I’ve been fascinated with the term talent stack ever since it was coined by Scott Adams - the creator of the Dilbert comic.
The idea of a talent stack is that you can combine ordinary skills until you have enough of the right kind to be extraordinary.
It’s the idea that you can stand out from the crowd in how you create value by having a unique stack of skills that no one else has.
In the process of discovering what my unique stack of skills are, I found it helpful to break it down into 4 pillars:
Your skills
What makes you curious
Your advantage point
Asking yourself WHO you enjoy helping and WHAT it is you enjoying helping succeed in.
Let's start with skills
In addition to soft skills and technical skills, evergreen skills are now a critical aspect of future-proofing our careers in an era where how we work, and what constitutes work is now re-shaped by global connectivity, smart machines and new media. I’ve summarised the top evergreen skills you need to future-proof your career in my blog post here
Don't forget to include skills you’ve gained outside of your 9-5 such as your side projects or through volunteering.
What makes you curious
This could be something you’ve read online recently that’s piqued your interest, or a career path that’s interesting to you. Reflect on the recurring themes in what you find yourself gravitating to, this is one of the clues on what you could explore shaping it into an opportunity.
Advantage point
What’s something about you that cannot easily be replicated by others? This could be anything from the unique way in which you solve challenges, or your life experience that’s shaped you into the one-of-a-kind person you are today.
What do you enjoy helping others succeed in?
The fourth pillar is about discovering what you enjoy doing that helps others succeed, become happier or feel more fulfilled. What is the number one thing that people approach you for support or advice about, and why is that?
And if it were possible for you to help a much larger group of people for that topic you’re know for, how can you scale it up?
The reason I want you to think about who you enjoy helping, what you enjoying helping them with and how you can scale - is because this will help you reveal how you can approach your personal development plan differently and integrate your purpose with your goals.
Explore your talent stack
Download my free guide - 3 steps to discover your talent stack
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