But Which Skills Transfer? Teacher Skills that ARE Business Skills, Part 1

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Welcome, welcome. Welcome to Episode 56 of Teachers in Business. This week, we're going to talk about the skills that actually transfer in the last couple of weeks. Even just yesterday, I've had so many conversations with teachers who are thinking about leaving classrooms. And so many of them are like, Yes, I hear people say that so many of my teaching skills are transferable into other places, but like, which ones, like really rich ones. And so in this episode, and actually, I just started the timer on my phone, because I think this might be due episodes. In this episode, I'm going to start talking through the actual skills that transfer, because here's the thing, if you are going to move from teaching, or you already have into business, it is really, really handy to know that the skills you have right now as a teacher, actually, like pick up and just flat out, move over into a new role. You are not starting from scratch. That's the thing about this. Like, if you want to move into the business world, or start your own thing, become an entrepreneur, and spend the next couple of years thinking like, oh, my gosh, I'm starting fresh, I don't know anything. Okay, you can. But if you're coming out of teaching, it's not necessary. Because so many of the things that you do day to day, really, truly do apply to business and support you and help you what are the skills you need to learn anyways, that you already have. So you're not starting from scratch? Let's start right there. But this episode is really meant to sort of outline these skills directly so that you can be like, oh, yeah, I do know how to do that. Part of why I've been thinking about this is, you know, I have a member in my group, Charting Business Success, which is a small group program, who former teacher running a business in last week, she and I were talking about this new thing she's doing. And she was like, well, but I don't know how to do it. And so we started talking about, you know, other experiences she has, you know, the new thing she's doing is about helping people with unique abilities in the work world. And she was like, well, but when I used to do things like this one I used to help mainstream special ed students. And it was like, Oh, wait, you already know how to do this. These are the kinds of things we say to ourselves like, Well, when I used to do this thing, and it's like, well, when you used to do it means you know how to do it. Now you still know how to do it, right? It's just taking that same process. And like putting it in a new place. It's like going into your closet and picking out the blue sweater instead of the green one, right? So these are the kinds of skills that sort of underlie this transferability. And it really matters. If you are someone that has made the jump already, and you are looking for support and guidance, and really, you know, you have a goal and it's like, what, how do I make this next step? What do I do next? And what you'd like as a community to do that. And what you ought to do is join my Facebook group, also called Teachers in Business, because it is an entire community of people doing this, who were teachers on some level, the money from the classroom, some still in some building schools, all kinds of things. But also you want to consider my small group program, the next round of it is launching in February, it is 16 weeks it is $1,000. And you will reach the goal you have in mind before June. So if what you're looking to do is really straighten out what you want to build and how you want to build it before the summer. This is the way to do it. It is a small group, it is no more than five, it is super individualized. It is the best version of community and also individual support that I can imagine like and I've been in groups, I've done all these kinds of things. It's super, super powerful. You should join, you should talk to me about it. So you should send a message and just say like, Hey, sir, I'm thinking about this. I have some questions. I got a message that said that yesterday. Please, please come join me. So let's talk skills. Are you ready? I have the timer running so that I don't go crazy. But I have a list. It's a pretty long list. And we'll see where we land. So number one. One of the first skills as a teacher that directly transfers into business is flexibility. You know, flexibility as a teacher. It's like basically the only thing you have day to day, isn't it like your ability to maneuver through change, especially in the last two years. Flexibility is what allows To roll with things when there's an assembly when there's a fire drill, when half the kids aren't there, for some reason, when everybody got pulled out, when you got pulled out, when all of the things went sideways, when you turned out you needed supplies for something, and they just never appeared like I was a science teacher, I taught a lot of lab science. Sometimes the thing that was planned for the day was like, I have any of that stuff. Okay, meal plan. This is about rolling with the interruptions in the humans that show up in your world that day, because sometimes you have a plan, and the kids come in, and you're like, today's not the day for this, right? So it is a flexibility to be able to sort of look at what's in front of you, and roll with it and figure out what to do next, no matter what's happening. business requires exactly the same thing. This is like the day to day of my life in business too. Because I have kids, it snows here where I live last week, my kids went to a whole whopping two days of school. But I have the flexibility to look at my calendar and be like, Okay, I can move this here, I can put this over there, I can reach out to my people, I can move some things around, I can change when I do things, I can change what I do, in which order. I can also just know that nothing goes to plan, right? You as a teacher wrote plans. And then you got five minutes and you're like, Let me tear that up. This isn't gonna work today, business is the same. But having that base level flexibility that you build as a teacher, where you know, not only is it possible for you to flex, but everything's gonna work out, serves you time and time again, as a business owner, to know that even when things change they're going to still work out is is really valuable. So that's number one. Number