Insights for Leaders Navigating
Visibility, Credibility, and Growth.
From media strategy to reputation management, we explore the trends shaping public perception and share the approaches that drive measurable results for growing brands.
Since starting my public relations career this year, I’ve been working to expand my PR knowledge and recently started listening to the PR podcast The Spin Sucks with Gini Dietrich.
One episode that caught my attention focused on making your writing meaningful and engaging. In it, Dietrich talked about writing stories that mean something. I found it so helpful that I thought I’d recap a few of the insights that I thought were most helpful. They are:
- Avoid the superficial – While the subject of a piece must hold value for the reader, it’s as essential that the subject means something to the writer. Meaning something is important because it enhances the writing, which in turn impacts the engagement of readers. At the same time, Dietrich talks about a college advisor who insisted that writers relate their topic to something in their past. While Dietrich agreed that writing about what you know can make for a compelling piece, it’s also possible to do so without digging up your past.
- Follow your curiosity – Sometimes, passion isn’t enough. If you’re struggling with writer’s block, it’s often helpful to explore a new curiosity. Dietrich uses the example of Elizabeth Gilbert, the author of “Eat, Pray, Love.” When Gilbert was blocked, she took a break to learn about gardening, something she had always been interested in. Inspired by her new interest, Gilbert found key insight for her writing.
- Eliminate distractions – This may be obvious, but if you think about all the distractions we face during a typical day, you might find we often overlook common culprits. Other work tasks, chat or text messages, and emails can steal our focus. To eliminate these, I recommend scheduling deep work time on your calendar to let coworkers know when you’ll be focusing on writing projects. You also might want to consider using the Pomodoro method, where you work in strict blocks of focused time, for instance, 25- or 60-minute segments.
- Take a break – As someone who writes with the flow of a dripping water tap rather than a river, I need to follow this advice more often than I’d like. I often find after a short break my mind has had a chance to reset and writing becomes easier. For Dietrich, taking a break involves actually stepping away from the computer. For others, it might mean taking a walk, reading for 15 minutes, or spending time on a work task that they find easier.
To write a compelling story, Dietrich recommends focusing on these methods to deliver the story’s message:
- Write toward a fictional future – This can help quantify your company’s larger goals. Say your client wants to become more profitable. Does that future mean the organization is outpacing or buying out competitors? Focusing on a specific future can help clarify and communicate your goals to the reader.
- Focus on values rather than outcomes – When writing about an organization’s goals, it’s vital to focus on their underlying values. While a revenue goal is excellent, highlighting solutions your company wants to achieve holds more power. According to Dietrich, adding words like help, inspire, shape, and change to the narrative supports ideas of growth.
- Develop your client’s narrative – For Dietrich, there’s an important distinction between a mission statement and actions. If supporting the local area is part of an organization’s mission, creating a program that gives back to the community will significantly impact its outreach more than just the mission statement itself.
I found Gini Dietrich’s insights in The Spin Sucks podcast thought-provoking and truly helpful for my own writing. It’s an excellent addition to any PR professional’s podcast library. You can find the episode here: The Spin Sucks with Gini Dietrich.
Since Elon Musk took over at Twitter, an increasing number of advertisers have suspended activity on Twitter, while staffing cuts, changed policies and fake accounts have created chaos.
According to DigiDay, “GroupM, the world’s largest media buying agency, is telling clients that Twitter is now a ‘high risk’ media buy following a barrage of controversies, U-turns and confusion that capped off Elon Musk’s second week as the owner of the social network.”
There are also concerns about stability at Twitter amid massive layoffs, including top executives and reports that indicate a significant decline in the company’s most active users.
With changes to its verification process and policies that may increase hate speech, Twitter seems to be offering more reputational risk instead of opportunity. Consider the impact when a fake Eli Lilly account – with a blue check mark indicating it was authentic – posted that insulin is now free. Eli Lilly stock fell 4. 37%.
All these factors are causing companies to re-evaluate their use of Twitter. And not just advertising.
A recent Inc. article asserts that companies focused on protecting their brand, retaining talent, and shoring up their customers should consider putting Twitter on hold.
Olin Business School marketing expert, Michael Wall shared that all organizations should “closely monitor the situation to minimize risk to their brands.”
