What are your "intangible skills"?

2015-04-29T08:48:44-04:00

http://www.militarytimes.com/story/veterans/2015/04/25/sen-cotton-vets-intangible-skills-key-to-civilian-employment/26365913/

Sen. Cotton: Vets' 'intangible skills' key to civilian employment

WASHINGTON – Former soldier and current Republican Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas says that employers need to think outside of the box when debating

Response by CPT Bob Moore made Apr 29 at 2015 8:54 AM

2015-04-29T08:54:52-04:00

Time to toot my own horn a little...toot toot!

I work for a school district in Kentucky as the CIO\Director of Technology. I had the superintendent give me a compliment the other day as we discussed several things. I think it fits the topic quite well.

He said I had the ability to discuss things at the level of the person I am talking with and not speak down to them. While this isn't an earth shaking skill, it is unusual in the technology world. There are many brilliant people in IT that can't translate what their plans are from technical speak to what a school board member or other decision maker can understand.

He also said I have the ability to focus on the important parts of the conversation depending on who I am speaking with. In the corporate or government "executive" world, this is extremely important. You need to give the decision makers the information they need without wasting their time. However, you don't want to give them too little information so that they feel like you are hiding something.

Edit: Those are both things I developed in the military doing briefings on top of briefings for people at all levels from team leaders all the way up to generals.

Response by SGM Erik Marquez made Apr 29 at 2015 9:08 AM

2015-04-29T09:08:16-04:00

My most intangible skill?.... ability to look at an issue, a problem and fix it... sometimes in a common manner, sometimes out of the box.. never afraid to change the conditions to achieve the endstate, or at least offer it up to the commander...if he so chooses, off we go.

"What the hell is marquez doing??" was a common statement
Followed later with "How the hell did he get that done"
Often followed with.. "Who did he piss off now?"
I was commonly heard telling my commanders or senior NCO's... "be careful what you ask me to get done, you just might get it"

Response by Sgt Aaron Kennedy, MS made Apr 29 at 2015 9:17 AM

2015-04-29T09:17:45-04:00

I (generally) don't over-think problems. You wouldn't know it based on these forums, but...

If I see "a truck stuck in the mud", I don't worry about how it got there, why it's there, who put it there. I look for the simplest way to get it out. Sure that may cause additional problems, but those will often be easier to deal with than "the truck in the mud."

A lot of people get wrapped around secondary problems that they never get to fixing the primary issue.

Response by MSG Tim Donahue, M.Ed. made Apr 29 at 2015 11:47 AM

2015-04-29T11:47:56-04:00

A friend said at my retirement ceremony that I had the ability to influence or change the minds of others. He said that when I was in a meeting with a senior leader - when things were not going my way - I would sit back in my chair - think before I answered - and come up with a new course of action. I usually walked away getting what I wanted and many times the senior leader thought it was their idea. Did it always work - no. Is that an intangible skill - you bet.

Response by MAJ Ken Landgren made Apr 29 at 2015 12:03 PM

2015-04-29T12:03:52-04:00

I will pick one: I keep the morale high by saying thank you in word and deed. I was fortunate that my detachment had only 40 soldiers and civilians. Every Thursday after SGT's time I would grill food for them. I had often received gift certificates and passed it on to a soldier who was doing a great job. Sometimes we did potlucks. At the Christmas party we had great door prizes like televisions and boom boxes. We did karaoke with a gong during the party and that was a blast. You can be in the Army and still have fun.

Response by SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL made Apr 29 at 2015 5:46 PM

2015-04-29T17:46:31-04:00

The Army Values, it's for life!

Response by SFC Stephen King made Apr 29 at 2015 5:56 PM

2015-04-29T17:56:12-04:00

Having Appreciation of others. Probiding an honest opinion. Taking other perspectives. The ability or skill to listen.

Response by PO2 Steven Erickson made Apr 29 at 2015 6:00 PM

2015-04-29T18:00:59-04:00

I can take an abstract idea... something that you can't point a stick at... and explain it in terms of something that (mostly) everyone can grasp.

As an instructor, I had to learn to take Particle Physics and Thermodynamics and Nuclear Reactor Theory (remember, if we REALLY knew what was happening, it'd be called Nuclear Reactor Fact!) and turn them into something that - no disrespect intended - a bus driver could process and relate to.

Later, I learned how to listen to one person's needs and translate those into a way that another person - with supposedly "conflicting needs" - could see as fitting their own needs. Very important skill when dealing with opposing sets of "A-Type" personalities, like Law Enforcement "versus" Security Forces.

Response by MSG Floyd Williams made Apr 29 at 2015 9:23 PM

2015-04-29T21:23:46-04:00

My instructor experience kicked in when I help a person to learn basic computer skills.