[태그] 사례 분석

21세기의 PR교육 (美國)

모두들 행복한 크리스마스를 보내셨으리라 믿습니다. 올해의 마지막 남은 한 주 새로운 마음으로 시작하는 시간이 되었으면 합니다.

오늘은 때도 때인만큼, 21세기에 관한 이야기를 소개합니다.

아마 이 글을 읽으시는 분들중에는 PR을 공부하고자 미국 유학을 계획중이신 분들도 계실겁니다. 또 실무를 하시면서 나름대로 공부를 하시려고 하는데 PR에 무슨 과목이 있는지, 어떤 분야를 공부해야 좀 알수있는지를 궁금해 하시는 분들이 계실 겁니다.

PRSA에서 한 자리들 하시는 어른들이 PR 교육위원회 같은 것을 만들어 놓고 활발하게 운영을 하고 계시는데, 그분들이 지난 10월 경에 다음세기를 위한 PR 교육에 대한 큰 그림을 발표하셨습니다. 이 리포트는 장장 60페이지 가량 되는 긴 리포트라서 이곳에 싣기는 어렵고… 만약 전문이 필요하신 분은 PRSA의 홈페이지에 들어가셔서 아래 인덱스에서 찾아들어 가시기 바랍니다.

우리나라에도 신문방송학과가 생긴지 꽤 많은 시간이 지났습니다. 그러나 아직 까지 커리큘럼의 많은 부분이 순수 커뮤니케이션 이론, 매스미디어 관련 이론, 져널리즘 관련 이론등에 편향되어 있는게 현실입니다. 이는 신문방송학과 라는 하나의 학과가 미국에서 하나의 단과대학이 다루는 범위의 학문을 엑기스화 하여 다루기 때문입니다.

그래서 제 개인적으로는 신문방송학과는 매스미디어학과로 개칭이되어 매체관련 학문만을 다루고, 그밖에 광고학과, PR학과, 져널리즘학과, 순수커뮤니케이션학과등으로 대별되었으면 합니다. 그러면 전문성이나 졸업후 진로상의 문제를 해결할수 있지 않을까 생각합니다.

약간의 사족이 되겠지만.. 언젠가 TV에서 연예인이 되기를 꿈꾸는 어린 남자 주인공이 아버지가 바라시는 법대를 외면하고 “신문방송학과”에 진학 하겠다고 선언하는 모습을 보았습니다. 연예인이 된다는 말과 신문방송학과 따위(?)에 진학하겠다는 폭탄선언(?)에 광분하는 주인공 아버지의 모습을 보면서 참 씁쓸한 생각이 들었습니다. 연예인이 되기 위한 공부라…

한때는 신문방송학과라는 이름덕을 봐 엄청난 경쟁률을 자랑하기도 하던 황금시기가 있었습니다. 그러나 재학 또는 졸업후 그 선택이 더욱 황홀해지기 위해서는 좀더 깊은 전문성과 실용성을 보강해야 되지 않을까 하는 것이 일반적인 생각이라 믿습니다.

아래의 학부상 / 대학원상 커리큘럼 Outline은 꼭 필요하다고 인정되는 분야들입니다. 물론 미국의 PR전공 대학생들이 이 모든 분야들을 완전히 마스터 한것은 아닙니다. 그러나 선생님들이 이러한 분야를 가르치기 위해 노력하고 있다는 것은 확실합니다. 학생들의 자세나 자질은 우리나라나 미국이나 똑같은 것 같습니다. 다른것은 시스템이지요.

얼핏보셔도 아시겠지만 거의 학부와 대학원의 과정은 비슷합니다. 그러나 대학원에서는 그 심도와 현장감이 약간 강화됩니다. 시각이 크고 넓어지는 것도 하나의 특징이 되겠군요. (큰 그림과 그 속의 나무 하나 하나를 동시에 보려는 노력이겠지요). 도움이 되시기를 바랍니다.

홍보..

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Recommendations for Undergraduate Education

The Commission recommends that students graduating with undergraduate degrees possess both knowledge (what graduates should know and understand) and skills (areas of competence necessary to enter the profession).

Necessary knowledge includes;

Communication and persuasion concepts and strategies

Communication and public relations theories

Relationships and relationship building

Societal trends

Ethical issues

Legal requirements and issues

Marketing and finance

Public relations history

Uses of research and forecasting

Multicultural and global issues

Organizational change and development

Management concepts and theories

Necessary skills include:

Research Methods and Analysis

Management of Information

Mastery of Language in Written and Oral Communication

Problem Solving and Negotiation

Management of Communication

Strategic Planning

Issues Management

Audience Segmentation

Informative and Persuasive Writing

Community Relations, Consumer Relations, Employee Relations, other Practice Areas

Technological and Visual Literacy

Managing People, Programs and Resources

Sensitive Interpersonal Communication

Fluency in a Foreign Language

Ethical Decision-Making

Participation in the Professional Public Relations Community

Message Production

Working with a Current Issue

Public Speaking and Presentation

Applying Cross-Cultural and Cross-Gender Sensitivity The ideal

undergraduate major in public relations would include these courses:

Introduction to Public Relations

Case Studies in Public Relations

Public Relations Research, Measurement and Evaluation

Public Relations Writing and Production

Public Relations Planning and Management

Public Relations Campaigns

Supervised Work Experience in Public Relations (internship)

Directed electives

If public relations is offered as an undergraduate emphasis or focus rather than as a full major, the Commission recommends these courses:

Introduction to Public Relations

Public Relations Research, Measurement and Evaluation

Public Relations Writing and Production

Supervised Work Experience in Public Relations (internship)

