Paying Attention to Details

I do not know who first came up with the phrase, "success is in the details." Whoever did and whatever the circumstances that inspired them to articulate it, this observation is applicable to so many aspects of life. One so-called aspect, of course, is communication. Public relations practitioners and other professional communicators need to be very sensitive to details because the success of their efforts is determined by how thorough they are in identifying as many details as possible in a communication plan and then how closely they are able to address those same fine points in actually carrying out the plan.

One example of this is in crisis communication. (This is something I discussed recently with one of my public relations classes. The discussion revolved around a scenario involving a fire in one of the residence halls at a university. It begins with the public relations director receiving a call at 2:30 in the morning that there is a major fire on campus.) As the institution's top communicator is driving into campus, what is on their to-do list in terms of dealing with this crisis from a communication perspective? How extensive this list is will in all likelihood determine how well they are able to meet their responsibilities during such a stressful time.

The details range from collecting information about the fire, including its causes and the extent of its damage, and the welfare of the students in the residence hall to contending with the media and ensuring timely and accurate information is made available to all pertinent publics. None of these steps are small and each one involves a number of specific tactics  One overlooked detail and/or one detail addressed poorly can result in a great deal of harm to the communicator's university as well as to those affected by the fire. For professional communicators, success or effectiveness is tied directly to their respect for and adherence to details. 

No Guarantees

All of us are familiar with the old saying that the only sure things in life are death and taxes. For the record, there should be a third element to that list: communication. It is guaranteed that no matter what, we will communicate. What is not guaranteed, of course, is whether whatever communicating we do will be successful. For that to happen, a combination of planning, research, sound execution and a touch of good fortune is needed. And even then, there is no guarantee our communication efforts will generate the results we want. Ever. In fact, that reality is the hard truth about communication. 

To add to that hard truth, there is not even a guarantee that communication well planned and executed perfectly will be successful. How frustrating is that? A perfect example is the job interview. Over the years I have gone on a number of job interviews. There have been a few when as a candidate I hit an absolute home run. All my responses to the questions asked me were spot-on. On a personal level, I connected with the interviewee. Plus, my qualifications perfectly fit the job description. Walking out of those interviews I felt as if my being offered the job was a foregone conclusion. From a communication perspective, my preparation and execution were sound. Unfortunately, no job offer came. My so-called effective communicating was not quite so effective after all. 

Or was it? One could argue that it was as I achieved the goals that I could control: being well prepared and presenting myself in a positive manner that, by all indications, seemed to be well received. At the same time, there is no denying the reality that I did was not given any follow-up interviews or job offers. This example illustrates whatever control any of us have over our communication efforts, that control is limited. This is why communication professionals need to remember this reality, both for their own sake as well as of the sake of their clients. Communication is an act with no guarantees.

Public Relations' Future

The field of publc relations as it has been called now for over a century has seen a good many bumps and turns and even ups and downs in its evolution. Yet even with its imperfections, the good news is not only does it remain very much part of the landscape of society, never before has it been more accepted, utilized or popular. Each year, for instance, thousands of ambitious communciation student enter into the communication pipeline with the hope of eventually securing careers as public relations practitioners. They represent the stability and ongoing longevity of the profession in a world that continues to be in need of effective communication and communicators.

However, the steady and anticipated increase in public relations practioners represents only one part of public relations' future. What about the practice itself? What about the actual act of publicizing, reaching out and/or support gathering? How will they change or evolve in the coming years? For instance, will we see the continuing decline of press release yet coinciding rise of social media as a primary tool of professional communicators? Will staged media events continue to be part of a practitioner's arsenal or will they be replaced by other attention-getting strategies that have yet to be introduced? 

One key element in the future of public relations pertains to interactions or connections with the public or audiences. What will be practitioners be doing differently in the future toward maintaining linkages with the public? Throughout much of its evolution, public relations has been focused on reaching out to audiences. Not enough, in my view, has been about active engagement with the public. While this aspect of public relations is happening, currently more thought, focus and effort on it needs to be done. This, perhaps, is where the future of public relations is. Devising and understanding ways to talk at audiences has been the primary thrust thus far. Perhaps greater emphasis on talking with those same publics will be the next priority.

"In the Arena"

One year after completing his tenure as president of the United States,  Theodore Roosevelt gave what many consider to be his most famous speech in France. Formally titled "Citizenship in a Republic," in the following years it has come to be known as the "in the arena" speech. Following is a passage from it: "......It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes up short again and again, because there is no effort without error or shortcoming......."

These remarks by Roosevelt are as bold as they are memorable. Inspirational is another descriptive that readily applies. I cannot help but apply them to the communicator whose job it is to provide voice on behalf of others: the spokesman. It is this professional's job to present him or herself before a microphone and address questions and comments from reporters and the public, many of which are unforeseen, challenging, disrespectful, provocative and pointed. Yet the spokesman faces them all  because that is their job and many times there is no one else to do it. Often, chief executives pick and choose their moments to be interviewed. Spokesmen do not. 

 I often view spokesmen as being among the communication industry's first responders. Particularly when controversy is in the air and others are turning away or hiding behind "busy schedules" or stonewalling, it is the spokesmen who moves toward the press and others demanding answers and explanation. Their task is not easy. These communicators prepare themselves as best they can knowing full-well there is no guarantee what they say will be reported or quoted fairly or accurately. What price will be paid if and when this happens is another unknown. Yet they step in front of the microphone any way because if they fail, in the words of Roosevelt, "at least (they) fail while daring greatly."  

