WEBVTT
00:00:00.400 --> 00:00:07.519
Have you ever had someone tell you you're really good at something and been genuinely surprised because you thought everyone could do it?
00:00:07.759 --> 00:00:08.960
Hi, this is Jordana.
00:00:09.119 --> 00:00:12.320
I'm the CEO of the Recon Network and host of the Im Brief Podcast.
00:00:12.400 --> 00:00:23.199
And today we're talking about shadow skills, the capabilities you've built over years of experience that are so natural to you now that you don't even register them as skills.
00:00:23.359 --> 00:00:25.199
There's reasons why you can't see them.
00:00:25.359 --> 00:00:33.039
They matter more than you think, and there are ways to start recognizing what you're actually bringing to the table so you can finally talk about it in a way that lands.
00:00:33.200 --> 00:00:35.759
And we're going to talk about all of that right now.
00:00:37.359 --> 00:00:38.399
This is in brief.
00:00:38.640 --> 00:00:39.920
Let's get to it.
00:00:49.280 --> 00:00:51.280
So I want to start with a question.
00:00:51.520 --> 00:00:53.679
What are you actually good at?
00:00:53.920 --> 00:01:01.759
I don't mean what your resume says or what your last job title was, but what are you genuinely, undeniably good at?
00:01:02.000 --> 00:01:09.840
And if you're like most people, especially those coming out of the military, your first instinct is probably going to be to list technical skills.
00:01:10.000 --> 00:01:17.280
You can operate equipment, you can manage logistics, you can lead a team under pressure, and those are real, but they're not the full picture.
00:01:17.599 --> 00:01:24.480
Underneath those technical skills, there's another layer, a set of capabilities that you use every single day but never name.
00:01:24.719 --> 00:01:36.400
Skills that feel so obvious to you that you assume everyone has them, and they show up in how you think, how you solve problems, how you read a room, or how you keep things moving when everything around you is chaotic.
00:01:36.719 --> 00:01:38.480
These are your shadow skills.
00:01:38.640 --> 00:01:42.400
And the reason you can't see them is because they've become invisible to you.
00:01:42.640 --> 00:01:43.519
Here's why.
00:01:43.680 --> 00:01:47.599
When you get good at something, really good, it stops feeling like a skill.
00:01:47.680 --> 00:01:55.599
And whether that's because you're inherently talented at something or you've just done it so many times that you can autopilot it, it feels like common sense.
00:01:55.680 --> 00:01:58.719
And because it feels automatic, you don't think to mention it.
00:01:58.879 --> 00:02:08.960
You don't put it on a resume, you don't bring it up in an interview, and you don't even really recognize it as valuable because if it's easy for you, it's probably easy for everybody else, right?
00:02:09.120 --> 00:02:12.240
And if that's the case, how is it possibly a skill?
00:02:12.479 --> 00:02:16.000
But here's the thing, it's not easy for everyone.
00:02:16.159 --> 00:02:26.719
It's easy for you because you've done it 10,000 times, because you've been trained in environments where that skill mattered, because your brain has automated something that other people still have to think about.
00:02:26.800 --> 00:02:32.400
And that automation, that effortless competence is exactly what makes it valuable.
00:02:32.800 --> 00:02:36.000
So let's talk about what shadow skills actually look like.
00:02:36.159 --> 00:02:42.159
Because they're not necessarily the things that you were trained to do, they're the things that you learned by doing things.
00:02:42.400 --> 00:02:43.759
Here are a few.
00:02:44.080 --> 00:02:48.240
You can assess a situation quickly and figure out what actually matters.
00:02:48.560 --> 00:02:52.159
Or you can keep your head when everyone else is panicking.
00:02:52.400 --> 00:03:02.960
Maybe you can take incomplete information and make a good decision anyway, or you read people, figure out what they need, what they're not saying, what they're actually going to follow through with.
00:03:03.199 --> 00:03:12.080
You can manage people or situations up, down, and sideways, or maybe you can coordinate across teams that don't naturally talk or communicate well with each other.
00:03:12.319 --> 00:03:18.240
You can also translate technical information to language that non-technical people can understand.
00:03:18.639 --> 00:03:22.240
See, out of that entire list, none of those are job specific.
00:03:22.400 --> 00:03:27.120
They aren't things that go hand in hand with a very specific role or company.
00:03:27.280 --> 00:03:34.400
They are skills that work across companies, across job descriptions, across management levels, and across industries.
