Episode: 103

Episode Title: 2020’s Career Lessons: Communication

Adaptability was the first career lesson I learned in 2020—but it wasn’t the last. Stay tuned for the lesson I had to re-learn this past year, coming up next.

Ep 103 show:

Hello, you are now in The Perna Syndicate—welcome! This week, we’re recapping the life and career lessons that 2020 has taught us. The first one I learned was how to adapt to major changes. Close on its heels, I re-learned a lesson I already knew: how to communicate effectively. Only this time, the communication was taking place through a screen.

The ability to communicate effectively has always been important, but never more so than this year. With the advent of remote work on a mass scale, it has become even more crucial to articulate your ideas, strategies, questions, concerns and leadership clearly. Because for most of us, it’s all happening virtually. 

Being able to communicate effectively with clients, students, and coworkers in a virtual environment can be the difference between thriving in your career and just getting by. I’ve learned that firsthand this year, as I have reinvented how I communicate in my keynotes and presentations. 

Everything used to be delivered in person, when I could meet people, look them in the eye, and shake their hands. Now, it’s all virtual—and yet the connection I can still make with these wonderful, engaged audience members is simply incredible. 

For me, virtual communication was daunting at first. But once I figured out the technology, I realized that at its core, talking to people through a screen is still talking to people. And from there, it just clicked. Communication, especially virtual communication, takes practice—but 2020 gave us plenty of that, too.  

Tomorrow, we’ll close out the year with a final life and career lesson that 2020 can teach us: empathy. We’ll see you then!