The Spin Doctor is Out
I’m told that public relations is the world’s second oldest profession. I generally hate to come in second, but in this case I’m OK. The fact is that PR, in one form or another, has been around for a very long time. As long as there has been a need to communicate, there’s been a need to do it well.
I’ve been in public relations for over 20 years now, and I genuinely love what I do. Over those two plus decades I’ve come to appreciate that to succeed in this line of work I need two things above all else: an open mind and a closed mouth. The open mind prevents me from making assumptions. The closed mouth permits me to listen, truly listen, to my clients – to hear their voices rather than my own. Getting to know the client – what they do, how they do it, who’s important to them, what their challenges are and where they want to go – is the essential first step; before any communications plan can be developed, before any recommendations can be made.
Each of my clients has a unique reality and character, and learning about that is among the most enjoyable aspects of the work, and a vital investment of time. What I find most gratifying about the work is the opportunity it affords me to make a fundamental difference in the way a client does business. PR at its best is a far cry from the spin doctoring reputation the field has garnered in the past half century. My intention is to help clients create the kind of organization they envision, not to convince others the organization is something that it’s not.
Properly practiced, PR is a means to clarify, to inform, to persuade, to empower. It links those inside an organization in ways that help them appreciate their collective and individual contributions to the big picture. And it builds bridges to those outside the organization to create dynamic opportunities for growth.
It’s rewarding work, and gaining in corporate stature by the day. Over the past ten years in North America and emerging markets across the globe, PR has become a booming business, due in no small part to the proliferation of communications media that simultaneously present and limit opportunities to reach and affect key audiences.
Navigating that labyrinth independently can cost money and waste time. Where good PR practitioners really add value is in their ability to assess and understand client needs, create clear and effective messaging, identify and implement effective tactics and assess their impact. PR contributes to the operational planning cycle at virtually every level, and it makes a difference.
That’s what I get to do every day. And as I’ve said, I love what I do. It might not be the world’s oldest profession, but it’s definitely one of the best.
