There's no market for martyrs. Really.

Some clients are so entrenched in their martyrdom that trying to help them is beyond frustrating. Every suggestion is greeted with a "yabbut." [Yes, but] I watch their lips and I swear it's a Charlie Brown teacher experience. All I hear from them is yabbut, yabbut, yabbut.

If something you've tried in the past did not work, spend some time analyzing why it didn't work. Were you expecting too much from too little? Did you expect your words to be taken as gospel just because you said so? Did you provide data to support your position? Did you do it in a timely manner? Do you believe that just because you're doing "good" that you don't have to be accountable?

When "woe is me" is your mindset, you'll only get more "woe."

Pondering my professions: journalist & PR counselor

This post was prompted by a blog linked from a twitter posting by Jay Rosen of NYU. I was so moved by it I wanted to share with y'all. It's my New Year's wish for each of you to have the very best professionally and personally in 2009.

I'm chair of the Centennial Committee for the Association of Women in Communications. Let's not forget that AWC began as Theta Sigma Phi, the very first journalism fraternity. Yes, fraternity. And, yes, journalism.

So many of us today are in PR. That's fine and dandy as long as we see ourselves in service to the truth and helpers to journalists. But too many of us have as a goal the subversion of journalism to our own, or our clients', ends. If that happens to be the truth, goody. But look in the mirror and ask how often we try to bend the "truth" and how we feel about it. Are we recreating the "Mission Accomplished" photo op that led to the shoe-throwing incident?  

Do you have an adversarial relationship w/certain reporters? Do you think they are out to get you? Look hard at your relationship. How clear are your communications? Are extraordinarily long, complex sentences intended to obfuscate? Are they demanded by your clients? Do you have the courage to oppose clients with "bad" intents? 

Remember, the only currency we as PR counselors have is our credibility. What's your credibility rating?  

Here's an excerpt from the blog I referenced by Steven Smith, former editor of the Spokane, WA, newspaper. In my opinion it accurately reflects the goal of journalists. Do they stray? Make errors? Yes. Is it intentional? [Only w/the Inquirer.] Do you know how to work out disagreements w/reporters? I'll save this discussion for another time.  

If you want to read his entire blog, here's the link: http://tinyurl.com/98d55o  

Journalists exist to serve – not ourselves, not our bosses, not our friends, boosters, advertisers or benefactors.

We exist to serve citizens in the exercise of their citizenship.

Let me say that again…we exist to serve citizens in the exercise of their citizenship.

And in serving citizens we adhere to certain core values:

Values of community
The marketplace of ideas
The First Amendment
Honesty and truth-telling journalism
Voice to the voiceless
Defense of the defenseless
And in all of this, we are fearless.

That is our calling.

 

Is "crisis" too scary for you?

I've been thinking about the word "crisis" and what it means. Oh, the dictionary definition is clear enough. But it's a word so charged with emotion that it makes some turn away.

Those of us in the field of crisis communication are so accustomed to the term that we expect others to see it the same way we do--the art/skill of anticipating, planning for, and executing communications to protect our clients.

Protect from what? What is the most precious asset a business, a government agency, a nonprofit organization possesses? Its good reputation. That's right. From the fairy tale Peter and the Wolf to the saga of FEMA and Katrina, it's easy to see the dire consequences of a lost good reputation. Once lost, a good reputation takes monumental efforts to restore.

So crisis management is reputation management. Is that less scary? Do you see the need to plan ahead for all contingencies that can adversely affect your ability to accomplish your goals?

Telecommuting may save your business

More employees are pushing for telecommuting to save gasoline costs that, in effect, are proving to be a salary drain. And more businesses are offering the benefit of telecommuting to keep valued employees from leaving for a company closer to home.

Telecommuting is more than an employee benefit: Business continuity plans should recognize telecommuting as a major crisis management tool.

• The most obvious crisis is a natural disaster, either short-term such as an ice storm or long-term such as a flood, that can wipe out functions at the main office or block access to the office.
• Another crisis is less likely, but not impossible, crime such as a disgruntled employee who “goes postal,” an irate spouse seeking revenge or a furious client.
• And we can’t overlook the issues of pandemic illness and terrorism.

Here are the numbers:

• One in five U.S. companies suffers a disaster that causes them to close their doors for a period of time.
• About 40 percent of small businesses that experience a disaster never reopen.
• About 43 percent of companies hit by severe crises never open their doors again.
• A recent survey found that 73 percent of federal workers said they would not come into their offices in the event of a pandemic. 

Is your business prepared? Why not? Contact me to discuss your business continuity planning.

Philanthropy: head of the class or dunce cap?

Competing oil and gas drilling companies both promised a sizable donation to a school district, but only one followed through. Guess which one people are likely to sell drilling rights to?

Yup, it’s the one that followed through with a breathtakingly large donation, at least in the history of the school district. Fort Worth-based XTO donated a record-breaking $50,000 to the Carroll Education Foundation, an independent nonprofit that benefit the district. The single largest contribution to the group previously was $10,000.

There are several other reasons why this donation is interesting, as pointed out by the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.

Oklahoma City-based Chesapeake, XTO's rival, has the mineral-rights lease to drill for natural gas under all 402 acres owned by the district itself. The XTO donation, which was made last week without fanfare, will make XTO the "presenting sponsor" at the foundation' s only fundraiser this year.

The foundation had been talking with Chesapeake officials about a donation since December. Chesapeake even gave a verbal commitment in February, but despite numerous requests for a signed contract, the foundation still never got a dime.

This isn't the first donation race between these two.

Chesapeake announced in late March that it would donate $1 million to the United Way to establish the Barnett Shale Endowment Fund. Also that day, the YMCA rushed out a news release saying that XTO was donating $500,000 to help modernize and expand its workout space.

As memorable as the $1 million donation is, will it neutralize the negative feelings caused by Chesapeake reniging on a promised donation?