00:03:34.639 --> 00:03:38.719
And the absolute best part is that all of them are transferable.
00:03:39.360 --> 00:03:45.120
But if you don't name them or know that you have them, no one else will either.
00:03:45.360 --> 00:03:48.879
Now in the military, these skills are often built into the fabric of your job.
00:03:49.039 --> 00:03:54.400
You don't get credit for them individually because everyone around you is expected to have them too.
00:03:54.639 --> 00:03:57.919
If you can stay calm under pressure, that isn't really special.
00:03:58.000 --> 00:03:58.879
It's required.
00:03:59.039 --> 00:04:03.599
If you can make decisions with incomplete information, that's not necessarily impressive.
00:04:03.680 --> 00:04:04.560
It's the job.
00:04:04.800 --> 00:04:07.680
So you never have to articulate them or prove that you have them.
00:04:07.840 --> 00:04:09.439
They're just assumed.
00:04:09.680 --> 00:04:12.800
But in civilian life, those skills aren't assumed.
00:04:12.879 --> 00:04:14.400
They're actually quite rare.
00:04:14.560 --> 00:04:19.680
And the people who have them are the ones who get hired, promoted, and trusted with the hardest problems.
00:04:20.079 --> 00:04:22.800
But only if they can name it.
00:04:23.040 --> 00:04:25.920
And this is where a lot of people in transition get stuck.
00:04:26.079 --> 00:04:33.439
Because when you sit down to write a resume or prepare for an interview or explain to someone what you bring to the table, you default to the technical.
00:04:33.600 --> 00:04:36.800
But the technical stuff is the easiest thing to replace.
00:04:36.959 --> 00:04:39.920
It's those shadow skills that make you irreplaceable.
00:04:40.560 --> 00:04:43.839
So how do you see the skills that you've spent years not noticing?
00:04:44.160 --> 00:04:46.319
Well, you ask other people.
00:04:46.720 --> 00:04:48.480
Not what am I good at.
00:04:48.639 --> 00:04:53.040
That question is a bit too broad and won't give you the answer that you're looking for.
00:04:53.199 --> 00:04:58.399
So instead ask, what do I do that you've seen other people struggle with?
00:04:58.800 --> 00:05:04.639
That question forces people to name the gap, the thing that you do that they don't see as common.
00:05:04.879 --> 00:05:08.240
When you ask this question, you'll likely hear things that surprise you.
00:05:08.319 --> 00:05:17.600
And those things, those observations from the outside, are the capabilities that you can't see because you're too close to them, and yet others can see them clearly.
00:05:17.839 --> 00:05:20.560
And there's a second way to identify these skills too.
00:05:20.720 --> 00:05:21.839
Look at the patterns.
00:05:22.000 --> 00:05:25.199
Think about the last five times someone came to you for help.
00:05:25.360 --> 00:05:27.519
What were they actually asking you for?
00:05:27.759 --> 00:05:35.519
Were they asking you to make sense out of something confusing, to calm them down when they were overwhelmed, to figure out what to do when the path wasn't clear?
00:05:35.680 --> 00:05:38.800
To mediate between two people who weren't communicating.
00:05:39.120 --> 00:05:44.079
Whatever that pattern is, you might be able to determine it as a shadow skill.
00:05:44.319 --> 00:05:48.959
Then, of course, once you've identified your shadow skills, you need to know how to talk about them.
00:05:49.040 --> 00:05:52.000
Because you can't just say, I'm good under pressure.
00:05:52.160 --> 00:05:53.199
That's vague.
00:05:53.439 --> 00:06:00.720
Instead, what you need to do is contextualize it, give examples, tell the story of what it looks like when you use that skill.
00:06:01.040 --> 00:06:05.600
So not I'm good at managing chaos, because that could mean anything.
00:06:05.759 --> 00:06:13.920
But when a project went off the rails and the timeline collapsed, I pulled the team together, reprioritized what actually mattered, and got us back on track in 48 hours.
00:06:14.160 --> 00:06:16.240
That's not bragging, that's evidence.
00:06:16.399 --> 00:06:19.199
That's you proving what you can do.
00:06:19.680 --> 00:06:23.839
The biggest part of identifying your shadow skills is giving yourself permission to own them.
00:06:24.000 --> 00:06:27.439
Not arrogantly, not performatively, but clearly.
