Dry Bones

One of the great songs that lays out how connected things are is that old children's ditty, "Dry Bones." People may not be familiar with the song from its title, but I have no doubt once the tune begins everyone immediately knows it and has no trouble singing along: "The toe bone connected to the heel bone, the heel bone connected to the foot bone, the foot bone connected to the knee bone," etc. right up to the neck bone being connected to the head bone. It is fun song with a catchy beat. To me, it has an even more memorable message: all of our parts are forever linked and, as a result, are interdependent.

It is this reality of connectivity that is also part of the public relations process. Research is connected to planning. Planning is connected to execution. Execution is connected to evaluation. Evaluation is connected to research. The four primary steps in any public relations effort are linked in a circular manner. To exclude even one of the four steps from a public relations plan is to put forth one that is compromised, less than what it should be; an effort that is weaker and less likely to enjoy any degree of sustained success. Research, planning, execution and evaluation are a package deal and should be treated as such by all practitioners.

In their haste to launch out-reach efforts, it is not uncommon to see practitioners skip over such fundamental steps as research or evaluation or, worse yet, both. As communication scholars David Guth and Charles Marsh said, research and evaluation represent the cornerstone of the public relations effort. They help practitioners address two vital questions: What do we think we know? and "What is it we don't know? Together, answering these questions help address any false assumptions we might have or explore any unknown territory we have not examined. They are part of the entire public relations package, much like the body parts in the "Dry Bones" song.