Micro-Mastery: It's The Tiny Skills That Expand Horizons
Cleaning out the end-of-year haul out of my son’s backpack this morning, I found this gem. "My dream this year is to improve on my comedic timing." I had to write about it. For all the challenges of working parenthood, the beautiful moments are just:
My son's note made me reflect on the power of what I call "micro-skills" - those specific capabilities we can develop bit by bit to dramatically expand our Horizon over time. In the SHIFT model, Horizon refers to our ability to anticipate and prepare for future challenges and opportunities. By continuously building diverse micro-skills, we expand our Horizon and enhance our adaptability in a rapidly changing world.
The idea of Micro-skills is gaining traction, but more often, I often hear about the need for broad "manager training." It's a waste to be so broad in our solutions if we want specific and measurable results. Instead, focusing on micro-skills allows for targeted growth that directly contributes to high performance. That’s why solutions like this one are gaining such traction.
Not convinced? Here are four reasons why micro-skills matter:
Agility: Micro-skills allow us to nimbly adapt to shifting circumstances. Building a broad toolkit enhances our adaptability and prepares us for an uncertain future.
Compounding Impact: A small improvement to a micro-skill, applied consistently, compounds into substantial long-term growth and opens new doors. This amplifies our impact over time.
Unique Value: Our particular blend of micro-skills makes our talents and perspectives irreplaceably valuable. Assembling a distinctive skill portfolio helps us stand out.
Motivating Progress: Focusing on micro-skills makes daunting growth feel achievable. Each small victory boosts our confidence and propels us forward on our larger journey.
It's tempting to think one manager training curriculum can solve the overwhelming pressure put on managers today, or that one early career training can shape the next generation of our workforce. Forward-thinking leaders know that curating and honing an expanding set of micro-skills, based on our own unique needs and talents, is the powerful way to extend our Horizons. Whether it's active listening, giving feedback, or comedic timing - diligently upskilling, detail by detail, has an outsized impact on leadership effectiveness.
Inspired by my son's focused goal-setting and am renewing my own commitment to sharpen my skills in a targeted way. What micro-skills are you working on this year to expand your Horizon? Let's encourage each other one tiny win at a time.