Tuesday, February 28, 2012

The Five Rights

There is no sure-fire way to reach a particular public. In communication and, more specifically, public relations, nothing is guaranteed. That, of course, is what makes the profession such a continuous challenge. Practitioners do their research, try to come up with the best messages they can, present them in appealing and timely ways, and send them out to specific audiences. What happens after that is unknown until something happens. Such a level of uncertainty is the nature of the public relations beast. The challenge for practitioners is to come up with strategies that help reduce the degree to which specific results are unknown.

There are specific keys to successful public relations, however, that can serve as general guidelines for effective outreach efforts. I have grouped them into what I term "the five rights." They are: right people, right channels, right time, right message and right words. Collectively, they refer to the timing, content, wording, intended audience and vehicles of the communication effort. For a plan to be most effective, they should be carried out with as much coordination as possible, nor should these elements be implemented in a vacuum.

Public relations is a team sport. In the case of "the five rights," practitioners can and should think of them much like a basketball team in that each member or part has a specific strength and role to play. Like a basketball team, the members rise and fall as one. The communicator needs to know the right audience to approach, but in order to do so they need the right message being sent out via the right channel at a time that is most right for the targeted public. One "weak" or flawed member of this so-called team and their ability to succeed is compromised.

Friday, February 24, 2012

Being Open and Honest

There is no question that being a leader is not easy. By definition, such a person is called upon on a regular basis to make all kinds of decisions. No matter the wisdom or justification, it is a given that decisions the leader does make will not please everyone. People have their own perspectives and as a result do not always agree with the choices of a leader no matter how well-intentioned they may be. This, of course, is normal though a bit frustrating at times for both the leader and those he or she oversees. Given the reality of this periodic disagreement, the question then becomes what steps can be taken to ensure honest differences do not escalate to lasting wounds or division?

From a communication perspective, there are several tangible steps that leaders can and should take. To better explain, as an example let me use the hiring of an organizational executive. To begin, the hiring process should be as transparent as possible. Doing so creates confidence in those who are doing the hiring and reduces levels of anxiety staff members might be feeling. Secondly, that process needs to be honored. If executives say the search process is open to internal and external candidates, for example, then that should be the case. Being open and honest displays respect for the entire staff and helps fortify office morale at all levels even if the candidate who is eventually hired is to everyone's liking.

Should those doing the hiring need or decide to make adjustments in the process, then they need to be open about that. Making changes without notifying the staff members is not being honest. In a worst-case scenario, should leaders announce an open process when they have no intention of being open, then the consequences can be dire. It destroys the credibility of the leaders, damages employee morale, and puts the person being hired beyond the eight-ball with employees he or she will be directing. The lesson here is people are much more likely to accept decisions by leadership they do not always agree with so long as the decision-making process is conducted as openly and honestly as possible.

Tuesday, February 21, 2012

Potential

I would like to make a couple of observations about potential. Potential is a great thing to be perceived to have. People assess another person and conclude this individual has the kind of talent, skills or ability that will help them rise to high levels in whatever walk of life they pursue. If by chance that individual actually does advance, then the person who noticed their potential often congratulations themselves by telling others they recognized this person's potential. There is nothing wrong with this scenario, of course. In fact, my guess is it happens in some capacity on a regular basis in many organizations.

To those who spot potential in another, one question I ask this: What do you do about it when you judge another to have potential? Do you make an effort to try and create opportunities so this person can fulfill their potential? Or do you simply make your observation and then do nothing? Does potential go to waste if there is no opportunity to go with it? By recognizing talent in another, does the person who does the recognizing suddenly have a responsibility to do something about it in the same way a person who recognizes a safety hazard have a responsibility to do something about that? My guess is people would say "no" to the first question and "yes" to the second.

If my assumption is accurate, then I wonder why this is the case? Is there something about helping others become the best they can be not something that we view as being all that important or as important as, say, helping ourselves? Perhaps I am becoming increasingly cynical, but I am inclined to believe that people do not equate helping others with anything close in importance to helping themselves. This may not be a bad thing, but it is unfortunate. One other related point: when does one stop being viewed as having potential? Does being perceived as having potential only belong to the young?

Friday, February 17, 2012

Communicating Ignorance

It has been said that acknowledging one's ignorance is the beginning of wisdom. I sure hope this is true because I confess to being ignorant about a lot of things. For instance, I currently teach several classes in public relations. Week-in and week-out I struggle with messages to share with my students - over 80 of them this semester - that will resonate with them intellectually and inspire them emotionally to want to learn more and raise their base of knowledge far beyond what I can do for them. While this is a challenge I embrace, the reality of of it does not make it any less daunting.

What complicates the challenge is the profound confusion that seems to be dominating our society. People want change yet are reluctant to change themselves. They want freedom yet want a future that is as risk-free as possible. They want less government intervention except when it benefits them. This list of contradictions can easily be expanded and has been written about by scholars and public policy experts for decades. Whether it is more intense these days than in ones past, I will leave to historians. But it exists and its level of intensity is certainly no less than what we have seen in the past.

I confess to not knowing the solution to these contradictions. It is all I can do to try and raise them in the context of teaching communication in a way that goes beyond the mechanics of the profession and the fact my wanna-be PR pros are looking into entering a world where communicators are often the go-to people for explaining society's complexities and the contradictory behavior and perspectives of the people in it. Perhaps driving home a couple of truisms would help: be prepared for the reality that not all communication strategies will succeed and that PR professionals must be nimble because circumstances and people change constantly.

