Soft Skills = Cold, Hard Cash (and better connections)
more than a buzzword
For 10 years of my life, I helped to build and lead a national career coaching team that positively impacted 200+ coaches and thousands of undergrad and graduate college students preparing for careers post-graduation.
We created frameworks to help students self-reflect and align, evaluate their options and abilities, develop their networks and connection opportunities, and confidently communicate to find the jobs that were aligned for them with the right future employers.
(Sound familiar? Building a brand and business that is aligned and pays us is very similar. Same themes, slightly different frameworks/steps.)
When I talked to classes and spoke at graduations, I reminded students that the number one skill that employers hired for wasn’t technology or industry related… it was communication.
Rounding out the top 5 skills that employers are looking for are critical thinking/problem solving, teamwork, a strong work ethic, and analytical skills.
Each of these themes has been in the top 5 since the early 2000s, and I suspect this trend to continue for the foreseeable future. (see for yourself)
Technical skills are important, but they can be taught. Specific systems and processes can be learned. But, if you don’t know how to connect with someone individually or within a team and thoughtfully analyze a problem, good luck.
Spoiler alert: this goes for interpersonal relationships, too.
This is the same for leaders and entrepreneurs: If you can’t let your audience know what’s happening and help them care about it, your work just got exponentially harder.
Enter Authentic Storytelling: the “soft skill” that is actually critical for thoughtful communication. Also, the primary skill that rewards us with both money and meaningful connection.
Yes, I quickly tired of the word “story” years ago when it was thrown around for every.darn.thing.for.no.good.reason.
But, telling our stories is something that I’ve helped my clients do forever - in my corporate careers, as a teacher, and in my business - and I actually have a great framework to help people do it better.
And while my STORY framework is mine, it’s also based on communications principles combined with marketing practices… oh, and that story arc from 8th grade English.
It isn’t hard to learn. It is, however, something that needs practice and consistency to master.
You can get the framework here. Just following it will help you tell better stories in your emails, blogs, newsletters, and social media posts.
AND
If you actually want to put it into consistent practice and make your marketing more effective and effortless, you can join me in-person or virtually on September 19th for a live, interactive workshop on Authentic Storytelling where you’ll walk away with your own story to confidently tell.
I hope you’ll join me either in person or online.
Here’s to better storytelling!
Xox
Michelle
P.S. If you’re in Richmond, there are only a few seats left for the in-person session at the lovely Lavender Hill.
P.P.S. Ready to act? Brand with me or let’s chat about how you can buy my day for targeted, expedient transformation.