He continued by saying that while it may be difficult for corporations to walk away from Twitter if it is an important communication channel for the organization, “if changes occur that lead an organization to move away from the platform, my position is that they can still achieve their objectives in other channels.”
Marketing strategies and activities must support a company’s business and communication objectives, such as driving revenue, attracting and retaining talent, securing investment, and building thought leadership and brand reputation.
To meet these objectives, companies need to assess what strategies, platforms and approaches will reach their target audiences effectively and efficiently and align with their corporate values.
Businesses that provide customer service via Twitter or determine the channel is critical in reaching their user base, or customers may decide to continue to utilize the platform. And as Wall suggests, those organizations should consider, “How can we become a positive influence in the channel and a leader in its appropriate use?”
As Twitter continues to change in the coming weeks and months, we expect many marketers and communicators will continue to revisit their use of Twitter to determine if the platform still makes sense for their brand.
For those considering moving away from Twitter, Brian X. Chen, with The New York Times offers futher guidance, “How to Prepare for Life After Twitter.”
In October, I had the opportunity to travel to Boston for a professional development course. The course was called “Managing Yourself and Leading Others” and was offered by the Harvard Division of Continuing Education.
The program is “designed to help managers become more effective leaders,” delving into “the fundamentals of managing yourself, leading teams, and motivating others to accomplish your company’s goals.” Participants were exposed to insights to help them “gain a broader and deeper understanding of organizational culture and dynamics, management best practices, the role of the manager, and the nature of influence.”
Below, I’ve compiled a list of key lessons I learned during the course.
- Lao Tsu said, “Knowing others is intelligence; knowing yourself is true wisdom. Mastering others is strength; mastering yourself is true power.” When we can effectively understand and manage ourselves, we become better leaders and make better decisions.
- There are four foundational components to emotional intelligence: (1) self-awareness, (2) self-management, (3) social awareness and (4) social skill.
- The Institute for Health and Human Potential argues that the single most important variable in employee productivity and loyalty is not pay, perks, benefits, or workplace environment. Rather, it is the quality of the relationship between employees and their direct supervisors.
- There are six common leadership styles. The best leaders shift seamlessly between Authoritative, Affiliative, Democratic and Coaching.
- Coercive: “Do what I tell you.”
- Authoritative: “Come with me.”
- Affiliative: “People come first.”
- Democratic: “What do you think?”
- Pacesetting: “Do as I do, now.”
- Coaching: “Try this” or “what did you learn?”
- We judge ourselves by our intentions. Others judge us by our impact. There are several factors that can impact our intended actions. A prime factor is our emotions. It’s safe to say that the average person begins their day with good intentions; they want to be productive at work, meet deadlines, make dinner at home, exercise, spend time with loved ones, etc. But situations may arise during the day that present roadblocks to achieving those intended actions such as traffic on the way to work, an unexpected meeting, mental or physical health issues, etc. It’s vital to differentiate between intention and impact, especially when an impact is negative.
- Strong company cultures are a function of:
- Stability of the group
- Length of time the group has existed
- Intensity of group experiences of learning
- Coping mechanisms of learning (e.g., positive reinforcement vs. avoidance)
- Strength and clarity of assumptions held by founders and leaders
- It’s possible to influence others without (formal) authority. Successful influence starts with your objectives and resources, and rests largely on understanding that not everyone cares about what you care about. Successful influencers can determine what team members value, how they want to be related to, what pressures they’re under, how they’re measured and their style. Effective influencers leverage currencies. Currencies might be new resources, assistance, rapid response, information, acceptance, recognition, contacts, gratitude, comfort, etc. Influence in an organization is typically awarded to individuals who are genuinely interested in the welfare of others. They make connections and engage in mutually beneficial currency exchanges.
- Conversational turn-taking and social sensitivity are paramount to psychological safety in teams.
- In teams, remember that efficiency is not the same as effectiveness.
- Supervising individuals is not the same as leading a team.
- Leaders can establish credibility with subordinates, peers and superiors by showcasing their character and intentions to do the right thing, as well as their competence and ability to make the right things happen. Character and competence are central to trust.
