How to solve problems using your forgotten skills
What skills of yours are you not seeing?
Clients often come to coaching sessions stumped on how to tackle a particular issue. They will have been giving it a lot of thought but not making any progress.
Something that often helps is tapping into skills they've honed to perfection in one domain, realising their potential to solve problems in another.
We all have unique experiences that can be incredibly valuable when applied creatively, but it can be almost like they have a perception filter around them. We know they’re there, but don’t really notice them.
There was the brilliant financier having issues with her team. She would “relax” in the office, and let her people skills go. By tapping into her knack for adapting her style to suit the needs of a negotiation, active listening, finding common ground, and creating win-win solutions she transformed the team dynamic.
Then there was the seasoned marketer, who felt he just wasn’t making enough headway influencing the CEO and Board. He felt like there was a secret code he somehow hadn’t quite cracked, but when he used his marketing expertise to analyse his 'audience', craft persuasive messages, and strategically position his ideas it was a masterclass in internal influence!
And of course, design thinking and problem-solving skills can be a game-changer in leadership. One designer I know applied empathy, ideation, and prototyping to lead their executive team through a challenging project. Her approach not only solved immediate issues but also sparked innovative thinking more broadly within the team. I know the skills I learned in a Harvard Business School design thinking course come in handy ALL THE TIME.
Often, we can forget that we’re still “on” in our organisations, even when we’re not using our skills for the official parts of our jobs (closing a financing, launching a product line). We somehow forget that incredible expertise can be used anywhere.
Reflecting on the skills you already have and applying them across different domains can be incredibly powerful AND boost your confidence.
Let’s keep the conversation going - I’d love to hear how you’ve creatively solved problems using your diverse skill set… or how you might start doing so! Drop me a note and let me know.
No note from me for the next couple of weeks. I’ll be deploying my relaxation expertise poolside on holidays. See you on the other side and in the meantime,
Take care of yourself and others
Madeleine
I help accomplished professionals untangle difficult career questions so they can thrive in work and life.
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