Stories by LAURA KANE

Trust. To succeed at anything, we must earn trust and be accountable to demonstrate it to others, not just occasionally, but daily. No matter how the technology and job description of communications officers may change, our ability to create, build and maintain trust is the most important thing we do. As the world enters the fourth industrial revolution, we are embarking upon an era that fundamentally will change the way we live, work and communicate. Its scale and scope are unknown, but one thing is certain: We must take a thoughtful approach about how we manage communications to engender trust and preserve our organization’s reputation.

As target audiences change, the tools for engaging them evolve, and machines enable us to do our jobs faster and more accurately. Our core function remains the same, however. PR pros still will be responsible for creating stories that educate, influence and connect people with our organizations and brands. To thrive in 2020, communications professionals will need to become more creative, have strong cognitive flexibility, collaborate, be emotionally intelligent and develop the grit necessary to constantly challenge the status quo. Here are ways to start building these important skills now.