- Leaders often derail because they:
- Have difficulty building an effective team
- Have difficulty in making transitions
- Lack follow-through
- Treat people badly
- Have strategic differences with top management
- Are overdependent on a single strength or resource
- Managing others’ performance is a process, not an event.
- Frame performance reviews to help the individual go further at the company.
- When giving feedback, remember to:
- Illustrate specific examples
- Provide suggestions
- Be honest, fair and kind
- Provide feedback often
- Focus on business outcomes
- Don’t assume you’re right
- Ask questions
- Follow up
- Poor company and team climates negatively impact an organization’s bottom line.
- People are a competitive advantage.
I’m extremely appreciative of the opportunity to attend “Managing Yourself and Leading Others.” I gained exposure to unique perspectives from professionals across industries and across the globe.
What do Twitter, Meta, Redfin and Zillow share in common? They’ve all laid off or announced plans to lay off employees. (For more information on company layoffs, this CNBC article is helpful.)
Given this recent turbulence in the tech sector, we thought it would be helpful to share some reminders about internal and external communications when planning for or reducing workforces.
Below are some reminders that we hope will be helpful.
- Develop a comprehensive plan. Your reduction in force (RIF) comms plan should address messaging, timing and outline all the steps you’ll take to communicate effectively and in a manner that is both respectful and compassionate. HR, legal and corporate communications leaders should collaborate on this document and share it with other leaders and board members for their input and thoughts.
- Outline your key messages. Messaging surrounding the reduction should focus on why you’re making the change. Laurie Tennant recently wrote in Harvard Business Review, “[Rationale] should be a clear, honest, and compelling explanation of why the RIF is necessary, including discussion of other options previously taken or rejected (e.g., furloughs, pay cuts, unpaid vacations, divestitures). Companies with a history and culture of openness about the state of the business will have an easier time getting employees to understand why action steps are required.” After explaining your rationale for the RIF, you should articulate what is being done for impacted employees.
- Prepare managers and role play if necessary. When leaders share the news, it’s important to show empathy for the people who are impacted. Practice avoiding language like this is difficult for me. We all know layoffs are challenging, but it’s far harder for the individuals losing their jobs so focus on their needs, not yours.
- Communicate in person if possible. When Twitter laid off 3,700 employees earlier this month, they did it over email. This was considered by most experts to be a huge mistake. In a story that aired on Marketplace, Michael Sturman, a professor of human resources management at Rutgers University, said, “It’s like breaking up in a relationship over text.” He thinks it’s much more effective to have a two-way conversation so people can ask questions. He added, “Companies should take the time for one-on-one meetings in person or over Zoom —even if that means doing thousands of them.”
- Don’t leave the remaining employees in the dark. Consider bringing remaining employees together for a virtual town hall to answer their questions. Making sure they don’t have unresolved questions is often vital in motivating those remaining.
Even a modicum of planning and direct, clear – and empathetic – communication will go a long way toward cushioning the blow of a layoff.
Other articles and resources on this topic:
- Layoffs Are Painful. But You Can Communicate Them Compassionately
- Layoffs and Communication: What NOT to Do
- Twitter’s messy layoffs show how not to communicate firings
- A Scripted Layoff
Supporting multiple non-competing clients within the same industry can be challenging, especially when it comes to staying organized and maintaining professional boundaries. However, there are ways PR professionals can leverage industry knowledge and experience to maximize results for these clients.
Below are some best practices to implement when working with multiple clients in the same industry.
Maximize research. When conducting research for one client, it’s helpful to note findings that could be relevant to other clients’ communication goals. This may be anything from shifts in the market to new reporters to important industry data points.
Flagging these notes to all the relevant account teams streamlines and maximizes your research. Keep all clients in mind as you learn about the industry. This saves time and maximizes the results of your work.
Investigate industry events and awards. Most events and awards aren’t specific to a sector or specialty. Consider keeping a master spreadsheet that tracks important deadlines, costs, etc., for general industry events and awards. This lets you highlight specific opportunities that align with each client for speaking, exhibiting, sponsorship or award opportunities.
If one client wants to pursue an event or award, make a note of their experience. You can use these notes for multiple clients in the future.
