Aspire to Higher - Benchmarks for a PR Pro

This post first appeared in Spin Sucks.  

Much continues to be penned on the role of public relations and how the field has changed throughout the years. It is the subject of lively discussion as popular as “what came first the chicken or the egg.”

Everyone has an opinion on who is the lead dog in the race for hearts and minds in the reputation game in the 21st century. Is it PR, marketing, advertising or some other function? And what does 2016 hold for the field and for public relations pros?

Public relations, for the foreseeable future, is essential to building trust with people who have a vital stake in an organization’s operations and success.

It is critical to fulfilling an organization’s missions and responsibilities. Public relations is the conscious in the board room. And if you don’t believe that, fasten your seatbelt, the ride will be rocky.

The fact is PR is all about building and sustaining relationships.

Always has. Always will.

The demand for public relations professionals has never been better and 2016 will likely accelerate the need for folks who are, “Faster than a speeding bullet, more powerful than a locomotive and able to leap tall buildings in a single bound.”

Benchmarks of Successful PR Professionals

Here are some of the most powerful characteristics successful PR professionals will need to be going forward:

• PR professionals are activists, seeking to engage, enlighten, and energize an organization’s constituents. They are not gatekeepers between their companies and the media.
• PR professionals advocate not just for their organizations, but for their organization’s constituents and stakeholders. This adds the important role of presenting the stakeholder’s interests and views to management. It is all about representing all those with a stake and making them understand their inherent obligations.
• PR professionals are strategic content developers and storytellers, helping their organizations formulate key messages that resonate with stakeholders and are coherent with the corporate culture and nature of the organization.
• PR professionals help an organization build mutual trust by encouraging and fostering transparency and integrity throughout the organization.
• PR professionals are counselors who actively advise and guide organizations in honestly communicating and behaving in the best interests of society and its constituents such as customers, employees, shareholders, and the communities in which they operate.
• PR professionals are enablers and connectors, helping organizations stay grounded, stay human, and stay sensitive to the needs and desires of their communities.

In essence, the role of today’s public relations professional is akin to being the conscience of the organization, being ever vigilant to ensuring that the organization is “doing the right thing” and not just saying the right things.

What do you think are the benchmarks of successful PR professionals?

Ponder Before You Post

In this age of instantaneous communications and rapid sound bites, long gone is the luxury of correcting something said in haste. Today's proliferation of channels and technologies has completely obliterated any chance of a safety net. There is no place to hide. The old axioms we thought were destined for the dustbins of history now take on new purpose and vigor.

Sayings like "a card laid is a card played," "haste makes waste," "discretion is the better part of valor" reveal both the benefit and the bane of going on the record with a witty quip, a critical critique or a wrathful word.  It no longer matters whether you are the CEO or the community crier.  The public has no patience for commentary in poor taste or words lacking authenticity and integrity. 

Compounding the dialogic dilemma, should you be on the hunt for a new gig or seeking a recommendation, the retribution can be swift and permanent.  The corporate world is littered with examples of misTweets, Facebook faux pas and loose lips on LinkedIn.  So the judicious thing to do is to ponder well before you post.  Here are some factors on which to ruminate.  The life you save may be your own.

·      Set limits.  Assess and define what you will publicly post.  Decide what is relevant for your career, profession, family and avocation.  Write it down and commit to it.

·      Outline a logical strategy that includes where and how you will comment and whether it helps forward your personal and professional interests.  Ask the question, “Will this comment or post help or hurt my goals and objectives.

·      Choose your weapon.  Identify the channels that are most resonant for your personal and professional brand.  The choices are many – Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Quora, Snapchat, Pinterest, Wechat, Tumblr, YouTube, Google+, etc., etc., etc.

·      Whither Form and Function.  What is the best medium to get across your message.  Is it a text, blog, voice, image or video?  It may be an oversimplification but as Marshall McLuhan once opined “The  Medium is the Message.”  Choose the means or methods that help you make the best case in the most relevant environment.

·      Trust but Verify.  Confidence in your message and commentary is critical.  But as President Ronald Reagan made famous “Trust but Verify.”   Test and validate your comments by answering the following simple questions :

o   Is it true?

o   Can you back it up?

o   Is it intentional?

o   Will it offend or hurt?

o   Does it send an appropriate message?

o   Will your Mom approve?

        If the answer is no, you have

        two choices, 1) don’t post 

        or 2) re-engineer your words.

·      Prepare for the consequences.  Good or bad, right or wrong, get ready to respond and act on commentary that comes your way.  Be honest, open and authentic.  People will appreciate it and if your response is immediate, all the better to blunt any aftershocks.

Everyone today has a voice, can use it and likely will.  Always keep a clear head and stay on message. There is no room or patience for anger and vitriol.  Don’t let your words come back to haunt you.  Ponder before you post.