two, is problem solving. As a teacher, you are an excellent problem solver. Because what happens just like with flexibility is something happens in your day. And you're like, Huh, that's not gonna work like that. And then you have to look around and go like, huh, but what can I do instead? It's I don't have the supplies, I have the wrong supplies. The people the kids came in, and they didn't understand this thing I thought they understood, or they do. And now what I'm going to do isn't going to work. It's kid comes into you with an issue. And you're like, Hmm, I'm not sure what to do with that. Like, I had a college kid a couple years ago, email me like suicidal thoughts, basically, on a Sunday, and I had to be like, Okay, now what do I do, because I'm not just gonna not do anything. Like I needed to reach out and find the people that I knew. So I went into like teacher Problem Solver mode, you have felt that clique in you, if you're a parent, you felt it click in where you just kind of go like, Alright, we're gonna figure this out. And you sort of drop into that place of like, I'm not going to worry about what's happening around me right now, I'm just going to click into this, and I'm going to move forward in a business that is vital. Because you're going to run into things in your day where you're like, Ah, crap, that's not what I meant. Or, huh, that's not gonna work that way, or God, I don't know how to do that. And then you have to drop into like, okay. Now what, because in a business, if you don't, well, you don't have as a business, you can't grow a business, without being able to drop into that problem solving feel that, like, I'm gonna figure this out. Feel. Because if you don't, you don't make any progress forward. There's no one around you necessarily going like well, but this has to be figured out. Like there's no repercussions per se there are, but not the same kind you've have in a school building or in a role where you have a boss or in your household with your, you know, whatever, this is your thing. So being able to drop into that, like I'm gonna figure this out feel really serves to move you forward when it's like, otherwise, you're going to be stuck. That's number two. Number three, teacher skill. And these are not in like order of importance. They're just in the order they fell out of my brain, quite honestly. So don't be stressed about which numbers are which. Number three is the ability to see both the big picture and the details. I wrote a Facebook post about this recently. This is a vital skill as a teacher, this is like the okay. You know, in eighth grade math, I know that by the end of the year, they need to be able to do slope, they need to be able to do X they need to be able to do Y and Z. I know what the end goals of the screen level are, I know kind of where I have to have them by Christmas, I know where we need to be by spring break. And then it's like, Okay, what's the day to day to that look like. So like in the month of January, these are the things I really have to get done. And then also, okay, I have 30 kids in front of me, you know, five times a day in this group of 30. Kids, those three really need a push, these two really need some extra help. These 10 are really good at this, they can do some helping, you know, it is like all the fine details underneath. And it looks like that kid in the corner is just melting. I wonder what's happening there. So it is that big picture thinking of, you know, where are we going? Why do we need to be there? What is it going to serve? How does it helps them from here to forever and mixed in with, these are the weeds of the details I need to deal with today for everyone to be happy, safe learning, right? In a business, especially if you are in it on your own, it's the same, because you as the business owner, are responsible for setting the big picture goals. It's like, okay, a year from now I want to be in X place, or at least I'm going to plan for that. Two years from now, I want to be an X place three years from now I want to be an X place. This is how I want to do this. This is like the progression I'm aiming for. This is what I want to have accomplished by January, by June, whatever, quarter quarter quarter. And then it is on you also at the same time to be in the weeds of the details. Like I had a conversation with a client this week, about the tracking spreadsheet she uses with her contractors and employees. And you know, she said, You know, I feel like I'm spending a lot of time on this. And it's really, really in the weeds. But at the same time, as she and I had been talking about being in the weeds of this spreadsheet for three or four or five hours in January of 2022 is going to allow her to have a spreadsheet that functions and tracks effectively and gives her all the information she needs for the next 36 months probably for the next three years, where she's just not going to have to think about it anymore. Otherwise, because what she's been doing is thinking about a really hard every month that she tries to collect the data she needs from like all these randomly generated sources. So it's a little investment now for for a big return down the line. So there are times as a business owner, you have to get in the weeds because you're the only person with the weed whacker. Look, you are the person you are the the weed picker, you are the Garden Planner, you are all the things. So you do have to be able to be in both places effectively. And that really matters. I'm just checking my timer because I know me. Okay, so number three is big picture goals, plus small details day to day in and keeping all of that in your head is hard. But it is really the natural inclination in teaching to be thinking that way. That's how we're taught to think, you know, big curriculum goals, day to day pieces. It's what we do. Number four is the ability to work with a range of abilities and personalities with empathy and kindness. This is the nature of the teacher, right? You get 30 people in your classroom, and they all are different people. And some of them are easy people and some of them are not. Some of them have lots of means some of them don't. Some of them, you know, start out one way and something really, really challenging happens in their world that is not in your control. And you have to work with it within it. You know, but it is about showing up and saying you know I am here because I care. I understand that you have feelings and