A Juggler's Challenge

If you ever watched a juggler at work, you know one of their two big challenges is keeping track of the location of  the items they are juggling. (The other primary challenge is two-fold: keep catching them and keep  them in motion.) Should they take their eyes off the ball, plate, flaming torch or whatever it might be, the juggler in all likelihood will lose the rhythm of their items and probably end up dropping them. That, of course, is a juggler's worst nightmare. A fear of failing to keep track of all that is in motion is not unique to jugglers. It is something that keeps many professional communicators awake at night, too.



A perfect example are organizational spokesmen and women or press secretaries. Those holding down such a position are unique in the world of public relations. The great majority of these practitioners operate behind the scenes. They help arrange interviews and press events. Thus, they are often found standing behind the curtain while the person or persons they have prepped are out in-front. Press secretaries are different as it is they who are in the spotlight, taking questions and making public statements. In carrying out this responsibility, their challenge is two-fold: speaking to the facts of the current situation while not losing track of their client's long-term mission.




Often, the press secretary is called upon to answer questions and/or address a situation that has just occurred or a new decision or course of action about to be launched. Unfortunately, their responsibility does not end there. It is key that the spokesperson place this turn-of-events in the context of their client's overall grand vision. For instance, if a university elects to raise tuition, their press secretary provides all the details about the action while also providing an explanation as to how such a decision coincides with the institution's mission of providing its students with an education of the highest quality. Is this easy? Not always. But by being a good juggler, the communicator plays a vital role in helping the public better understand and support sensitive decisions.