It's All Personal

There is a famous quote in the political world put forth by the late Speaker of the House Tip O'Neill who said, "All politics is local." One can glean several points from this observation: everything politicians do affect their constituents and, perhaps more importantly, it is vital to a politician's success that it is their primary function to work on behalf of the people they are elected to serve. Consequently, it is key the officials maintain ongoing contact with voters, regardless of who the citizens voted for. Some, of course, do a better of this than others and some, as a result, end up being voted out of office because of it.


This political reality is not all that different in the world of public relations.  Even though professional communicators are viewed as spending the bulk of their time preparing and targeting messages to audiences or publics with whom they have no personal or direct contact, nevertheless it is essential they remember that what they do has impact. Their communiques can and do make a difference in the lives of others. Reflecting upon such a reality might fill some with an inflated sense of self-importance. Others may assess this and feel humbled by the fact their communication efforts affect the lives of folks they probably will never know or even meet. 


This points to the fact professional communicators are not without some level of influence or power. This is not to be taken lightly. What they do, in fact, is personal. A public relations team might produce a slick and catchy advertising campaign urging folks to purchase a particular product. A person living thousands of miles away might see this ad and, on the basis of it, decide to actually go out and buy the product - a step they may not have taken otherwise. Such action and reaction is no small thing. It speaks of the power of communication and, more to the point, of the communicator him or herself. Having the ability to be so influential is not to be taken lightly.