Then you must decide which of above troubles rate designation as your corrective public relations goal – for example, clarify misconception, spike that rumor, correct false assumption or fix a certain inaccuracy.

In same way soy sauce goes with stir fry, right PR strategy tells you how to reach your goal. But just three strategies are available in matters of perception and opinion -- change existing perception, create perception where there may be none, or reinforce it. But be sure your new strategy is a natural fit with your new public relations goal.

When you finally have chance to address your key stakeholder audience to help persuade them to your way of thinking, what will you say?

Here’s where a talented writer earns his or her keep because s/he must put together some very special, corrective language. Words that are not only compelling, persuasive and believable, but clear and factual if they are to shift perception/opinion towards your point of view and lead to behaviors you have in mind.

Now job gets easier – select communications tactics to carry your message to attention of your target audience. Making certain that tactics you select have a record of reaching folks like your audience members, you can pick from dozens that are available. From speeches, facility tours, emails and brochures to consumer briefings, media interviews, newsletters, personal meetings and many others.

As method of communication can affect credibility of message, you may wish to deliver it in small meetings or presentations rather than through high-visibility media announcements.

Questions will soon surface as to progress. And that will require a second perception monitoring session with members of your external audience. Employing many of same questions used in first benchmark session, you will now be watching carefully for signs that offending perception is being altered in your direction.

In this business, we’re fortunate that efforts such as this can be accelerated by adding more communications tactics as well as increasing their frequencies, if deemed necessary.

We’re also fortunate that people we deal with behave like everyone else – they act upon their perceptions of facts they hear about us and our operations. Which leaves us little choice but to deal promptly and effectively with those perceptions by doing what is necessary to reach and move our key external audiences to action.

So, in proverbial nutshell, here you have a workable public relations blueprint that can help you persuade your most important outside stakeholders to your way of thinking, then move them to behave in a way that leads to success of your department, division or subsidiary.

end

Bob Kelly counsels, writes and speaks to managers about using the fundamental premise of public relations to achieve their operating objectives. He has been DPR, Pepsi-Cola Co.; AGM-PR, Texaco Inc.; VP-PR, Olin Corp.; VP-PR, Newport News Shipbuilding & Drydock Co.; director of communications, U.S. Department of the Interior, and deputy assistant press secretary, The White House. mailto:bobkelly@TNI.net Visit:http://www.prcommentary.com

The Three Foundational Principles of Business Values 1. There is an objective right and wrong There are two possible ways of looking at ethics. One is that there is a set of values which are right and right values must be followed no matter short term consequences. The second possibility is that particular values shift according to situation. The reason an objective set of values is so important is that it creates stability for organization. Sure there must be flexibility to change with times, but flexibility needs to be in procedures, not in underlying values. If a company does not have a solid set of principles it is founded on and guided by, then every time a new leader comes along, whole focus of company might change. In long run, this will end up creating a disaster in company morale, stability and in integrity of organization.

2. The business maintains personal responsibility for it’s actions. Responsibility for ultimate outcomes has to reside somewhere. Ultimately it resides with person who is in charge. But for there to be a smooth and efficient operation of organization, pieces of it have to reside with individuals who carry out various actions. To degree everyone involved accepts responsibility for their piece of operation, company will move forward with great strength. The moment anyone begins trying to shift responsibility away from themselves, productivity and efficiency begin to go down.

3. Personal integrity is rule. There is a commitment to do what is right. We live in an era where many people look at integrity as an option, rather than a bedrock foundation stone. This means that you treat your customers and make business deals according to what seems useful at moment. This, though, creates two huge problems. The first is that you won’t have any consistency across various parts of your business and over time. The second problem is that your customers and clients will not be sure how to deal with your organization. Both of these together will ultimately wreak havoc on your organization.

You Will Sink or Swim by Your Foundation You do have a set of values that your organization operates by. The question is not, “do they exist.” Rather, it relates to “what kind of control do you have over them?” If you do not consciously know what your organizations guiding principles are, you can not use them to build a strong identity, and your business relationships will flounder. If you do not consciously know what they are, everyone will be creating their own and there will be massive inconsistencies and confusion. It is worth whatever time and effort it takes to get a grip on underlying principles that guide your organization’s operation, and to begin to create a conscious one that you can communicate to everyone. At that point, you will gain control of your operation in ways that allow your to move forward with power.