WorkLore

I was reading a government report the other day – yes, I am that exciting, why do you ask? 

This government report was talking about skills for jobs and reporting on input from parents, students and employers about the value of apprenticeship programs. One of the downsides mentioned is that apprenticeship programs don’t train on soft skills, like communication. 

One line stood out to me – it was a quote from a participant in the survey: 

“Some people are naturally better communicators…”

Okay. But. 

Yes, an aptitude for communication provides an advantage. But it doesn’t exclude those who don’t have that aptitude from excelling. 

When I teach, I frequently get comments like: 

“Michele is wonderful, she is patient, has a soothing voice and a very strong presentation.”

“She is well-spoken, and her content definitely sets her students up for success.”

But that wasn’t always the case. 

As a child, I was shy. One might even say painfully shy. 

So shy, I once created an entire flowchart to try to map a potential phone conversation to cover every possible response that would be required from me. 

Eventually, I learned how to speak publicly and communicate effectively. (That’s a whole other story in itself.)

While I’m not perfect, my natural reluctance to take center stage is something that I have learned to overcome. 

I developed communications skills, slowly, over time, and with practice. 

Lots of practice. 

I might not be a naturally gifted storyteller. Or speaker.

I might also still get nervous before speaking in front of a group. 

But I was able to learn. That’s the point. 

Yes, some people seem to pick up skills more naturally than others. But every skill is learnable if you spend the time and effort to do so.