The Unappreciated Writers

I wish to give a nod to a category or group of writers who, in many ways, I believe are unappreciated in the writing profession. I am talking about those who write copy for ads. Whether it is commercials for television or radio or ad copy for print publications, these men and women have an incredibly challenging job. What makes what they do most challenging and - to me - most impressive is the fact  they write for a largely hostile audience. How many of us, for instance, are watching a television show when as soon as a commercial cuts in we immediately get up and leave the room or begin talking with those around us. We do these things to pass the time until our program returns.

When leafing through magazines or newspapers, so many people zip past the advertisements as if looking at them might lead to contracting some kind of social disease. On the surface, it seems as if few enjoy advertisements in any venue or confess to watching or reading any of them. Despite that, revenue generated from advertisements is easily in the hundreds of millions of dollars each year.Why is that? One reason might be that people actually do not dislike advertisements much as they claim. Perhaps people pay closer attention to them more than they let on. Perhaps the copy for those ads are a lot more effective than any one cares to admit.

Writing copy for ads is difficult. The writer has strict limits on their space or time, yet still must communicate information and messages that are informative, motivating, persuasive, creative, and, most of all, memorable. This requires a great deal of hard work, including indepth research, and tenacity. Advertising writers face a great deal of competition beginning with the audience. People do not tune into a television show, for instance, to watch the commercials. Then there is the matter of competing against other advertisements, many of which are promoting the same type of product as you. So many of these men and women are as talented as any that put pen to paper for other reasons and in other fields.   

Training Tomorrow's Press Secretaries

The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that one of the fastest growing professions over the next decade will be public relations. The bureau projects a 22.5 percent growth in public relations practitioners over the next eight-ten years. While it does not have exact figures on how many of those communicators will be organizational spokesmen, it can be fairly well assumed that those filling the role of spokesman will be part of this significant growth. Even today, it is hard to find any for-profit or non-profit organization or entity that does not have someone on its staff serving in the capacity of spokesman or press secretary.

Where do these spokesman come from? At present, the answer is nowhere and everywhere. I am a perfect example of this. Even though for the majority of my 40 year career in communication part of my duties included filling the role of spokesman, at no time did I have any formal training. I did it because I was "the PR guy." I did it because no one around me wanted to. While I am not complaining and, in all modesty feel I did not do too bad of a job in that role, it is time those that do prepare prospective professional communicators step up and begin including in their curriculum formal education and training opportunities for men and women seeking careers as spokesmen.

Perhaps the most important element of the spokesman role is for that person to represent their client or organization in a positive manner, yet do so in a manner that does not alienate but, instead,  enhances ties with other publics. To be able to this at all and do it well requires training. This is where departments of communication at universities and colleges across the United States come in. They are in the best and most logical position to provide wanna-be press secretaries with the rounded education they need to fill a role that has become so vital to society. It is time for communication scholars to meet this challenge by designing programs of study focusing on spokesmanship.

Writers As Story Tellers

Writing well is a never-ending challenge because it is a form of communication that involves others. Even though this act may be one of isolation in the sense a singular person sits down in front of a key board or a notepad and begins writing down thoughts, the purpose of it is one of inclusion. It is an act designed to bring attention to one's self. Writing any of us does is a way of saying, "These are my thoughts. This is my imagination.  Check it out." I do not believe any one who says they write for themselves. At best, that is only true in part. Writing is also for others. People write for others to see what they have done.

Given that, this is why it becomes important for each of us to strive to make our acts of writing be as good as possible. If we are going to share ourselves, then we need to do so in a way that reflects favorably on our ability to enlighten, inform and even entertain. It is not unlike having company. We invite others into our homes. As an invitation, writing is not all that different. As a host or hostess, we strive to be cordial and warm. I see little difference between that and being a writer - no matter the subject matter or theme of what we have penned. Writing is a form of hosting. It is an act of connecting with others.

The best writers are the best story tellers. Even those who write non-fiction, such as journalists and, yes, public relations practitioners, are story tellers. The most effective ones do the best job of presendting facts in a way that captivates and stimulates. Further, the best of these writers push the emotional buttons of their readers in a way that makes their work enjoyable and memorable. This, of course, is far from easy. As one who never stops trying to be that kind of writer, I have more than a good sense of its difficulty. Nevertheless, it is a brass ring that writers of all caliber should never stop reaching for.   

Public Speaking and Listening

There is one particular characteristic of a good writer that I have always found to be fascinating: good writers are avid readers. These men and women love the written word. It does not seem to matter  whether they themselves are the ones who are doing the composing or someone else is. Writing is what drives them: theirs or that of someone else. I find a similar trait with musicians. I cannot think of any musician who does not enjoy listening to music when they themselves are not either performing or composing it. Much like writers and the written word, it is part of who and even what they are.

For those such as press secretaries or organizational spokesmen who communicate primarily via the spoken word, I find the most effective ones to be those who are the best listeners. Does this seem odd? I think not. Public speakers able to connect with their audiences do so by knowing as much about their various publics as possible: their hopes, concerns, interests and current state. The best way to become well versed in these areas is by listening to what people are saying. Does this mean the speaker has to sit down with each member of the public and hear directly what they have to say? Of course not.  But it does mean he or she needs to collect as much data or information through as many sources as possible that provide them with deep insight. 

While it is obvious that two essential elements of the communication process are sending and receiving a message, it may not seem so clear that those wanting to be among the best at communicating need to do both well. This makes for a more complete communicator similar to being able to catch, throw and hit makes for a more complete baseball player. For communicators, it spells the difference between talking at versus talking with a group. People know when they are being talked at just as they know when someone is connecting with them. In each case, they respond accordingly.