largely immaterial since those skills can be trained. So, having all these selling skills makes you the logical selection for any job you might pursue, right? No, not quite…

What other skills do I need?

Without question your skills, education and experience qualify you to be a candidate for a specific job or role within your area of expertise. They are, however, not a guarantee since employers are also looking for other skills that are commonly called soft skills. Soft Skills are the skills you use to interact and communicate with other people. These skills include such things as teamwork, giving and receiving feedback, resolving conflicts, empathy, and your ability to influence others. In a work environment, strong interpersonal skills are an asset that can help you navigate complexity, change, and day-to-day tasks. Interpersonal skills are developed over a lifetime and we are unaware that we are even doing it. It is not uncommon that our environment plays a role in the development process. While not always present in all people, some soft skills are trainable. Ok, so now you understand these skills, now what do they do for you?

Employable characteristics

They make you employable! Employers often look for more than just experience and professional qualifications. The reality is that “hard skills” are important and carry a lot of weight but soft skills are oftentimes the trump card in a hiring or internal promotion decision. Aside from hard skills employers will look for your skills in leadership, attitude, analytics, problem solving, and reliability to name just a few. The position itself will determine which skills are most important. Everyone has their own personal range of skills, both hard and soft, and offer a variety of ways to contribute and add value to any organization. As an important part of your career path it is your responsibility to recognize and understand the strengths and weaknesses in your skill set and adapt accordingly. Doing so greatly enhances your employability.     

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