I’ll begin with a confession. I play WoW – World of Warcraft, for those that don’t know. But this isn’t really about me, it’s about my dear hubby. He is an avid WoW player, and has recruited nearly his entire family into playing as well. Talk about a family affair…
During a recent planning meeting for a community program, we were discussing the book by Michelle Drake, From the Kitchen to the Corner Office: Mom’s Wisdom on Leadership, which talks about finding and developing business skills from everyday mommy chores. Now, my dear hubby is going to be getting out of the Navy soon, and is beginning to update his resume and look for life after submarines. It occurred to me the other night that, a la Ms. Drake’s book, hubby’s gaming habits might translate to skill sets valuable in business. Being a guild leader? Team management. Running raids? Resource management. Balancing game and IRL (In Real Life) responsibilities? Time management.
Both Ms. Drake’s books and my musings come around to the same point – that valuable business skills can be developed in some surprising places. Experience gained from running a household, raising children, and planning fundraisers for your kid’s school can translate to running a business, managing employees, and planning events.
Why is it that we often hear of or see people who developed skills in a business setting easily translate those skills to personal application, but not the other way around? The next time you need to assess your skills, be sure to think outside of the box, and the boardroom, and consider which skills you have finely honed in all arenas.