Stay up to date on industry news. As we all know, keeping up with the news cycle is critical in public relations. When you have multiple clients in one industry, they are likely impacted by the same current events. Be sure to stay ingrained in industry news and think through how the news directly affects each client. This helps you stay on top of news coverage for competitors of all clients, as well as how different reporters cover specific topics.
Support networking opportunities. Industry members often run in the same circles. Don’t hesitate to connect your clients with one another. They may find mutually beneficial ways of working together, and you could facilitate that relationship.
Leverage media relationships. Developing “friendly” media relationships can benefit all your clients. Consider seeding these relationships with a note introducing yourself to the reporter and highlighting client subject matter experts who could serve as resources. Then, ask what they enjoy writing about and determine if one (or more) of your clients can support their reporting.
While supporting multiple organizations within a shared industry can be intimidating, there are ways PR professionals can maximize their knowledge and resources to achieve desired results for both clients.
When looking for your first PR job, this industry might seem at once unimaginably exciting and yet impossibly opaque. Some surprising questions might pop up during your first job search.
As someone in the early stages of their PR career, I have some insight into the industry that might be helpful to those trying to break into PR. Here are some questions you should ask yourself when searching for your first job.
- What interests you? What could you be interested in?
Believe it or not, nearly every field or industry uses some form of public relations. Your interests can help guide your PR career trajectory. For example, say you studied public relations in college but have always been interested in science. Many PR professionals have targeted careers in science, technology or engineering.
As an early professional, it is the perfect time to try different fields while gaining foundational knowledge about PR. Many skills are transferable across PR roles. Don’t panic, however, if you find yourself in a field you are not interested in. Learning what you don’t like is just important as learning what you do.
- Would you prefer in-house or agency PR?
This is a big question. The differences between in-house and agency PR include working environment and job responsibilities. In-house PR means working for one company on its PR deliverables. Your focus will be that client, allowing a deeply integrated understanding of the brand. While you’ll still be performing media relations, this is typically at a smaller level compared to an agency. In-house PR may also include internal communications, such as sharing company news and updates with employees.
When working for an agency or firm, you may work with a solitary client or on different client accounts. If you are working with multiple clients, it can be challenging to manage your workload and deliverables, but you will gain valuable experience by working for an array of industries and PR tasks.
No client is the same. PR professionals working at an agency must be adaptable and willing to become an expert in multiple client disciplines and industries. Agency lifestyle is exciting because there are always new tasks and things to learn. While in-house and agency work differs, there are overlapping aspects unique to each job role.
- Do you want B2B or B2C clients?
PR work is often divided into two categories: business-to-business PR (B2B) and business-to-consumer PR (B2C). B2B entails conducting PR work on behalf of businesses targeted toward other businesses. This requires pitching to specific business and trade publications and executing thought leadership tactics. B2B roles typically consist of longer-form, business-style writing.
B2C work is targeted toward consumers. This requires working with product-focused or advertorial publications. In today’s ever-evolving communication landscape, B2C can be more focused on advertorials, social media or influencers.
- What kind of work do you like doing?
When reading job descriptions, think about the types of work you enjoy doing. What was exciting in your college classes that you would like to continue in your career?
No PR job is the same. Take the time to find jobs that fit the kind of work that you enjoy. Don’t just jump at the first opportunity if it sounds like something you aren’t interested in. For example, if you dreaded writing assignments in college, maybe avoid positions with writing-heavy descriptions.
When you interview, be sure to ask what the job role entails to get a good feel for the work you will be doing. PR roles have different focuses that can include writing, media relations, social media, event planning and crisis management. Keep in mind which best suits you.
- What kind of company environment are you looking for?
The environment of a company is one of the most important considerations when looking for a career. Be realistic about what you want in a company culture and a work environment. Questions to consider include:
- Do you prefer an in-person or remote environment?
- What relationships do you hope to have with your team members?
- Would you value having a mentor?
These questions open deeper conversations within yourself about the culture of the PR career that you seek. Assess each company by its job description and discuss in your interviews the culture and other aspects important to you.
When choosing something as important as your career, don’t be afraid to have an honest conversation with yourself. If you’re clear about what you are looking for, knowing what you want in your first PR role will become much easier.