I used to call myself a communications professional. I used to think I was good with words. I used to believe that my great strength was understanding how to persuade and influence people. And to an extent all that remains true.
But what I have realised over time is that the most interesting thing is not the ability to influence people through communication, but the ability to to improve stuff through innovation. The underlying skills are the same...thinking about people, understanding what makes them tick, and identifying what would make them happier. The difference is the application of those skills.
As a communications professional you use your skills to make the status quo sound, appear, and occasionally work better. As a innovative thinker, you use your skills to change the status quo. In other words, you don't just change the storytelling, you change the story.
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