On PR, #PRSA and Professional Relationships

When communication missteps occur, it's common to sit back, ridicule and say we're learning from the actions of others (read: case studies). But do you ever consider the individuals actually dealing with these challenges? Do you ever think about the professionals responsible for cleaning up PR messes? Real people constantly monitor public speech for misguided, incorrect or inflammatory statements. One always hopes for the best but must prepare senior leadership (and themselves) for the worst.

Among the reasons I remain a loyal PRSA member is the opportunity to foster professional relationships. Some call this networking, but it goes deeper. Being connected to other professionals who have gone through similar communication challenges creates shared experience, understanding and encouragement. Can this be done outside of PRSA or any other professional organization? Of course it can. But in my experience, working alongside dedicated volunteers is the perfect way to ripen relationships.

People matter. Their stories matter. Yes, you can learn from the mistakes of others, but you can also learn from teaching and encouraging friends. My hope this year in PRSA is that not only have we provided quality programming to help with members' professional development and award-worthy work, but also provided moments for relationships.

And we're not finished. Just like people, Greater Fort Worth Chapter of PRSA is a work in progress. I encourage each member to look for ways to plug in to the chapter through volunteerism and, more importantly, to lean in, talk and listen to one another.

(Photo credit: cityhunter12 on Flickr Creative Commons)

#WordPower for Social Media - DFW Nonprofit Communicators Conference (#dfwnpcc)

Last week I had the pleasure of joining some area and regional professionals as a speaker for the DFW Nonprofit Communicators Conference held at TCU.

Below is the slide deck for those that may have missed something because of the seating fun in the crowded room. (Special thanks to those who came and sat on the floor.)

#WordPower for Social Media

View more presentations from Richie Escovedo

Nonprofit Marketers and Communicators Collaborative
I really dig the idea and purpose behind this conference: to provide convenient one-day training and support for nonprofit communication professionals through interactive workshops at an affordable cost. (Simple and smart.)

Some of the quality presentation topics this year included:

• Communicating your Mission
• Legal Policies for Social Media Communicators (review post coming soon)
• Crisis Communication & Putting the Public First
• Social Media and Advocacy
• Reaching out to Diverse Publics
• Campus Connections for Nonprofits
• Social Innovation and Nonprofits

The conference is put on by the Nonprofit Marketers and Communicators Collaborative. Established in 2010, this group hopes "to bring together nonprofit marketing and communication professionals to discuss industry specific trends, tips, and helpful advice."

I'd encourage Dallas/Ft. Worth and area nonprofits to pay attention to this collaborative effort and take advantage of future professional development and networking sessions.

If you attended this conference (and maybe even my session), I'd love to hear what you think.

5 Tips to keep your School PR job - Tim Caroll, APR

I had the pleasure of spending some time in sessions, catching up with school PR colleagues and friends in addition to presenting at the 2011 Texas School Public Relations Association conference last month. The current Texas public school financial realities seemed to be a common theme of discussions and among a few of the presentations. Folks were concerned just like educators across the state about whether or not personnel reductions will happen in the name of cost-cutting measures.

I caught up with Tim Carroll, APR from the Allen ISD to ask him what he thought are some ways school PR people can help themselves keep their jobs:

5 Tips to keep your school PR job

1. Contribute in areas that benefit the school district financially or that clearly address goals and objectives. Find the things that are important to the district leadership.
2. Get a seat on the superintendent's cabinet. You need to be/become a trusted advisor to management.
3. Become the go to person for strategic communication needs. Go beyond being the camera, press release, newsletter person.
4. Get out of the office. It's just a good idea to spend time at campuses to see what's going on so you can tell good stories and remind yourself why we do what we do. (It's for the kids.)
5. Seek additional responsibilities that fit into your skill set. Staff reductions will leave gaps that need to be filled.

In addition to being the Director of Public Information for the Allen ISD, Tim Carroll, APR is the 2011 President of the Texas School Public Relations Association and a 31 year PR veteran. He sums up two of the best reasons I concur for why school communications pros should be a part of professional organizations like TSPRA or the NSPRA; (one) networking with other PR pros and (two) access to shared resources.

What do you think of these tips? What would you add? As always, the comments are yours.

(Photo credit: zawtowers via Flickr Creative Commons)

Sacred cows and School PR - NSPRA 2010

In addition to the sessions at the NSPRA conference, I also enjoyed having some great conversations with school PR colleagues from across the country. One such professional was Shane Haggerty, from Ohio Hi-Point Career Center. We were talking about the slaying of sacred cows and he had some interesting insights:



Be sure to also check out Shane's blog, sociallearninglab.com. A recent post covers some quick steps to getting your school district started in social media marketing and communications.
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Have sacred cows been an issue for you in your organization? How have you handled the "but we've always done it this way" issues that come up? Have you successfully looked outside your field for inspiration on how to do things in better ways?

Vacation ends as #NSPRA professional development begins

Hello from NSPRA 2010 in Charlotte, North Carolina.

I'm back after a much-needed break in the gorgeous state of Montana where I recharged the batteries for a week. I've been quietly off the blogging-grid for nearly three weeks. In my absence, my blog turned two (apparently July 11 is the Next Communication blogiversary).

This is not a result of being weary of blogging. On the contrary, I have plenty of public relations and communication professional post ideas swirling around just waiting to be put down on screen.

