In the waning days of 2011, many public relations professionals engaged in some aspect of planning, from contemplating whether the plan that was finalized one or more months ago remains aligned with the every-changing environment, to putting the final touches on the thinking and processes that will be implemented with a flip of a calendar page.

Leaders of small- to mid-size agencies and consultancies often have some of the greatest challenges in assessing, anticipating and planning the future. Oftentimes, these organizations are relatively young in years, with limited data points.

With a number of years as the leader of a boutique public relations agency and a stint as a planning consultant within one of the nation’s preeminent voluntary health-service organizations, I’ve seen — and experienced — what seems to be a lifetime of planning successes … and failures.

Here are three less-than-intuitive areas worthy of consideration by both the newcomer and the experienced agency leader in charting a course to the future.

Continue reading " Challenges and Solutions in the PR Agency Planning Process "

With 2010 nearly in the rear-view mirror, and thoughts moving ahead to a (hopefully) bright and prosperous 2011, we thought it appropriate to start a new tradition for the PRSay blog of predicting trends within the profession for the year ahead. We turned to our smart and witty Section members and asked them to submit their top-11 predictions. (Thanks to all who submitted their ideas!)

We hope you enjoy their thoughts, and please chime in with your own predictions in the comments below.

Continue reading " 11 Public Relations Trends for 2011 "

Editor’s note: The following is a guest post from Roger Dooley, a writer, speaker and researcher in marketing, and in particular the use of neuroscience and behavioral research.

I tend to be more of a consumer of public relations than a creator. I’ve done my share of press releases and media interviews, but I’m bombarded with many times that quantity of public relations messages — news releases, book review requests, story suggestions and so on. Sadly, most of what I see is ineffective.

Continue reading " Engage Your Audience with Stories "

Aristotle is quoted as saying, “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then is not an act but a habit.” In the world of communications, this philosophy hits the nail on the head. Communications today is a process, not an event. Messages need to be on target and disseminated via multiple channels to be heard and, more importantly, retained. Creating an internal communications program aligns business strategy, generates employee commitment, leverages technology and cultivates actions that engender trust.

In hospitals across the country, a new methodology modeled after the Baptist Health Care System is taking hold. In the book, “The Baptist Health Care Journey to Excellence,” CEO Al Stubblefield outlines four key ingredients to the recipe for excellence.

Continue reading " Excellence in Internal Communications "

I’ve always thought of myself as an optimist who could accomplish anything in life. Optimistic euphoria is a personal addiction that’s hard for me to kick. Of course, throw in a few overly optimistic failures and self-doubt begins to erode confidence and dull the drug. So, one of my secrets to remaining positive has always been to draw inspiration from others who are on the same journey. What’s really cool is I that I didn’t have to look too far this year to find a big source of it.

At the recent PRSA Counselors Academy Conference in Asheville, N.C., I was browsing the conference program to select my next workshop of the day. I ran across an interesting session being presented by my College of Fellows colleague, Elise Mitchell, APR, Fellow PRSA, who is CEO of Mitchell Communications Group in Fayetteville Ark.  Something about the title, “Postcards from Dartmouth,” intrigued me.  Not knowing what I was in for, I entered her “class” and took a seat right up front.

Continue reading " On Inspiration, Optimism and Winning "