The ABC's of Influence - Lesson A

“You freed me from the prison of my own perspective,” wonder flooded into my Ph.D. client’s voice as the realization formed itself into words. She’d just gotten response in 72 hours to her first job application in the private sector. “That’s what you do with people…one at a time. I wish I had met you years before when we were both back East.”

Now, this happened to be a Ph.D. from a well-known, long-honored, now global, academy. “You are right,” she added, “We Are cut off from the scope and impact of our work—and that is obfuscated by too many syllables!”

“Well, you and the academy are not alone,” I said. “Almost no one is taught that, for effective storytelling—unless you are supremely skilled—your own point of view is necessary, but insufficient; it's even called 'the limited point of view'.”

Unless you have taken creative writing, you may not be aware that – like gravity or the laws of thermodynamics – invisible around us are the laws (ABC’s) of social science, beginning with A: the fact that we always live in three worlds – my point of view/eyes, their point of view/eyes, and Life’s point of view/eyes.

Google “the three Points of view”. Or simply review your romance language verb tenses. I watch/see (miro), you watch/see (miras), it watches/sees (mira).

To meet our top 4 human psychological needs of fulfillment or destiny, we must gain mastery to see and communicate through other people’s and the *planet’s eyes. More on this in lesson B--the top 4 human psychological needs, both yours & your listeners—and meeting them in communication.

When we communicate in vagaries, “that project was highly successful in achieving its business outcomes – that’s why I am confident I can succeed at Your job.” Or we *wo/mansplain (not just men) or lecture, “I’m a people-centric leader, you know you have to get folks onboard upfront, so I have an open-door management style.” Or boast, “I can do any job, so I know I can do this one. I'm a polymath. A visionary.”

Do these statements differentiate or illustrate your specific experience establishing you as an experienced SME or leader? Do they engage your listener’s competency or show your Real impact?

So then somehow your resume does not get picked out, or you do not move along to the next interview, you get the wrong review, or miss a promotion. Or maybe you don’t even want to interview or do another resume because you are sick of or anxious about speaking that way—and getting that look from Their eyes.

Then perhaps you begin to doubt whether you have any chance to be seen as competent or worthy at all—able to affect the *planet (epoch) and its *people (denizens) in the way you most long for.

Believe it or not, that means you are on to the hidden truth and that’s good news. It’s not your skills, it’s how you communicate them. ?The story is in the details and architecture—and how those impact your listener’s view of their world & of you. And this can be learned with a little serious and dedicated effort.

If you are asking yourself, but Staci, how do I tell a real story about my own career without starting with the word “I”? Well, voilà—let’s escape your eyes. Storytelling is all about bringing your listener to a specific place & time by painting out the context around you – the stakes, the who-what-when-where-why of a precise situation (not in that order). Note how I started this piece.

In business sales, just as in STEM, this is best done in the language of transaction which is math: metrics and KPI’s. Here’s the trick – the story is in details, the verifiable specifics, and especially the context preceding your efforts—the “Before” state. And this varies by vertical of course.

If you haven’t defined or fleshed out the context & KPI's around you; if, in fact, you’ve never thought about it much – then my friend, you need to escape! Because your unique value lies in your impact on those specific scenarios & hardships you helped your customers, boss, team, or firm, face and best.

And you can gain traction now by including to KPIs of revenue/cost & profit (1st POV - limited) the emerging KPIs of sustainability (3rd POV - omniscient) and equity / inclusion (2nd POV - objective).

You – or your loved one - just like my client at the start of this piece, can leverage your experience even in a dead-end, low-paying, or abusive job/career to regain your confidence & crush Imposter syndrome all at once when you gain mastery over the other two perspectives.

Your great unleashing from the *sunken place (Thank You, Jordan Peele :) of 1st person limited perspective, is awaited by the directors of the sustainable, equitable & inclusive future, along with the world’s poor and the other species - oh, and probably by your friends & family! ??

To learn more, click here www.realedgecoaching.com … To start your escape, https://calendly.com/stacirealedge/dream-job-consult

#careerdevelopment #leadershipdevelopment #dataforgood #DEI