00:06:27.680 --> 00:06:33.439
The skills you've built matter, and the people who need them can't find you if you don't name them.
00:06:33.680 --> 00:06:38.639
And remember, no matter what it feels like right now, you're not actually starting from zero.
00:06:38.879 --> 00:06:41.040
You're not building a skill set from scratch.
00:06:41.199 --> 00:06:47.120
You already have these capabilities that most people spend years trying to develop.
00:06:47.279 --> 00:06:51.040
You just can't see them yet because they become a natural part of how you operate.
00:06:51.199 --> 00:06:53.040
But that doesn't make them less valuable.
00:06:53.120 --> 00:06:59.839
It actually makes them more valuable because they're real, they're proven, and they're already a part of who you are.
00:07:00.160 --> 00:07:07.920
The hardest skills to see are the ones you use every day, the ones that feel so natural that you forget their skills at all.
00:07:08.160 --> 00:07:10.800
But those are the ones that set you apart.
00:07:10.959 --> 00:07:15.439
Those are the ones that make you the person people turn to when things get hard.
00:07:15.600 --> 00:07:22.000
And those are the ones you need to start naming so that the people who need what you have can finally find you.
00:07:22.240 --> 00:07:24.000
You're not missing skills.
00:07:24.160 --> 00:07:27.920
You're just missing the ability to see the things you already have.
00:07:31.279 --> 00:07:35.680
Most transition programs assume you already know what you want.
00:07:35.839 --> 00:07:37.759
But if you don't, then what?
00:07:38.240 --> 00:07:43.519
At the Recon Network, we run free events year-round to meet you where you are.
00:07:43.759 --> 00:07:55.839
From our annual VET Summit to online workshops and even in-person local events, we provide real training, real conversations, and practical insights you can use the same day.
00:07:56.000 --> 00:08:00.800
With a goal to get you the tools you need to find direction and meaning now.
00:08:01.519 --> 00:08:05.519
So if you don't know what you want or where you want to go, don't worry.
00:08:05.680 --> 00:08:07.839
There's no cost, no pressure.
00:08:08.000 --> 00:08:10.160
Just support when you need it.
00:08:10.399 --> 00:08:16.000
So find your next event at recon.bet and join us for something new.
00:00:00.400 --> 00:00:07.519
Have you ever had someone tell you you're really good at something and been genuinely surprised because you thought everyone could do it?
00:00:07.759 --> 00:00:08.960
Hi, this is Jordana.
00:00:09.119 --> 00:00:12.320
I'm the CEO of the Recon Network and host of the Im Brief Podcast.
00:00:12.400 --> 00:00:23.199
And today we're talking about shadow skills, the capabilities you've built over years of experience that are so natural to you now that you don't even register them as skills.
00:00:23.359 --> 00:00:25.199
There's reasons why you can't see them.
00:00:25.359 --> 00:00:33.039
They matter more than you think, and there are ways to start recognizing what you're actually bringing to the table so you can finally talk about it in a way that lands.
00:00:33.200 --> 00:00:35.759
And we're going to talk about all of that right now.
00:00:37.359 --> 00:00:38.399
This is in brief.
00:00:38.640 --> 00:00:39.920
Let's get to it.
00:00:49.280 --> 00:00:51.280
So I want to start with a question.
00:00:51.520 --> 00:00:53.679
What are you actually good at?
00:00:53.920 --> 00:01:01.759
I don't mean what your resume says or what your last job title was, but what are you genuinely, undeniably good at?
00:01:02.000 --> 00:01:09.840
And if you're like most people, especially those coming out of the military, your first instinct is probably going to be to list technical skills.
00:01:10.000 --> 00:01:17.280
You can operate equipment, you can manage logistics, you can lead a team under pressure, and those are real, but they're not the full picture.
00:01:17.599 --> 00:01:24.480
Underneath those technical skills, there's another layer, a set of capabilities that you use every single day but never name.
00:01:24.719 --> 00:01:36.400
Skills that feel so obvious to you that you assume everyone has them, and they show up in how you think, how you solve problems, how you read a room, or how you keep things moving when everything around you is chaotic.
00:01:36.719 --> 00:01:38.480
These are your shadow skills.
00:01:38.640 --> 00:01:42.400
And the reason you can't see them is because they've become invisible to you.
00:01:42.640 --> 00:01:43.519
Here's why.
00:01:43.680 --> 00:01:47.599
When you get good at something, really good, it stops feeling like a skill.
