"Soft skills" for prolonged SHTF/WROL

[USMC-03]

In a very broad sense, surviving and untimely thriving in a social regression requires us to be entrepreneurs. We have to be effective leaders, develop organizations, build relationships and contribute value to the community at large.

The time to build a local support network is now. Set the example and promote a share vision. Start small and expand.

 

[Stomper]

You also need people who can train others in all those various hard/soft skills....

Teachers and "Drill Sgts/Instructors" WILL make or break any organization.


That is all, carry on.

 

[MrMillspecer]

I'm good at avoiding groups with too many leaders.

 

[Joe13]

I hear the reasons people disagree with leadership and am not contradicting them, but too me a good leader negates the too many chiefs issue right away.

Generally by delegation and put others in charge of different tasks.

It also requires the charisma too have people want to follow you naturally until you earn their respect.


I can be a great follower until I see enough disfunction that I have to step in. At which point many people just want to be told what too do - even if they don't know it.



As far as you have to have people to follow you - this could be just the people in your family or a whole block full of people+. Either way, someone needs to step up and gather order to get things accomplished because if you step into that role it's not just you anymore, it's everyone that is putting their faiths in you as well.

Once leadership is established then all the other functions can fall into place by putting the best people in charge of the different areas - cooking, foraging, medicine etc.

 

[USMC-03]

I hear the reasons people disagree with leadership and am not contradicting them, but too me a good leader negates the too many chiefs issue right away.

Generally by delegation and put others in charge of different tasks.

It also requires the charisma too have people want to follow you naturally until you earn their respect.


I can be a great follower until I see enough disfunction that I have to step in. At which point many people just want to be told what too do - even if they don't know it.



As far as you have to have people to follow you - this could be just the people in your family or a whole block full of people+. Either way, someone needs to step up and gather order to get things accomplished because if you step into that role it's not just you anymore, it's everyone that is putting their faiths in you as well.

Once leadership is established then all the other functions can fall into place by putting the best people in charge of the different areas - cooking, foraging, medicine etc.

On balance you're on point but I do reject the notion of charismatic leadership. Some of the most charismatic leaders of the past have also been the most toxic.

Leadership is the intersection of technical competence, relevance and shared purpose. An effective leader must serve the mission and team members first.

 

[Andy54Hawken]

Well I hope someone picks me for their team ... I hate being that last one picked...
Andy

 

[USMC-03]

Well I hope someone picks me for their team ... I hate being that last one picked...
Andy

Man, that's the entire story of my K-12 career...

 

[P7M13]

Wisdom.
Planning and logistics - might call them hard skills, yet so many people lack them sorely. I surely do.
Leaders may not be wise, and aren't necessarily the best planners, and the minions may not have a clue.

Many people will rise to the soft skill that they can help with most -- it's the natural order of selection.

Though these may be considered hard skills, I find them least commonly taught and they are extremely important ones to me:

1. Fire starting
2. cooking
3. first aid
4. resourcefulness

Lastly, extended SHTF will require both awareness and stealth. When I am out on the mountain teaching "Leave No Trace" to other hikers, after outlining the seven principles, I summarize it with the statement: "LNT is best understood as, you are being hunted and never want the hunter to find you."

 

[etrain16]

Well I hope someone picks me for their team ... I hate being that last one picked...
Andy

How about hunting detail??

 

[Camelfilter]

Great thread, thanks!

-All great ideas, except I'm thinking a bit more on conflict resolution...within the group, there should be zero conflict (there obviously may be minor crap, but anything leaning towards conflict in regards to the groups generalized mission statement-stay alive?). Hmm.

Folks will always have ideas in how things should be, the group needs to consist of folk whom think along similar lines, else there will be insurmountable conflict.

I'll follow up a touch on my own post as I have some time to do so.

My further thinking on my own list above:

We would really need to be in a group of a similar mind set to reduce conflict (I'm writing of being in a group, well post SHTF, in a WROL/perhaps TEOWAWKI type of situation).

Folk would have to have a strong work ethic and decent moral values. Not necessarily of the same church, however being so could help give others within the group a better assessment of each other and what there general base value system is.

Point being: let's say the group is of a mindset that they can't help others outside of the group yet, and live. Simply due to the circumstances. Perhaps they may be able to help at some point in the future, but that would be after several growing seasons/harvests.