I'm here to feel them with you. And also we have stuff to do. And this is what happens in a classroom, be it a kindergarten classroom or a 12th grade classroom or a college classroom. Like I have stood in the hallway with college kids who have cried over friends that committed suicide. I have stood in the hallway with kids and held their hand when we talked about grandparents who passed away. I have I have done this with every age of kids that I could possibly imagine, because I have talked to all the grades at some point. And I do the same in my business now. This is a part of business business is working with the people that show up in your universe with the same kind of empathy and kindness and understanding, and also knowing that they're going to come to you with a range of experiences and abilities and things they're good at, and things they're not great at. Like, I have clients who are so emotionally intelligent, and so tuned into people, and so likely to lose a shoe. Like I have, I have people that know exactly where everything is, and then you know, forget to respond to emails, I, they're all we're all different, and none of it is wrong. It's just how we function in the world. And as a teacher, I know that that's just the nature of people. As a business owner, I get to meet my clients, the people that come to me, the people that I connect with the people in my Facebook group, with the same kind of empathy and kindness that I would as a teacher, and it gets a great response in the business world, because it's not normal. Like, that's not how a normal business works with you, right? Like people expect your rules to be inflexible and unbendable. And this is the way it has to be. And this is the order things have to be in. But like, that's not how I got things done in a classroom, it's certainly not going to be how I get things done here, humans are still humans. So being able to bring that understanding of humans with you into business really does serve you super well, like you understand how to navigate people, all the kinds of people, all the abilities, all the feelings, all the things day to day. Alright, and let's do one more here. And then I'll, I'll do a second version of this podcast with the other half, because I think I have 10. But if I keep talking, I'll be here like an hour. So I'll do part two of this. And it'll be the following week. So number five here is patience and determination. In teaching, sometimes kids get things when they get it, right. Like you have to explain it five times six times 10 times 11 times 12 times, but you have to keep explaining it. Like it on the 13th time, they'll be like, Oh, why didn't you just say that and you're like, Oh, my God, I did 12 times. And that's just part of the game. Business is exactly the same. So like, I will write a post, about this thing I'm doing, I will write a post about this thing I'm doing, I will write a post about this thing I'm doing, I'll write a post about this thing I'm doing. I'll talk to people about it. And then I'll have somebody send me an email and be like, Oh, I saw your email about that thing today. I didn't know you did that. I've only been talking about it for the last six months, huh? It is the same. But it is also like, so that is with people right patient and determined, you're going to just keep saying it until they get it right. But it is also with yourself and your business. Because what happens is, business unfolds in time. It is not necessarily linear, but it is not instantaneous. And we as humans have high expectations for ourselves. We think everything should work right the first time even though logically we know that's not true. We also deeply believe we should never do anything more than once, or fail at it multiple times. And so we have to have the patience with ourselves to know that we are always making progress. But you know that even when it feels like we're not, we're just going to keep going. Like I say people all I say to people all the time. This is my 30 year business. Like I'm gonna do this for 30 years. So what I do in the next three weeks matters, but also doesn't matter at all. I am determined it is going to last 30 years. I am patient but I am also wildly impatient because most of the time like right, but it should have worked already. And I know it is the same for other people, right? It's like well, but they should have gotten it already. And they didn't. You still have to apply your patience. And you still can hang on to your determination to be like, okay, okay, okay. That's part of what teachers do. But it is a huge bonus as a business owner to be aware that like patience is part of the game like it's going to unfold as it unfolds as it unfolds. But also, it's going to require you to just keep at it. Like you stay in your lane, keep your head down, you keep moving forward, you say what you need to say and keep freaking going. This is what we do. Alright, so flexibility, problem solving, big picture plus details, the ability to work with All kinds of people, all the abilities, all the feelings, and patience and determination, that is five skills that you as a teacher have right now, that will directly impact your business. They are the things that will help to make you successful. And they are things that you don't need to learn. They are things that you do well already. Next week, we're going to do five more, actually, I just had one occur to my brain. So we're going to do six more. And then we will keep going. Please know that you are if you are a teacher who has joined the business world, if you are someone considering joining the business world, if you already have and you're like man am I cut out for this, you're cut out for this, you have the skills, and maybe you just need support. I can support you. If you would like if you are looking for somebody that really sees the transferability that knows how you as a teacher brain work, and how that can support your business without making things harder. I get it. This is what I do every day in and out for myself and for my clients. If you want to talk about it. If you're looking for support, you can join Charting Business Success. You can come get coached one on one, but either way, you should join my Facebook group Facebook group Teachers in Business, and we should connect send a message reach out on LinkedIn on Facebook or send me an email at sara@torpeycoaching.com And we will connect Alright, To be continued. See you next week.