Why do many people underestimate the value of 'people skills' vs. technical skills? Why do we shy away from the difficult conversations that could actually benefit our careers? In today's episode I talk with former engineer and author Farnoosh Brock about the practical importance of people skills, why technical/engineering professionals might not prioritize them as much (especially new graduates), and a wide range of real examples and tips that you can use in your job today.
 
About Farnoosh: Farnoosh Brock went from electrical engineer and rising leader at a Fortune 100 company to a speaker, author, and trainer in 2011 when she started her coaching & consulting company.  Today she helps aspiring professionals and future leaders choose their mindset and transform their world one powerful conversation at a time. In addition to her book, The Serving Mindset: Stop Selling and Grow Your Business, she is the creator of several leadership & advancement courses. Learn more at www.farnooshbrock.com

Highlights:

[4:30] What held back Farnoosh in her career, communication skills and her story
[9:00] The beef with "soft skills" and why Farnoosh prefers people skills
[10:15] Why people don't think people skills are important; the tendency for STEM/technical professionals to devalue people skills
[13:00] Elon Musk, Steve Jobs, and extreme genius exceptions vs. the rest of us

[16:00] Engineers who don't understand marketers
[21:00] Practical tips: using different voices and the power of your voice
[26:15] Connecting the dots at work, transitioning from academic environment to corporate, and connecting larger circles within orgs
[33:00] Role playing, setting context, how to tell a story and getting feedback on it

[37:00] Self-record your own video and get feedback on it : https://app.yoodli.ai/
[40:00] How to slow down a manager who is in a rush in a respectful, firm way without being bossy
[45:00] How to say no and why Farnoosh loves saying no!
[47:00] Why most people don't see themselves as leaders

Questions comments or feedback?

Drop me an email at misha@carrus.io!