The Power of Transferable Skills
A coach ramble on transferable skills! What do I mean by transferable skills? Let me share a story.
The Cupcake Mix Incident
Years ago, it was my wife’s birthday, and I wanted to do something nice—I decided to make her cupcakes. Having never done it before, I thought it would be easy. I went to the store, walked up and down the baking aisle looking for cupcake mix, but I couldn’t find it. I was confused. I found a store employee and asked him where the cupcake mix was. He said he knew exactly where it was and came to help me look. No luck. Together, still, no cupcake mix.
An onlooker, with some degree of curios concern, asked what we were looking for. When I mentioned cupcake mix, they said, “Here’s the trick. You see all the cake mix? Well, if you pour the cake mix into a cupcake tin, you can make cupcakes.”
To this person’s credit, they didn’t make me feel like a complete idiot—I had managed that part on my own. But it was a valuable lesson in transferable skills. Cake mix, it turns out, has a transferable skill. It can also be used to make cupcakes.
The Concept of Transferable Skills
In our professional careers and lives, we often learn skills and behaviors in one job that we think are specific only to that job. But the reality is, many of these skills are transferable to other opportunities and situations.
While some skills, like reconciling cash or debits and credits, might be specific, many soft or power skills are transferable. Examples include teamwork, communication, leadership, delegation, amongst others.
One of my favorites is emotional intelligence. There’s a great book by Dan Goleman called Primal Leadership that dives into this concept. It’s a must-read if you’re looking to understand and enhance your emotional intelligence.
Understanding Emotional Intelligence
Emotional intelligence is not just a buzzword; it’s a practical skill. Here’s how you can understand and apply it:
- Self-Awareness: Recognize how you currently feel. For example, I might feel pretty good, but I want to feel more festive.
- Self-Management: Move from how you currently feel to how you want to feel. For instance, wearing a Hawaiian shirt can make me feel more festive and energized.
- Social Awareness/Relationship Management: Help others move from how they feel to how you want them to feel. For example, if you’re feeling good, you might share a joke to brighten someone else’s mood. Did you know Sylvester Stallone has been married three times? The first was Rocky, the second was Rocky II.
Putting It All Together
Emotional intelligence involves recognizing and managing your own emotions and influencing the emotions of others in positive ways. It’s a powerful, transferable skill that can enhance any career.
I hope this helps you see the value of transferable skills and how emotional intelligence can play a role in your personal and professional life.
Thanks for reading! I hope you go out there and bake something for a loved one. Cheers!
Doug, The CPA Coach
Recent Comments