Let's just call it being distracted with scenery like this below. (From our campsite on Flathead Lake in Montana):

The above view has been replaced by a rather pleasant view from the 13th floor of my hotel at the National School Public Relations Association 2010 Seminar in downtown Charlotte:

Granted, it's no mountain view, but it lets me know it's time to get back to work. Let the the school public relations professional development and networking continue. This is already turning out to be a very solid conference. (Btw, next year's NSPRA seminar is in San Antonio so I hope to see more Texas school PR friends attending.)

I'll be back very soon with a post or two from the NSPRA conference. If you are one of my school PR colleagues at the conference, drop me a quick comment, come see me at my presentation on Tuesday afternoon, or just hit me up over on Twitter.

Until then, a couple of questions for you: How do you decompress from work realities and responsibilities? How do you know when you're batteries are charged and ready to go? As always, the comments are yours.

Unexpected #HAPPO Help

I opened up my blog for a guest post in the hopes of featuring a college senior about to graduate for the 2nd edition of Help a PR Pro Out (HAPPO). I have been communicating with and invited Kathelin (Kat) Buxton, UTA PRSSA President, to share some insights here on why employers should hire her. However, she sort of turned down the offer and turned things around. What resulted was a wonderful example of PR advocacy:

Kathelin wrote to me and explained why she was turning down my blog feature offer:

I have been fortunate these past few weeks to have been presented with more than a handful of interviews and one or two job offers that I thought it would be better suited to field this blog post opportunity to another PR pro who needs a hand.Below a blog post that Elizabeth Flores wrote, a fellow soon to be graduate and highly underrated individual. She played a pivotal role in the UTA Bateman case study team, and was part of our group that presented at the last PRSSA meeting. She is very dedicated and a hard worker but has not had the opportunity to immerse herself in the world of PR as I have due to other extenuating circumstances and a few too many curve balls thrown her way. I'm sorry if this is not what you had in mind, but what good am I as a PR pro if I can't be an advocate...[emphasis added]

So with that, here is the HAPPO guest post featuring Elizabeth Flores:
Elizabeth E. Flores | @isabella026

Mountain climbing might be considered an extreme sport, but it has become my passion over the past few years. More so this past year as I prepare to reach one of the highest mountains tops I have worked hard to conquer. In two weeks, I will have reached my Mt. Kilimanjaro and be the first in a large family to graduate from college. Despite many obstacles that could have prevented the climb, I hurdled the odds and reached the top.

As I try to make my way into the workforce, I know many employers will ask why her? out of the many other promising recent graduates, who might have more experience. There are three rules I came across and embraced to drive myself to success:

1. Know what to expect and expect the unexpected;
2. Be Accountable; and
3. Stay Motivated.

I didn’t have the opportunity to have the best internships to get valuable experience because a full-time school load and job took most of my time. However, by being resourceful I took as many opportunities as I could to get experience through class work, school organizations and professional events.

Success to me is not just about the end result; it is about the journey taken and lessons learned. I can’t and won’t promise perfection, that’s not what I learned in college. What I learned throughout my experience was to work hard for what you want and always strive for the best. What I will bring to the table is a foundation to build real world experiences. My foundation is the core of what will help me contribute to my future employers success. I am proud to say that my foundation consists of integrity, ambition, perseverance, leadership, self-discipline and a competitive and positive perspective. Lastly is determination to always continue my personal and professional development.
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I appreciate Kat sharing this opportunity to a fellow PR major and I am impressed with the will and determination by Elizabeth. I expect to see good things from these two and others who are applying themselves to our industry.

Related HAPPO posts

• Jenn Bollenbacher – #HAPPO
• Mariam Shahab – It's HAPPO-ning
• #HAPPO advice for 2010 Grads/job seekers
• Best advice for a college grad?
• Job-Hunting Lessons from #PRStudChat

Hungry Hungry #HAPPO: Playing with your PR Future

To recent college grads and graduating seniors:

It's right there in front of you. What is it? Your future. I know, it sounds cliché, but believe it or not, it's real and it's out there. Are you ready?  Are you hungry?

The 1970s-era ad for Hungry Hungry Hippos featured this song:

If you wanna win the game you've gotta take good aim

And get the most marbles with your hippo

Playin' Hungry Hungry Hippos

Hungry Hungry Hippos 

 ...you've gotta take good aim

What are you doing to prepare for your shot at your professional future? If you are seeking an internship or job in the communications and public relations field, I highly encourage you to pay attention to the HAPPO movement.

On Friday, April 30, the second edition of Help A PR Pro Out (HAPPO) will be held fom 12-2 PM EST (11 AM - 1 PM Central).

What's HAPPO? 
HAPPO (Help A PR Pro Out) is designed to help connect PR job seekers with employers looking for top talent. This time we're focusing efforts on college seniors and recent college grads.

* Are you an employer looking to fill a specific role? Contact me or your local champion with details so we can spread your information.

* Are you a blogger? Would you be interested in helping us build momentum for the event? Donate a post on your blog to highlight a worthy job seeker and tweet it to @helpaprproout.com and use the #HAPPO hashtag.

* Are you a job seeker? Ask a friend who wants to help in your job search to write a HAPPO post for you.

* Are you curious about HAPPO and hungry to get going on your PR future? Check out the blog, Facebook page, search the #HAPPO hashtag, follow @helpaprproout, check out the LinkedIn group, read some of great posts by other HAPPO champions and contributors

...basically, pay attention, use your marbles and put these free resources and collective efforts to work.

(Image credit: Dylan Hartmann)