PR Lessons Learned Along the Way
Celebrated in the USA as among the ‘Best PR Books of All Time’ Marc C. Whitt’s PR Lessons Learned Along the Way shares advice he has learned from more than 30 years in higher education and not-for-profit public relations.
Marc has kindly selected an extract from the chapter "Serving as the Chief Encouragement Officer" which, while providing suggestions for a team’s leader, demonstrates the simple ways we can all help our teams.
First, a few words from the author.
In many ways, this book and what I share is my way of giving back to a profession that has given me so much throughout my career.
PR Lessons Learned Along the Way is written in a conversational tone. That was intentional. I want you, the professional – my friend and colleague – to feel as if we are sitting down together over a cup of coffee or tea and talking shop – learning from one another.
As you read this extract from the chapter “Serving as the Chief Encouragement Officer”, find a quiet place where you can reflect on your career journey. Take notes. Highlight passages that are meaningful to you.
I hope this extract and my book speak to you in a personal way as they challenge, encourage, inspire and hopefully lead you to consider ways to become an even more effective public relations professional.
We can all do so much better in helping our good people become even more productive, confident, fulfilled and happy partners in our public relations work.
I invite your thoughts using the hashtag, #PRLessons, and you can also connect with me on Twitter (@marcwhitt) and LinkedIn (www.linkedin.com/in/marcwhitt). Until then, remember to lead by example, celebrate successes together, empower your staff and become an office cheerleader.
You will amazed what happens when you do, as you truly become a CEO – chief encouragement officer!
Serving as the Chief Encouragement Officer
Day-to-day life in the office can be quite taxing, especially if – as is usually the case – staff members must wear many hats. Directors who want to encourage quality work, but also want to protect their staff from burnout, typically recognise the importance of implementing motivational strategies.
Motivation, by itself, will not yield success. It takes plenty of blood, sweat and tears as well. But it is an essential ingredient, and as your office’s leader it’s up to you to serve as the group’s Chief Encouragement Officer.
The following are suggestions for becoming a skilled motivator:
Establish clear goals and objectives
How can you expect to motivate your staff to press forward if you don’t know where you’re going?
It’s a lot like exploring a cave. If you enter an unfamiliar passageway with an experienced guide wielding a flashlight your anxiety level is low. Why? Because you can see where you are going.
But as soon as that guide turns off the light to show you how dark dark can be you’re confidence level quickly decreases. You’re afraid to move forward. One step in any direction may prove to be fatal!
Goals and objectives – especially ones that reflect input from the staff – will serve as a beacon.
Celebrate successes – together
When your staff has met or exceeded one of its goals, celebrate together as a staff. Bring in a box of donuts or go out somewhere nice for lunch. We don’t promote our victories enough. By conducting celebrations (and spur-of-the-moment ones are the best), you’re showing your appreciation for your staff members and their tireless efforts.
When it’s time to get back to the grindstone, do so. But I guarantee that your staff will return refreshed and reinvigorated because you celebrated that victory.
Empower the staff
Nothing can motivate your staff members more than when you truly empower them to do their work. Find ways to equip your employees with the knowledge and experience they need to perform their jobs successfully. Then encourage them to ‘step out’.
I sometimes think about how my parents must have felt when they turned over the keys to our 1968 Chevrolet Impala the day I got my first driver’s license. But by doing that, they demonstrated their trust in me and my decision-making abilities. I, in turn, resolved to measure up to their high expectations for me.
By empowering your staff members, you are telling them that you trust them, value their creativity and problem-solving skills, and will not become a micromanager. Empowerment can truly motivate any size staff because it provides staffers with a sense of ownership in the overall program.
As the one-time head of several offices throughout most of my professional career, I had to remind myself daily to give my staff members the freedom to make their own decisions. Was this scary for me? You bet!
But I know that those I have empowered along the way had the skills to do what was needed to be done because they understood the big picture – something that must continuously be communicated by you as their Chief Encouragement Officer.
Be a cheerleader
Tell staff members how much you value their work. Thank them one on one; thank them in the presence of constituents. And always end your emails to them with ‘thanks’.
To be your staff’s Chief Communications Officer you must be your staff’s shoulder when it needs one and your staff’s guide when it seeks one. Your employees will appreciate the time and the interest you show in them.
Marc C. Whitt is director of media and strategic relations at the University of Kentucky and author of the critically acclaimed bestseller, PR Lessons Learned Along the Way: Strategies, Tips & Advice for the Higher Ed and Nonprofit Public Relations Professional (Cherrymoon Media, June 2020).