Underrated Skills That Matter at Work
What are underrated skills that matter at work?
Last month, I was teaching a program on leading without authority for a tech company and someone asked me, “What are some examples of underrated skills that you think would make someone be effective in their job?”
It was a great question and really made me think more critically about skills/behaviors that we know are important but routinely undervalue. The context for the question was primarily around how in team based environments (which I wrote about last week) what skills mattered most to driving toward both team goals and individual impact?
I reflected a lot on this and went back to days of playing sports and then in my first job in consulting out of college.
In high school, toward the end of my short basketball career, I realized quickly that my skills were diminishing and everyone was getting better, and if I wanted to keep playing, I was going to have to find ways to contribute to keep myself on the court. For me, that was defense, liaising with the coach, calling plays, and setting screens.
I also thought about my first experiences in consulting. Back then, I really didn’t have a ton of skills or experience, and struggled to find ways to contribute. This was normal for starting and being new to the role and the team. So I tried to focus on things that I thought were
Coachability - Being able to be open to taking in feedback. This is especially helpful, when you’re working on a project that has lots of cycles & revisions, or moving in an iterative and rapid pace. Being able to lean into curiosity, synthesize feedback and make adjustments based on that feedback is a superpower. Kevin Wilde has a great book on this topic if you want to learn more.
Teamwork - I think being a good teammate is one of the most underrated things someone can do, regardless of tenure. More specifically, learning how to identify your role on a team and do the job that needs to be done to achieve a collective result. Most of us work on a team at work, and in some cases, many of us work on multiple teams at once. We all have goals and we all can contribute, zoning in on not only what you can do, but what is needed and then supporting others along the way makes someone stand out. It also gets you invited back to the party. All of us in some capacity are teammates, whether it’s through projects we lead or are a part of in some capacity.
Giving Feedback - Many of us either A) don’t get enough feedback B) get bad feedback or C) both. If you can learn how to effectively and deliberately provide feedback to others in ways that it is helpful and useful you probably will stand out as a peer, stakeholder or teammate. People will come to you because they value your perspective and voice. Note: We’re kind of bad at both giving & receiving feedback, so if you can learn how to do this, you’ll probably stand out right away.
Facilitation - The dictionary definition of a facilitator is a person or thing that makes an action or process easy or easier. Who wouldn’t want that?! More specifically, we’ve all been in meetings or on projects that were without direction or wandering aimlessly, or, when everyone is trying to do their own thing and nothing is connected or integrated. Having someone being there who could step outside of their role and to ask the questions in a way that connects what is going on toward a bigger picture, or helps clarify specifically what can be done to move forward can be so valuable.
Learning - A bit of a catch all, but being the person who can learn and is open to learning really helps especially in times of change. More specifically, most of us don’t know every single thing to solve every challenge in their work, being someone who knows how to acquire information, gain skills or build abilities to do new things is what we need. Learning also has a knock on effect when you’re on a team: when you are learning and sharing with others, other people can learn, and that makes them better as well. I call it the “Learn and Teach” effect - everyone has something to learn, and everyone has something to teach. When you do this on a team, it creates opportunities for growth.
Conclusion
I wouldn’t say that these are the only ones, but I do think if you were to focus on these you’d probably like me, find more ways to “get on the court” in your workplace.
And this isn’t just a thing for new hires or early career professionals - this applies when you’re joining a new team, taking on a new job or starting at a new company, regardless of your tenure or level.
I’d love to hear your thoughts. What else are underrated skills that can help you succeed in the workplace?
Before You Go:
I want to thank all of you who replied or wrote to me about my post from last week about finding and using your voice. I appreciate the feedback and encouragement!
As a follow up, as you may know May is National Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month in the United States, and I'd love to come speak to your organization.
I have a favor to ask: If you enjoy what I write about and share, and think your company would benefit, especially on topics related to leadership, and professional development, I’d love an introduction to your AAPI Employee Resource Group or HR team. Feel free to reply if you’d be interested directly or if you’d be open to helping with an intro. I’m grateful for your support.
Thank you!
Al