00:01:47.680 --> 00:01:55.599
And whether that's because you're inherently talented at something or you've just done it so many times that you can autopilot it, it feels like common sense.
00:01:55.680 --> 00:01:58.719
And because it feels automatic, you don't think to mention it.
00:01:58.879 --> 00:02:08.960
You don't put it on a resume, you don't bring it up in an interview, and you don't even really recognize it as valuable because if it's easy for you, it's probably easy for everybody else, right?
00:02:09.120 --> 00:02:12.240
And if that's the case, how is it possibly a skill?
00:02:12.479 --> 00:02:16.000
But here's the thing, it's not easy for everyone.
00:02:16.159 --> 00:02:26.719
It's easy for you because you've done it 10,000 times, because you've been trained in environments where that skill mattered, because your brain has automated something that other people still have to think about.
00:02:26.800 --> 00:02:32.400
And that automation, that effortless competence is exactly what makes it valuable.
00:02:32.800 --> 00:02:36.000
So let's talk about what shadow skills actually look like.
00:02:36.159 --> 00:02:42.159
Because they're not necessarily the things that you were trained to do, they're the things that you learned by doing things.
00:02:42.400 --> 00:02:43.759
Here are a few.
00:02:44.080 --> 00:02:48.240
You can assess a situation quickly and figure out what actually matters.
00:02:48.560 --> 00:02:52.159
Or you can keep your head when everyone else is panicking.
00:02:52.400 --> 00:03:02.960
Maybe you can take incomplete information and make a good decision anyway, or you read people, figure out what they need, what they're not saying, what they're actually going to follow through with.
00:03:03.199 --> 00:03:12.080
You can manage people or situations up, down, and sideways, or maybe you can coordinate across teams that don't naturally talk or communicate well with each other.
00:03:12.319 --> 00:03:18.240
You can also translate technical information to language that non-technical people can understand.
00:03:18.639 --> 00:03:22.240
See, out of that entire list, none of those are job specific.
00:03:22.400 --> 00:03:27.120
They aren't things that go hand in hand with a very specific role or company.
00:03:27.280 --> 00:03:34.400
They are skills that work across companies, across job descriptions, across management levels, and across industries.
00:03:34.639 --> 00:03:38.719
And the absolute best part is that all of them are transferable.
00:03:39.360 --> 00:03:45.120
But if you don't name them or know that you have them, no one else will either.
00:03:45.360 --> 00:03:48.879
Now in the military, these skills are often built into the fabric of your job.
00:03:49.039 --> 00:03:54.400
You don't get credit for them individually because everyone around you is expected to have them too.
00:03:54.639 --> 00:03:57.919
If you can stay calm under pressure, that isn't really special.
00:03:58.000 --> 00:03:58.879
It's required.
00:03:59.039 --> 00:04:03.599
If you can make decisions with incomplete information, that's not necessarily impressive.
00:04:03.680 --> 00:04:04.560
It's the job.
00:04:04.800 --> 00:04:07.680
So you never have to articulate them or prove that you have them.
00:04:07.840 --> 00:04:09.439
They're just assumed.
00:04:09.680 --> 00:04:12.800
But in civilian life, those skills aren't assumed.
00:04:12.879 --> 00:04:14.400
They're actually quite rare.
00:04:14.560 --> 00:04:19.680
And the people who have them are the ones who get hired, promoted, and trusted with the hardest problems.
00:04:20.079 --> 00:04:22.800
But only if they can name it.
00:04:23.040 --> 00:04:25.920
And this is where a lot of people in transition get stuck.
00:04:26.079 --> 00:04:33.439
Because when you sit down to write a resume or prepare for an interview or explain to someone what you bring to the table, you default to the technical.
00:04:33.600 --> 00:04:36.800
But the technical stuff is the easiest thing to replace.
00:04:36.959 --> 00:04:39.920
It's those shadow skills that make you irreplaceable.
00:04:40.560 --> 00:04:43.839
So how do you see the skills that you've spent years not noticing?
00:04:44.160 --> 00:04:46.319
Well, you ask other people.
00:04:46.720 --> 00:04:48.480
Not what am I good at.
00:04:48.639 --> 00:04:53.040
That question is a bit too broad and won't give you the answer that you're looking for.
00:04:53.199 --> 00:04:58.399
So instead ask, what do I do that you've seen other people struggle with?
