A Well-Oiled Strategy Machine

Yes, that’s what public relations really is when it tracks important external audience perceptions and follow on behaviors. And again when it does something about those perceptions and behaviors by reaching, persuading and moving to actions you desire, those people whose behaviors affect your organization most.

All of which makes it much more likely that you will achieve your operating objectives.

So, could this be time to put a new public relations program in motion that will provide you with results like these?

0 Make sales prospects aware of your product and service values and convert many of them to customers.

0 Reinforce those same product and service values with your existing customers and keep many of them.

0 Boost your productivity by persuading your employees that you really do care about them.

0 Avoid unnecessary problems by insuring that minority community knows you don’t discriminate.

0 Make employee hiring and retention problems a thing of past by convincing community residents that your business is a good place to work.

0 Avoid “bad press” by being straightforward and responsive to media queries – and NEVER lie to them!

0 And nail down that joint venture or strategic alliance by quickly knocking down negative rumors started by trouble- making competitors.

Now, here’s how well-oiled strategy machine that produces such results can support your objectives and work hard for YOU..

Decide up front who matters most to you among those outside audiences of yours. Whose behaviors can make or break your day? Which audiences produce most significant impacts on your organization?

Let’s call that outside audience #1 on priority list and work on it right now. Of course, other external audiences will require your attention in due course.

First question: how do members of this key target audience view your organization and its products and services? Always surprises me how many business people answer this question vaguely, if at all.

To get those and other useful responses, you must interact with those individuals and ask a lot of questions. For example, what do you think of us and our products/services? Or, have you had any problems with our services or products?

Many people end up in a supervisory position or SOHO ownership almost by default. In today's workplace, if someone stays on their job long enough, they will probably be promoted as others more senior to them, or higher up chain of responsibility, leave for other opportunities.

The prevalence of this type of promotion can lead to people with little or no leadership skills being promoted into positions of responsibility.

This type of promotion can have many unexpected and negative effects on current work force if newly promoted supervisor is lacking basic leadership talent. Since a supervisor's skill level is visible immediately to those under their stewardship, a lack of leadership aptitude can be catastrophic to productivity of those now working for new supervisor.

To help inexperienced supervisor overcome some of most common mistakes, following list has been created from problems culled from a diverse field of industries. By simply avoiding these common errors of newly promoted supervisors, a person's chances of becoming an effective manager and leader will be greatly enhanced.

1. Don't attempt to be buddies with your employees. The distinction between supervisor and friend needs to be clear-cut and meaningful.

2. Never hesitate to roll up your sleeves to help, if situation warrants your participation.

3. Ivory tower managers usually are doomed to fail. Make sure not to isolate yourself from those that you directly supervise.