Next Wednesday I begin teaching my introductory course in public relations at Loyola University. My class is a typical mix of students—some who have a real interest in a communications career, others there "for the credits,"others, on a whim. One might think it a challenge to teach the fundamentals of public relations to students who have no real interest in making PR their life’s work (because as we in PR know, this work has a way of taking over your whole life!).
So, how does one engage these students? My approach is to show them how the skills one utilizes in PR have applications to many other fields, other disciplines. I make this point particularly through one of my favorite guest speakers, Sharon Seal, proprietor of Coaching Concepts (www.coachingconcepts.com).
Sharon isn’t a PR person, she’s a certified professional business coach. She helps her clients embrace their strengths while identifying their weaknesses so they can best achieve their business goals. This is “part and parcel” of a PR pro’s job, as far as I’m concerned. As a PR person, we have to know our clients; how can we offer advice, and offer it in a way it will be accepted, if we don’t understand who our clients are as people? As I’ve often said, to be effective in PR means we have to a bit of an amateur psychologist. And helping them achieve their goals? Is any explanation really necessary here?
As one might expect, excellent communication skills are vital for a good business coach. Same in PR.
Thinking about this further, I’ve come to realize that the “rules to PR” apply just to life in general. Whether you’re a public affairs specialist for a government agency or a salesperson or a politician or a police officer or a scientist or you flip burgers for gosh sakes, I don’t care what your job is, these skills apply:
Be detailed oriented. Plan your work and work your plan. Have an open mind. Always be learning. Be aware of the world around you, the trends that exist and the ones that are coming. Have a good sense of humor. Don’t speak unless you have facts to back you up. NEVER lie. Anticipate problems. Ask “Why?” a lot. Speak well. Be able to take initiative. Take pride in your work and be enthusiastic about it—if you don’t believe it in it, how can you expect others to?
Sharon’s just one example. Here’s another. Last spring I decided to fulfill a long-time dream of mine and take up acting. I’d done some extra work in past years for the famed NBC series, “HOMICIDE,” and even in the movie, “Enemy of the State,” but I’d never really ACTED, that is, taken the stage and said LINES.
Anyway, I was fortunate enough to be cast in a series of 10-minute original plays, and after that experience, was cast again in another show and off I went. Now I’m preparing to open this Friday, Jan. 13th (hopefully that’s GOOD luck) with Eugene O’Neill’s masterwork, “The Iceman Cometh,” at the Fells Point Corner Theater (www.fpct.org).
Now I never studied drama, either in high school or college, and beyond my riveting performance as the Archbishop of Canterbury in an elementary school production of “The Sword in the Stone,” I’d never strode the boards in my life until now.
Many people have found this surprising…until they find out I work in public relations.
“Ah-hah…” comes the reply. Some people have an innate understanding that to be in public relations means you likely have good public speaking skills and are used to being “on the spot,” as in doing TV interviews, etc. And I admit my background in PR has been helpful in ratcheting down the stage fright and being able to “project” while on stage.
You might say PR has helped me be a better actor…and the media relations skills don’t hurt when it comes to helping spread the word about an upcoming show! Case in point, check out all the details for “The Iceman Cometh” at the Fells Point Corner Theater website at www.fpct.org! Post the link of FACEBOOK and Twitter! Tell a friend!
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