00:04:58.800 --> 00:05:04.639
That question forces people to name the gap, the thing that you do that they don't see as common.
00:05:04.879 --> 00:05:08.240
When you ask this question, you'll likely hear things that surprise you.
00:05:08.319 --> 00:05:17.600
And those things, those observations from the outside, are the capabilities that you can't see because you're too close to them, and yet others can see them clearly.
00:05:17.839 --> 00:05:20.560
And there's a second way to identify these skills too.
00:05:20.720 --> 00:05:21.839
Look at the patterns.
00:05:22.000 --> 00:05:25.199
Think about the last five times someone came to you for help.
00:05:25.360 --> 00:05:27.519
What were they actually asking you for?
00:05:27.759 --> 00:05:35.519
Were they asking you to make sense out of something confusing, to calm them down when they were overwhelmed, to figure out what to do when the path wasn't clear?
00:05:35.680 --> 00:05:38.800
To mediate between two people who weren't communicating.
00:05:39.120 --> 00:05:44.079
Whatever that pattern is, you might be able to determine it as a shadow skill.
00:05:44.319 --> 00:05:48.959
Then, of course, once you've identified your shadow skills, you need to know how to talk about them.
00:05:49.040 --> 00:05:52.000
Because you can't just say, I'm good under pressure.
00:05:52.160 --> 00:05:53.199
That's vague.
00:05:53.439 --> 00:06:00.720
Instead, what you need to do is contextualize it, give examples, tell the story of what it looks like when you use that skill.
00:06:01.040 --> 00:06:05.600
So not I'm good at managing chaos, because that could mean anything.
00:06:05.759 --> 00:06:13.920
But when a project went off the rails and the timeline collapsed, I pulled the team together, reprioritized what actually mattered, and got us back on track in 48 hours.
00:06:14.160 --> 00:06:16.240
That's not bragging, that's evidence.
00:06:16.399 --> 00:06:19.199
That's you proving what you can do.
00:06:19.680 --> 00:06:23.839
The biggest part of identifying your shadow skills is giving yourself permission to own them.
00:06:24.000 --> 00:06:27.439
Not arrogantly, not performatively, but clearly.
00:06:27.680 --> 00:06:33.439
The skills you've built matter, and the people who need them can't find you if you don't name them.
00:06:33.680 --> 00:06:38.639
And remember, no matter what it feels like right now, you're not actually starting from zero.
00:06:38.879 --> 00:06:41.040
You're not building a skill set from scratch.
00:06:41.199 --> 00:06:47.120
You already have these capabilities that most people spend years trying to develop.
00:06:47.279 --> 00:06:51.040
You just can't see them yet because they become a natural part of how you operate.
00:06:51.199 --> 00:06:53.040
But that doesn't make them less valuable.
00:06:53.120 --> 00:06:59.839
It actually makes them more valuable because they're real, they're proven, and they're already a part of who you are.
00:07:00.160 --> 00:07:07.920
The hardest skills to see are the ones you use every day, the ones that feel so natural that you forget their skills at all.
00:07:08.160 --> 00:07:10.800
But those are the ones that set you apart.
00:07:10.959 --> 00:07:15.439
Those are the ones that make you the person people turn to when things get hard.
00:07:15.600 --> 00:07:22.000
And those are the ones you need to start naming so that the people who need what you have can finally find you.
00:07:22.240 --> 00:07:24.000
You're not missing skills.
00:07:24.160 --> 00:07:27.920
You're just missing the ability to see the things you already have.
00:07:31.279 --> 00:07:35.680
Most transition programs assume you already know what you want.
00:07:35.839 --> 00:07:37.759
But if you don't, then what?
00:07:38.240 --> 00:07:43.519
At the Recon Network, we run free events year-round to meet you where you are.
00:07:43.759 --> 00:07:55.839
From our annual VET Summit to online workshops and even in-person local events, we provide real training, real conversations, and practical insights you can use the same day.
00:07:56.000 --> 00:08:00.800
With a goal to get you the tools you need to find direction and meaning now.
00:08:01.519 --> 00:08:05.519
So if you don't know what you want or where you want to go, don't worry.
00:08:05.680 --> 00:08:07.839
There's no cost, no pressure.
00:08:08.000 --> 00:08:10.160
Just support when you need it.
00:08:10.399 --> 00:08:16.000
So find your next event at recon.bet and join us for something new.
