Weirdly Useful Skills During 2020
I am reluctant to do a post about anything celebratory about 2020.
The pandemic sucked. This year has been about survival.
We have all suffered – in different ways, and to different extents – and we will continue to do so.
During a crisis, we all learn what sort of leaders we are. Everyone has had to take a beat, dig deep and work out who they are and who they want to be when this is ‘over’.
When I was reflecting on my year, it struck me that some of my skills and attributes, which might be rather niche, came into their own during 2020.
Here’s a few:
1) Thinking the worst
Anyone who manages anxiety knows how to predict the worst-case scenario. Normally, this is irrational and causes much unnecessary pain. During COVID, this meant that, as soon as we had a vague idea that things might get bad, I was immediately working out how to prepare for the end of the world. Which we have repeatedly had to go through.
2) Being totally comfortable talking about how bad people are feeling
As someone who delivers Scottish Mental Health First Aid, it’s common for me to raise topics such as addiction and suicide in conversation. This attitude – of ‘sure-you-can-mention-anything-and-I-can-handle-it’ has seen a lot of people open up to me this year. I hope this continues.
3) Ability to make conversation in an empty room
I’m a chatterbox. I don’t do awkward silences. I’m the person at networking events who rocks up and says, ‘HEY! Can I stand with you?’. When you are doing anything online, we have all painfully endured the dead-air silences. Cue my ability to provide an amusing monologue to keep everyone at ease.
4) ‘The show must go on’ musical theatre attitude
Having performed in many productions, I know that, when the curtains come up at 7:30pm, the show has to happen. If you have lost your costume, you make one. If someone is snowed in, you go on stage and read their lines (I’ve been in a show where this happened). And you do it with a smile. This very much reminds me of when the Zoom meeting is scheduled to start, it starts. You find an emergency charger, you whip together a risk assessment and you welcome everyone with a smile when its ‘go time’.
5) Being distracted by a newer, shinier way of doing things
I love continuously learning. I love continuous improvement. During 2020, working cultures and training delivery has totally changed. I like to think of it as a ‘pzazz-ing’, an upgrade, a revamp. I’ve loved learning new tools, learning from other people and constantly wanting to do things better. Now is not the time to answer questions with, ‘that’s the way it’s always been done’.
Sure, 2020 has been a total ‘mare. I’ve hated most of it. I crave routine, and stable opening times, and being able to hold my baby niece.
But it’s kind of cool that these skills have been weirdly useful. Let’s face it – this year has been weeeeird.
What skills have been oddly useful for you?
In 2021, I hope we all manage to hold onto a little bit of our weird.
