Academia to Industry, Part 4: Communication is Everything!
Welcome back to my exploration of lessons I’ve learned in my journey from academia to industry.
In Part 1, I explored how the transition from academia to industry affects who you are at your molten scientific core.
In Part 2, we got into the business and what it means to develop business acumen
In Part 3, we got into your roadmap and how you continue to develop
For those who don’t know me I’m an Astrobiology PhD who has spent the past 15+ years pioneering innovative data-driven solutions in the biotech and energy industries. These days I’m the CTO of Cemvita, where I lead ding the development and deployment of nature-inspired biosolutions to enable the transition to a carbon-neutral future. I’ve been fortunate to pivot my career to a point where my grad school self would be amazed. This journey hasn’t been easy, and I’ve made more mistakes than I should probably admit 😊
That said, as we continue to ramp up technology scaling and development to actively tackle the energy transition, there is a glaring need for scientists and interested academics to tackle some of industry’s toughest challenges. In the spirit of helping and enabling the next generation of scientists transitioning to industry, I’ve written up my list of the most impactful lessons I’ve learned. These are broken down into four main themes.
Today, we’re delving into the final part. Part 4: Communication reigns supreme. How we tell our stories and advocate for resources is of key importance.
Quick disclaimer: My opinions are my own, all names have been changed to protect the innocent, and as with everything in your life, your mileage may vary.
Build on!
-Liz
Theme 4: Communication reigns supreme
Lesson 11: Bottom Line Up Front (BLUF)
With communication, aim to say as much as you can in the fewest words.
For the first draft of my promotion document at AWS, I pulled together a detailed assessment of all the work I’d done. The document must have been 18+ pages and told a nuanced and meandering story. I sent it to a peer to review, and he sent it back asking me to make the summary one page. I did. He then sent it back and told me I got 6 bullet points. So I painstakingly summarized all my nuanced prose into 6 phrases. They ended up being the highlight of the document, and crisply called out what I’d been able to do. No longer were my impacts lost along the way, but instead they were right up front.
This lesson has stuck with me. Lead with the Bottom Line Up Front, or BLUF.
It’s why this series of articles has themes and lessons, it’s easier to remember the takeaways and better communication from what I’ve seen.
Lesson 12: Don’t assume communication will come easily
I like to give presentations. I like to write articles. Naturally, some of these skills come easy, but I practice a lot. More than I will probably tell people. For a keynote presentation I’ll spend hours reviewing my talking points and pacing around speaking out loud to myself. I’ve taken numerous webinars and classes on how to give a good keynote. I’m always dissecting other people’s presentations, their articles, and their communication. I make it a habit to continuously study how to communicate and I’m a proud lifelong learner.
Even if you’re a natural at this, practice. You can get better. You can have more depth and range and more styles.
If you’re not a natural at written or verbal communication, put together a plan to get better. Enlist help and make it a priority. The ability to communicate to others is foundational in how resources are allocated and ultimately how decisions are made in industry. If you’re going to advance your career to do incredible science, or deliver incredible products, you owe it to your future teams and departments to hone your communication skills now, making them an art you practice early and often.
Lesson 13: Try to view feedback as a neutral tool
The last lesson I want to leave you with is the ability to take feedback and criticism as a way to grow and not as barbs aimed at your inner being — a true superpower. To quote Hillary Rodham Clinton:
“Take criticism seriously, but not personally.”
Embracing this mindset will serve you well in all aspects of life, particularly when it comes to improving your communication skills.
Throughout my career, I’ve encountered numerous situations where my work has been scrutinized, and my ideas challenged. In the beginning, I would take it to heart and feel disheartened. But over time, I learned to see feedback as an invaluable tool to refine my skills, polish my ideas, and ultimately achieve better results.
As you navigate your own path, remember that not all feedback will be constructive or easy to digest. Some people might be more harsh or direct than others, but it’s essential to remain open and receptive. When receiving feedback, try to focus on the message rather than the messenger, and extract the valuable insights that can help you improve.
In the world of communication, feedback is a gift that allows you to see yourself through someone else’s eyes. It’s an opportunity to identify blind spots and areas for growth, and when approached with an open mind, it can be the catalyst that propels you forward.
So…that’s it. My lessons learned through misadventures transitioning in Academia to Industry. The journey isn’t nearly over, but these foundational lessons provide a framework I’m honored to share.
With boundless enthusiasm,
-Liz
