Don’t Put Up With “Junk PR”

In public relations, “junk” is more about attitude and lack of understanding than a measure of quality.

Hopefully, if your public relations mission is yet to be accomplished, you agree that its primary thrust MUST be to take advantage of fact that people act on their own perception of facts before them leading to predictable behaviors. Then create, change or reinforce that perception/opinion by reaching, persuading and moving to actions YOU desire, those people whose behaviors most affect your organization.

If you buy that idea, you might also agree that a preoccupation with things like brochures versus press releases versus newsletters could be seen as a “junky” approach to public relations. Particularly when you compare it to a comprehensive plan that targets kind of stakeholder behavior change that leads directly to achieving your objectives.

And those objectives may include customers who make repeat purchases, prospects converted to customers, beneficial joint ventures and strategic alliances, unions more frequently bargaining in good faith or your suppliers doing everything they can to expand relationship.

How do you find such a plan? Please keep reading.

First, have you ever sat down and listed every outside audience whose behaviors impact your business in any significant way? Well, list them now, then rank them according to how serious each impact is, and let’s work on external audience at top of your list.

How frequently do you interact with members of that target audience? Probably not frequently enough to be really aware of how they feel about your organization. You must interact regularly and ask a lot of questions like “What do you think of our business? Have you had experience with our services or our products?” All while remaining alert to any negativities, especially damaging rumors, inaccuracies, misconceptions and like.

If you want to motivate your team you must demonstrate integrity.

There is no alternative.

You may be able to get by without it for a while. You may be able to get temporary results from your team by threats or rewards alone, or by playing off one member against another, or by shifting blame onto others, but it won’t last.

Sooner or later you will reap what you sow and you will get what is coming. And what is coming in this case is poor work output from a despondent and demotivated staff, a high stress level for you as you fight against odds, and an increasing number of complaints from your own superiors at declining performance.

Why make your life difficult? Why do it hard way when there is an easier way?

Act with integrity towards your team and your life will be easier. Why? Because it is human nature to react towards someone according to how they act toward you. If you treat someone in a decent and sympathetic way they will be more inclined to treat you that way too. If you treat them badly they will treat you badly.