By David Jenkins
Undoubtedly, people in technical professions have a highly developed understanding of their chosen domains after many years of study and experience.
The level of knowledge and expertise in sectors spanning medicine to IT to engineering and beyond seems to be increasing almost exponentially, and many professionals come to their roles with multiple degrees and an intimate understanding of subject areas that might seem esoteric to many of us, but which also have critical applications.
However, there is another skill that spans all of these professions and is separate from the accumulation of technical know-how: the ability to tell a story and communicate ideas about the implications of knowledge and how it should be applied.
An accountant, for example, needs to be able to look beyond the numbers and interpret them for clients, extracting a relevant and actionable narrative from them.
This is where they can forge closer relationships with their clients and establish themselves as trusted advisors.
The suite of new technologies such as artificial intelligence, robotic process automation and scaled up data analysis also have a contribution to make in storytelling.
In a world awash with data, however, the data cannot be an end in itself. Connecting data points can create a compelling story that facilitates understanding across diverse audiences.
Conveying these stories effectively is often where all the technical knowledge comes together so that it can be applied in practice, winning the support of stakeholders, and getting them on board to take collective action.
One leading property company in Australia, for example, is mining multiple data sources to create predictive modelling for its shopping centres. This helps leasing managers understand the revenue impact of adding particular types of stores to the overall mix.
The data scientists built a machine-learning algorithm based on spending data. This algorithm delivers predicted rent and predicted sales and, more powerfully, tells a story about the overall impact on the centre, which the leasing managers can use to inform their decisions.
In many industry sectors, new technologies are automating many previously time-consuming tasks, freeing up time for professionals to focus on strategic issues and add more value to their roles and to their clients.
It shouldn’t be forgotten that traditional storytelling skills are also part of many digital transformations. In fact, they are often at the pointy end because technologies can distil huge volumes of data and deliver fresh insights for interpretation by skilled professionals.
Our technical knowledge cannot be effective if it remains in a silo, and it is incumbent on subject matter experts to develop their communication skills in parallel.
It requires an understanding of an audience, an ability to find the right tone, and a sense of context and impact.
The ability to explain narratives derived from complex technical business cases and data analysis is the very essence of thought leadership, and it makes professionals and their organisations more effective.
Enhancing these skills is critical for better communication and can improve collaboration as teams coalesce around common goals, which flow from connecting data and leveraging leaders’ technical knowledge.
