There’s a general consensus that this wasn’t the best year we’ve had in our lifetimes. There was a lot of uncertainty, a considerable amount of adjustments made to our personal and professional lives, and a number of difficult decisions that needed to be made. But even in some of the darkest times we experienced this year, there were silver linings that gave us hope and a renewed sense of gratitude. Although we could have never predicted on New Year’s Day 2020 what the twelve months to follow would look like, we can look back at what we have accomplished and carry those positive experiences into 2021.
One thing I learned this year was the importance of communication. The way in which we communicated varied throughout the year, whether it was taking on a new program like Zoom, calling or texting more than we’re accustomed to, or being in-person socially distanced discussing strategy, we had to be dynamic in order for us to be effective in our dialogue. There will always be times of miscommunication or undefined intentions behind a call or an email, but it’s important to minimize those instances as much as possible.
A few tips to help avoid or minimize those misunderstandings while communicating are:
Choose your words wisely. If you can’t physically see the person express their emotions during the conversation, ensure your emotions are being portrayed correctly in your words.
Don’t be afraid to speak up if something said was unclear. Leaving a conversation without a clear understanding of what was discussed can cause more issues than there needs to be.
Conclude the communication with an invite to reach back out if they have a question or want to follow-up. It’s so important for others to know that they aren’t burdening you if they need to clarify something that was discussed or expand on a new idea.
Be confident in your communications in 2021 and know that there is always room for development in that area of your personal and professional life.
Dylan Rutledge, Operations Director
Eden Resources, LLC
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