Episode 5

Soft Skills Mastery in a VUCA World: Bailey Parnell

Published on: 6th March, 2023

"Soft Skills Mastery in a VUCA World: Bailey Parnell", owner of Skills Camp, emphasises the importance of soft skills in the workplace, particularly in high-pressure professions like accounting. She stresses that grit is just one element of resilience and that soft skills are often the skills that characterise our relationships with ourselves and others. Bailey also explains how the VUCA acronym, Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity, and Ambiguity, applies to the current workplace environment and how soft skills are crucial in navigating it.

Bailey and Rob discuss the need for a growth mindset and being open to continuous learning and development. They emphasise the importance of seeking feedback and auditing one's skills to identify areas that require action, especially with the increasing automation of some roles. The speakers differentiate between optimists and pessimists and explain how having an optimistic mindset, particularly in times of change and stress, is crucial. The conversation concludes by emphasising the need for a learner-centric approach to teaching soft skills that prioritises the learners' interests and learning styles over serving the institution.

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Key takeaways

Soft skills are essential in accounting, as they play a significant role in building relationships with colleagues, clients, and stakeholders.

Resilience is a critical soft skill, but it's not enough. Other essential skills include stress management, empathy, and cross-cultural communication.

The VUCA (Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity, and Ambiguity) acronym is a helpful way to describe the current workplace environment, and developing soft skills is crucial in navigating it.

To develop soft skills effectively, a learner-centric approach should be taken that prioritises the learners' interests and learning styles over institutional needs.

Having a growth mindset, seeking feedback, and auditing one's skills are essential to continuous learning and development.

Being optimistic is crucial, especially in times of change and stress. Optimism isn't necessarily about being positive or negative, but rather how one views oneself about what happens.

Bailey Parnell is a 2x TEDx speaker, Founder & CEO of SkillsCamp, and named one of Canada's Top 100 Most Powerful Women. She is an internationally-recognized entrepreneur, an active humanitarian, and an expert in soft skills training. Bailey has nearly 4 million views on her TEDx talks, and her work has been featured in Forbes, Good Morning America, CBC, and other notable media outlets. She completed her Masters in Communications and Culture at Ryerson University with research on social media's impact on mental health. This research led to the creation of her signature 5 Steps Towards #SafeSocial and a connected non-profit of the same name. Bailey is known for her skilful storytelling, confidence, research, and humour. She frequently speaks on social media and mental health, soft skills, intergenerational understanding, and being a woman in business.

Bailey's company SkillsCamp is a soft skills training company that works with businesses and educational institutions to help their staff and students develop the essential skills needed for personal and professional success - personal branding, stress management, emotional intelligence, and public speaking. Bailey's engaging and informative presentations have reached over 4 million people worldwide. Bailey enjoys wine, cheese, good TV, and "thought experiments" when she's not working. You can follow her on Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, Twitter, and Facebook at @BaileyParnell or @baileytaylorparnel. For more information, visit her website at baileyparnell.com or contact her at bailey@skillscamp.co

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About the Podcast

Accounting Voices Podcast
Accounting Voices helps people in the accounting world stay relevant visible and vocal. Host Rob Brown interprets trends reshaping the profession and gives listeners insight to build authority influence and a stronger voice in firms and markets.
Accounting Voices, hosted by Rob Brown, helps decision makers and leaders in accounting and finance stay relevant, visible and vocal in a profession being reshaped by technology, private equity, regulation and shifting client expectations. Each episode interprets the trends disrupting accounting and finance such as AI, automation, M&A, talent and the move to advisory and translates them into practical insight that strengthens authority and influence.
Accounting Voices is also a platform for the wider ecosystem of networks, associations, educators, consultants, software vendors and technology experts who serve accountants and finance professionals worldwide. It extends into regular Accounting Voices networking sessions that connect this audience and amplify ideas that move the profession forward. With its international reach and long shelf life the show delivers credibility and commercial value for listeners and sponsors alike. Search for "Accounting Voices" on YouTube for all episodes and connect with Rob Brown on LinkedIn to find out more: https://www.linkedin.com/in/therobbrown

About your host

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Rob Brown

ob Brown is the creator and host of the Accounting Voices Network, a media platform that includes the flagship solo podcast Accounting Voices and the panel shows Accounting M&A and Accounting Tech. He chairs conferences, panels and virtual events worldwide and is recognised as a leading advocate for the accounting profession.

He is an accomplished speaker and authority on trust, reputation, employer brand, talent, succession, executive presence and the forces shaping the future of accounting. Rob is the author of the bestselling book Build Your Reputation (Wiley) and his TEDx talk The Personal Brand of You has been viewed more than 400,000 times.

A former co-founder of the Accounting Influencers Roundtable, Rob now focuses on amplifying the voices of leaders, firms, networks, vendors and influencers across the global accounting ecosystem.

Outside of work he is a stroke survivor, lives with epilepsy, holds a black belt in kickboxing and is based in Nottingham, UK. He plays chess and backgammon, loves orange chocolate and is allergic to grapefruit.