Everyone in the group needs to understand that. What may appear to be a bunch of food now, will need to last, and can't be given away.

To anyone.

For any reason.

(unless of course your group has put up packs for migrants, we have a bunch of oats, but once those are gone they are gone. Those are for folk in need, to be given out once per, and have them on there way. Not to be seen as a source, and to come back for more. I'd imagine those packs would be gone relatively quickly...).

Everyone in the group also needs to understand reality. Stealing needs to be dealt with swiftly and surely. While I wouldn't expect a problem in regards to that issue inside the group, the rules need to be set out explicitly.

Someone outside of the group sneaking in and stealing? And cought? What are the rules? Defer to the leader(s), and support that 100%.

It would be a harsh world, one which honestly is inconceivable at the moment. That's why, to survive, everyone needs to be on the same page.

 

[Howard1955]

"Soft Skills"; Desirable Qualities:

(1) The ability to get along well with others/team player

(2) Good health & strength.

(3) A willingness to work and sacrifice (good attitude).

(4) Able to take directions/orders (no chip on their shoulder).

(5) Honest to a fault.

(6) Willing and able to fight when necessary.

(7) Christian

(8) Good moral character

(9) Courageous

(10) A 'Can-Do' attitude

(11) Persistent (not a quitter)

(12) Willing & able to learn/teach


The list of "hard skills" would be just as important as the "soft" ones, and be very basic. Food, shelter, and defense would be the general categories to develop.

 

[Misteramax]

I love the comments about too many chiefs and not enough indians. I'd rather be an Indian with the right group.

 

[Stomper]

Wisdom.

Lastly, extended SHTF will require both awareness and stealth. When I am out on the mountain teaching "Leave No Trace" to other hikers, after outlining the seven principles, I summarize it with the statement: "LNT is best understood as, you are being hunted and never want the hunter to find you."

First rule... save it for throwing through the fan.

 

[Aero Denezol]

"Soft Skills"; Desirable Qualities:

(1) The ability to get along well with others/team player

(2) Good health & strength.

(3) A willingness to work and sacrifice (good attitude).

(4) Able to take directions/orders (no chip on their shoulder).

(5) Honest to a fault.

(6) Willing and able to fight when necessary.

(7) Christian

(8) Good moral character

(9) Courageous

(10) A 'Can-Do' attitude

(11) Persistent (not a quitter)

(12) Willing & able to learn/teach

Good list, but man oh man.. I don't know too many people who embody even 3 of these qualities.

Things are going to be very unpleasant in camp.. I think a lot of people will just give up and resort to begging or selling themselves.

 

[11Charlie]

You also need people who can train others in all those various hard/soft skills....

Teachers and "Drill Sgts/Instructors" WILL make or break any organization.


That is all, carry on.

Which in my book constitutes a good leader. A good leader or manager should know all aspects of what he or she is leading. I have worked for people in the past who walk in demand things but have no clue how to get it done. People will loose respect for a person like that very quickly if all they can do is talk and not walk.

 

[USMC-03]

Here are a couple of graphics I created for some articles on leadership I wrote a while back.

 

[Stomper]

Here are a couple of graphics I created for some articles on leadership I wrote a while back.

View attachment 387829

View attachment 387828

A good leader knows to surround him (or her) self with competent advisors, objectively weigh their collective input, forge a SOP/Doctrine, then fine-tune the outcome.

That's the "brain work".



A good leader then delegates the various skills set development to achieve that doctrine to people who can teach/train other people, then insist and assist those people to maintain the set standards to effectively achieve the doctrine.

That's the "physical work".


Whoa.... I'm starting to sound all military, again!

 

[11Charlie]

Whoa.... I'm starting to sound all military, again!

Thats not a bad thing stomper!

 

[whitney]

Perhaps not a skill yet relevant is mental toughness.
The first place we lose the battle is in our own thinking.
If you think you have reached your limits then you have.
You need to see every obstacle or limitation as only temporary.

~Whitney

 

[Stomper]

Perhaps not a skill yet relevant is mental toughness.
The first place we lose the battle is in our own thinking.
If you think you have reached your limits then you have.
You need to see every obstacle or limitation as only temporary.

~Whitney

Its COMPLETELY relevant!


Where your mind goes, your body WILL follow.

There is no "try", only "do".

Failure is NOT an option, don't even consider it.

We fail, we die.

After all these years... I'm still alive.