Translating our Passions: A Skills-Based Guide to Deeper Hearing and Understanding

How many of us are passionate about something but find it hard to tell our story to a different audience?

Do you play a sport, make music with others, volunteer at church or a community organization, or parent? If yes to any of them, amazing! Our passions shape and mold us personally and professionally; yet it can be a challenge to get people to understand and see how these experiences influence who we are. The ability to translate can often be a sink or swim situation impacting our current and future opportunities.

My goal in this post is to help you better translate your passions into a lexicon others can relate to.

I was inspired recently by Dr. Anton Armstrong 's visit to the Duke University Chapel Choir. Dr. Armstrong is the longest-serving conductor of the famous St. Olaf College Choir and is a living legend in choral music. In working with him on a set of pieces we’d perform in worship that weekend, he offered lessons specific to singing which resonated well beyond the walls of the Duke Chapel.

1.)??? “Our purpose in a choir is to learn how to listen to one another.” In a previous LinkedIn post, I mentioned how listening is a superpower we can use to understand, problem solve, and love others. Dr. Armstrong took this one step further: we listen and ultimately sing for a common purpose. We listen to ensure our part fits in and that we are supporting others in the creation of something larger than the sum of its parts.

In a professional setting, “loud listening” deepens our understanding of individuals’ and their perspectives, allows us to define a common purpose, and enables us to lead teams in pursuit of that purpose. If this sounds like how you use listening, start incorporating this superpower into your elevator pitch or your professional/personal story.

2.)??? “When learning a new piece, break it down to the most bite-sized pieces and build back up.” On the first day of an internship in 2016, my boss (soon-to-be mentor) told me that I needed to learn R in a week to start coding. At first, it was a daunting task – learning an entire coding language in a week! I leveraged a skill I’d learned as a musician for practicing (“play one note at a time, get it right, then add one more, and one more…”) and applied it to this new task at hand by completing 2 courses on Coursera and practicing as I went. The best way to learn a new skill or organization is by breaking it down to its most elemental level and building back up.

In a professional setting, this means decomposing the various pieces of a new skill or organization you’re trying to learn, sequencing them, and building/reinforcing your capability through continued practice. In a span of 10 weeks, I was confidently writing code in R and actively contributing to ongoing research. It can work for you too!

3.)??? “Prepare for the result you want.” Musicians and athletes will tell you that the way you prepare for an entrance, a kick, or an entire game determines the end result. In the same manner as we diligently worked the shapes of our vowels, you can achieve the results you aspire to by thorough and intentional preparation.

If your goal is a promotion this year, use February and March to plan out how you will grow and perform over the year to build your case by December. In the same way that athletes might study film to prepare for their next opponent, study those who you admire in an organization, draw lessons from their behavior and actions, and incorporate these into your daily practices and professional/personal story.

These three lessons are remarkably simple. Yet, their impact is profound when put into practice. I’ve found through experience working with college students, veterans, and myself that old and new connections gain a greater understanding of us as people and our value proposition when we translate skills and traits into a lexicon that will resonate with them.

I encourage you to think about your passions and how they shape you as a person and professional. Share your reflections and examples of when this translating has worked in the comments below!