"What do you do?" has become the go-to ask within many introductions.
The question points to an important reality; what we do informs who we are and who we will become.
Central to “what we do” is – or at least includes – the skills we possess. It is by and through our unique skillsets that we shape the world. And, while these skills are integral to how we do what we do, we also ought to consider how they form who we are and how we work within the world.
Gifted & Forged Skills
Whether by birth, chance, effort, or luck, our skills shape the kinds of work we are best suited to perform. Ironically, we do not always recognize our own skillsets. This is especially true for what I call gifted skills – those skills that genetics, cultural dynamics and life experiences have graciously bestowed upon us. These are the skills that have provided us with the foundation, fortitude and frameworks that have shaped you as a person and professional. They are often the skills that infuse meaning into your work. Because of their ease, if not fostered or invested in, gifted skills can invite stagnation. However, as they are practiced and developed, you will often find that gifted skills bring depth to inspiration to both your work and life.
Skills you’ve forged, in contrast, are often painstakingly developed and easier for us to identify and describe. Forged skills require effort and intentionality; this usually gives us a unique bond us with that skill. It’s why a friend might say, I’m “a carpenter” or I’m “an accountant.” Often these abilities will emerge from two approaches: gifted skills that were given a focused trajectory and intentionally honed or those developed outside of anything that felt natural. Regardless of their origin, forged skills further a pursued craft, and that pursuit often develops surrounding skills, while also facilitating our capacity to build new ones.
Skills, both gifted and forged, become a part of you. They shape how people see you and how you shape the world. Reluctantly, we must admit that not all of our skills are equally appreciated. Some skills, though valued by society, do not have that value reflected monetarily. Others, may find that they do not have on-ramps to develop or showcase these skills; this is an issue of injustice and underscores the importance of access within the marketplace. As you consider your skills, it is important to see how they align with your own values and discern to what level pursuing them is compatible with your own social and economic realities. You may want to reflect upon your own personal capital as well as the resources available through an employer, educational institution, and/or social communities, to discern and pursue skills that will facilitate meaningful work.
Skills are Meaningful
Our skills, whether gifted or forged, bring meaning to our work because they position us uniquely to care for and invest in our community. By this you may hear echoes of Adam Smith advocating for division of labor, or you may hear Mihaly underscoring the capacity for us to experience euphoric flow through our work. Both are true. Specialties and our pursuits within them can instill passion within us and reinforce our drive. But it is only when our passion and drives are connected to something that transcends ourselves – a value system, its aspirations and the goals within it – that these skills become especially meaningful. It’s why I believe we must align our skills with our values. Along with this, I believe it’s why we should not only know and be confident in the skills we have, but also take the time to discern which skills we want to hone and develop. The question becomes both one of “who am I?” and “who do I hope to become?”
Industry & Inter-personal Skills
In practice, our skills are commonly lumped into two categories: hard and soft skills. Hard-skills are industry-based, if not job specific, whereas soft-skills are the internal and interpersonal abilities that can be readily translated between industries. It’s this nuance that distinguishes them from gifted and forged skills. Historically, industry often emphasized the value of hard-skills to the detriment of soft-skills, but as corporate structures flatten, knowledge work increases and collaborations are required, soft-skills are being recognized as integral to successful workplaces. Society has historically recognized the value of the integration of both skills for quality work to be performed and business relationships to developed and maintained. We as a society are now formalizing the importance of soft and hard skills. I believe we need to push this further and develop terms that better reflect the practice of those skills, this is why I believe we should shift our language to industry-based and inter-personal skills.
Unique Abilities
Our relationships are informed and transformed by the skills we possess. Identifying and developing our inter-personal and industry-based skills is integral to becoming the people we want to be, both in and beyond our professions. Your particular combination of skills uniquely allows you to fulfill specific roles and perform certain responsibilities. This should not be diminished; these abilities should be highlighted and underscored. Your skills can be a source of courage and further connections with colleagues as well as your loved ones. While the value of our skills should be celebrated, to insist “I am who I am” will limit our capacity to address changes in the marketplace. Industry-based and inter-personal are technical which means they can be changed and developed to meet the needs of your context. These abilities, both present and becoming, are the unique abilities that form you and allow you to form your community.
In order to really think through our unique abilities and to allow them to be flourish, we need to reflect on them and imagine their capacity to inform how we move and work in the world. To do this, we must make it a priority to identify and develop our skills. Leaders ought to take this to heart. We ought to establish the space and systems for employees to foster and develop their particular skills so they might pursue their unique abilities. When done well, this kind of investment allows employees to feel seen and valued. Simultaneously, employees gain the tools and increase their passion for their work, which is meaningful for the employee and their organization. If your organization is not inclined to create these spaces or opportunities, it is important for you to recognize that you are important enough to think about your skills seriously and how you want to leverage them professionally. It’s a personal investment that carries long-term implications. What you do and how you work will change you and those around you.
Toward a Better World
Your skills, hard and soft, provide you with unique abilities that allow you to work in ways like few are able. My hope is that you are encouraged by this. Our skills provide an opportunity to invest in our communities, both at work and beyond. And, while emphasizing our importance, our unique abilities, should paradoxically bring about humility; they insist we cannot know or do it all. We need to learn from others and benefit from their skills. It’s with our collective skills that the hope and power of interdependence can be realized. Finally, because we know the world is changing and that we ought to respond well, we are pushed to continually grow our skills and at times take the courageous step of developing new ones. My hope is that by recognizing your hard and soft skills, your unique abilities, and investing in those unique abilities, you will feel empowered and empower others to develop your skills together toward a better world.
Thanks to:
Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi for writing Flow
Adam Smith's for writing Wealth of Nations & Theory of Moral Sentiments
Dan Sullivan, Catherine Nomura, Julia Waller and Shannon Waller for capturing the idea of "Unique Ability" and advancing it in the lives of others.
Comments