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

The Value of Research

I am fortunate enough to teach several classes in communication. Specifically, they revolve around public relations, including its process, the importance of measuring its success, and steps to take to maintain that success. All of these are important, of course, as they demonstrate any public relations effort requires multiple steps. Contrary to the views of some, PR is not simply a matter of sending out a press release, getting a client's name in the newspaper, or buying an ad in a magazine. It involves planning. But as important as is each of the steps that comprise a comprehensive public relations campaign, perhaps the most important is research.

Research serves as the foundation from which a campaign is built. Further, solid research greatly improves the chances of campaign success. Generally, many campaigns begin with a concept or outline of goals. Sometimes a client will do little else than present their communicators with a wish list of things they would like to see happen. Research allows those communicators to take those goals or concepts and begin gaining a full understanding and awareness of what has been done in the past to turn similar thoughts into reality. What steps were taken? Which ones were successful? Which ones were not? Why did they succeed or fail? How much money was spent? What publics were targeted? These are a few of the key questions that are addressed in the research phase.

Once data has been collected and analyzed in the research phase, then the communicators can begin devising promotional and/or outreach strategies based upon facts, not mere conjecture, gut feelings or shallow instinct. The more hard data a communicator has, the better is their ability to come up with viable strategies that can be justified and managed. Particularly in these times of tight budgets, communicators need solid information on which to base their own ideas. Good research does that. Good research can often be the foundation from which road maps to communication success.

Friday, February 10, 2012

A Broad Perspective

Let's be honest. Goldfish have to be among the least exciting pets a child can have. Sure they are low maintenance, but they have little to offer in terms of affection or entertainment. One thing I have often wondered about when it comes to goldfish is if they see the glass in which they are encased. Are they aware of the confine that restricts their range of movement, that imprisons them, that, without their knowledge, imposes guidelines on their lives, and forces them into particular habits that define their behavior? My guess is they are not. My guess is they instinctively play the hand that has been dealt them without thought of even the possibility of other options.

We, too, are creatures of habit and our environment. We, too, adapt to our surroundings and, in doing so, often contend with restrictions that end up limiting our ability to expand our experiences, challenge our talents, and explore new opportunities. This reality, in essence, impedes our perspective, makes it more narrow than perhaps it could or should be. One of the aspects of communication I like best is the fact that, by definition, effective communication is the product of a broad prospective. In order to connect successfully with others or help others connect with others, perspectives beyond one's own need to be learned and weighed.

Think of relations any of us might have. We are with someone we like. We want to be their friend. We make a point of learning about their interests, likes and dislikes, viewpoints on various issues, etc. Before proposing to share an activity, we consider if they would enjoy it. Sometimes our suggestion might not be acceptable. Nevertheless, it is often made from a perspective of "us" rather than "me." It is no different in a professional setting. Any good campaign includes solid research, an act the requires looking beyond one's own knowledge base. Communicating well, then, helps drive us to keep our boundaries as broad as possible.

Tuesday, February 7, 2012

Communication Addicts

The other day I was eating lunch and noticed three people at a nearby table. Rather than talking with each other, they were all busy with their I-phones: checking emails, texting, and looking for messages they may have missed. I could not help but think that these three people - friends no doubt - had made arrangements to meet for lunch to probably catch up and certainly enjoy each other's company. I am guessing it may have taken a little juggling on their part to come up with a day and time on which they all agreed. Yet here they were: communicating with others. And from what I could tell, they all seemed ok with that.

Several weeks before that, I watched a story on a local television network about high school age students who sleep with their I-phones for fear of missing messages that might come in during the night. Should they actually receive a text or email from someone they know, they respond immediately. The result is they rarely have a night of uninterrupted sleep. And they seem ok with that. And, of course, then there are those who actually text while driving. Never mind for a moment they are putting themselves and others at-risk when they do that, these individuals and others I mentioned seem to represent a different kind of addict that is new to our society.

All of us are familiar with drug addicts and alcoholics, for instance. But we now seem to be witnessing the creation and rise of a generation of communication addicts. Even as someone who has worked in communication for 40 years, I recognize this cannot be a good thing. As wonderful as the I-phone is, it is supposed to be little more than a tool to enhance our ability to remain connected with others. As a tool, we are supposed to be the one that controls it. Unfortunately, more and more this seems to be a case of the tail definitely wagging the dog. I am not sure where this trend is taking us, but my sense is we as a society need to give serious thought as to its wisdom.

Friday, February 3, 2012

Stepping Toward the Unknown

I bet all of us know someone who consistently looks at a glass of water and says it is half-empty. They rarely, if ever, say it's half-full. And then there are those who do not want to rock the perpetual boat. They resist new ways because "it has never been done that way before." Possibly the most creative of these individuals are the ones who say new ideas cannot be implemented and then proceed to put forth a series of reasons. Some of their reasons are actually well-thought out while others are based on their own bias or conjecture. Either way, they, too, are resistant to new ideas and new strategies.

To be fair, there is comfort in pessimism. Maintaining the status quo does bring with it a certain peace of mind. And doing things the same way does have its advantages. At the same time, however, there is a downside to each of these. Creativity has a hard time finding a seat at such a table, for instance. Innovation does not even receive an invitation. And as far as things like improvement and progress go, if they happen at all it is by accident. Yet people who hang onto what they know and resist reaching toward what they do not are very much part of our lives. Fortunately, so, too, are those who are willing to step toward the unknown.

Communicators can play a key role in helping bring about advancement. Communicators can help those inclined to resist change muster up enough courage to step out of their comfort zone. Detailed research of a situation is one way to do this. Balanced analysis of people and situations is another. A core belief in the potential of opportunity, particularly as it applies to people and entities, is a third way. By devising logical and compelling explanations that are fact-based, communicators can help pessimists and, yes, even optimists feel better justified in choosing paths that are different from those they have traveled before.