Do you have a case of the mid-month blahs, leaving you doomscrolling? Are you looking for a quick fix so you can jump into the New Year, New Rules game?
Upping your step count or adding green smoothies makes you feel productive, but they’re rarely life-changing. So, if you’re going to have a turnaround year, counterbalance short-term, instant-gratification goals with bigger intentions, such as increasing your people flex.
Focusing only on short-term results was a roadblock for a friend of mine. His deal expertise was first-rate, so his calendar filled up quickly when he launched a consulting business. He wanted to showcase his knowledge, but became so anxious that he constantly jumped in with instant answers.
Commissions rolled in for closed deals, but his clients wound up feeling talked over and schooled. All of a sudden, no connections = no callbacks. Luckily, a mutual friend helped him find the happy medium. Now he leverages his enthusiasm with sharing the mic. The advice to take it easy saved his company.
His story made me realize that adding people skills to your Goals List doesn’t have to be an effort. It can be as simple as maximizing what you do naturally. Let’s meet someone who leveled up the easy way.
In a recent essay, Alex Su remembered envying a fellow law school student who had the knack of acing exams even though he constantly skipped class. Meanwhile, Alex diligently put in spade work, attending every lecture, finding study groups, and sharing meticulous outlines.
Then he had a lightning bolt moment: Being a great lawyer wasn’t about rattling off cases or having grades at the top of the bell curve. It also required cultivating a people flex.
He may not have had a photographic memory like his fellow student. Nevertheless, Alex’s day-to-day activities steadily helped him create his own kind of success. For instance, every get together built a network of alliances. And celebrating wins and losses with his study group community made him more empathetic.
Alex summed it up by saying, “…All those wins share the same origin story. They didn’t happen because I was the most gifted person in the room. They happened because of strengths I didn’t know how to articulate yet. The ability to connect with people, read and interpret unspoken dynamics, and nudge people toward decisions.”
In the January series, 4 Power Moves to Reach Your Intentions, we’re discussing how you can overcome common blocks to setting intentions. Last week, we talked about knowing your Why, and block #2 is falling for quick fixes.
When you’re hanging with friends at the pub, working on soft skills may not seem as flashy as Instagram cold plunge reels. But here’s why you want to keep going: Understanding what makes people tick is a goal that always pays off. Having ease with all types of people can be the difference between a make-or-break year.
For example, did you see yourself in the case study, where you also have opportunities to be self-aware about how you show up? How it makes sense to practice collaboration in informal safe spaces? And how new alliances strengthen marketable skills like communication, problem solving, and productivity?
Jumpstart your power move of increasing your people flex by customizing this AI prompt: “Act as a career coach. Give me easy ways I can maximize soft skills like <communication, problem solving, and productivity> every day.”
Once you have new competencies under your belt, here are three easy ways to describe your know-how:
Social media may make the latest trends seem tempting. However, there’s no need to compare your style, situation, or timing to anyone else’s. Swap instant answers and quick fixes for lasting results.