The Commission recommends that the curriculum for a master’s degree in public relations be a program of 30 to 36 credit hours. Students should master these content areas at a level beyond that expected of undergraduates:

Public Relations Theory

Public Relations Law

Public Relations Research Methods

Public Relations Management

Public Relations Programming and Production

Communication Processes

Management Sciences

Behavioral Sciences

Public Relations Ethics

A Public Relations Specialty

An Internship or Practicum Experience and/or Comprehensive Examinations

A Thesis with Comprehensive Examination and/or a Capstone Project

The Commission suggests these content areas in one sample 36-hour master’s program :

Public Relations Theory

Public Relations Research

Public Relations Management

Public Relations Law

Integrated Communications

Accounting

Finance

Marketing

Strategic Planning

The Commission suggests these content areas in a second sample 30-hour program:

Research Methods in Communication

Research Design in Public Relations

Theories of Mass Communication

Seminar on Public Relations Management

Seminar on Public Relations Publics

Seminar on Ethics and Philosophy in Public Relations

two electives

a thesis

트랙백 주소 : http://fdu700.egloos.com/tb/632332
☞ 내 이글루에 이 글과 관련된 글 쓰기 (트랙백 보내기) [도움말]

비공개 덧글

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다음페이지 >

PR Pro 와 PR Practitioner

미국 PR업계의 양대 축을 이루고 있는 협회라 하면 누구든 PRSA와 IABC를 꼽습니다. IMF이후에 더욱 국제화가 촉진되어서인지, 최근 받은 PRSA와 IABC 멤버 리스트에서는 늘어난 국내 PR인들의 낯익은 이름들이 보입니다. 현재 한국인으로 PRSA 멤버이신 분들은 총 8명이며 그 중 APR이 3분이십니다. IABC의 경우에는 그 리스팅이 매번 바뀌어서 종잡을 수 없지만 현재는 저를 포함해 2명입니다. 물론 ABC는 아직 없습니다.

지난해 IABC의 Communication World 멤버지에는 한 PR인이 자신의 글을 통해 “우리가 PR Pro라 불리우는 게 정확한가? 아니면 PR Practitioner라고 불리우는 게 정확한가? 하는 질문을 했습니다.

여러분들은 Pro (Professional의 준말)와 Practitioner중에 어떤 호칭이 맡다고 생각하십니까?

그분의 생각은 이랬습니다.

“우리(PR인)들 중에는 언제 어디서나 누가보아도 프로페셔널하다고 인정되는 진정한 전문가가 부족하다. 그저 우리 대부분은 PR을 실행하며 노력하는 “중간자”적인 상태에 있다고 보는 것이 옳다. 그러나 항상 PR Pro가 되기위해 (언젠가는) 힘써야 한다.”

어떠십니까.. 동의하십니까?

저의 생각도 그의 생각과 같습니다. 최근 문득 업무상으로 만나는 많은 PR인력들을 보고 그들과 대화를 하다보면, PR Pro라는 것이 정말 얼마나 되기 어렵고, 그에 따르는 보이지 않는 사회적 “압력”이 얼마나 대단한 것이지 두려워집니다. 그러나 아이러니컬 하게도 많은 분들이 Pro라는 타이틀을 달기 좋아하신다는 사실입니다. 물론 PR Pro가 많은 우리나라는 더 발전할수 있는 자원이 풍부한 나라라고 할수있을 겁니다.(그에 대한 개념 분류가 미흡해서 그렇지 그만큼 PR에 대한 열정이 많다는 반증일수도 있다고 생각합니다.)

누군가 영화배우중 하나가 최근 영화를 찍으며 레슬링을 한다고 하더군요.

“프로 레슬러”할때 프로는 아마추어의 반대말로 “돈을 벌기위해 레슬링을 하는 사람”이라는 뜻이 첫번째 뜻이겠지요.

그러면 “돈을 벌기위해 PR을 하는 사람”도 “PR프로”일까요? 아니기를 바랍니다.

근래에 들어 마케팅 PR이 붐을 이루며, 학교에서나 단체 그리고 일선에서 많이 연구되고 실행되는 것 같습니다. 그러면 MPR이랑 현재의 Marketing부서에서 실시하고 있는 여러 프로모션 이벤트 및 전략들이 우리의 MPR과 어떤 차별성과 효과적, 분야적으로 심화된 전문성을 가지고 있다고 생각하십니까.. 단지 미디어에 연결시켜 더욱 많은 Publicity를 창조한다…이 것 만은 아닐껍니다.

조직내에서 우리의 역할과 전략을 이렇게 단순화 시킨다면 우리는 아이덴티티를 잃는것이 되고 맙니다. 이러한 이유때문에 아이덴티티를 우리보다 먼저 구축하고 있는 마케팅 인력들이나, 광고 인력들, 기획 인력들에게 그들의 잣대에 의한 평가를 받습니다.

“경영주를 설득하지 못하는 PR인은 성공할수 없다.” PRSA쪽에서 많이 회자되는 얘기입니다. 그러나 경영주는 커뮤니케이션 마인드를 가지고 있지 않은 분들이 더 많습니다. 더구나 전문적인 프로그램의 의의나 그 효과에 대하여 초반부터 고려하려 들지 않는 분들도 계십니다. 자신에게 익숙하지 않은 것들은 당연히 생각하기 귀찮은게 사람일 입니다. 그들을 설득할수 있는 길은 그들에게 강력한 아이덴티티를 기반으로하는 신뢰를 획득하는 것입니다. 그들이 깊게 생각하기 싫은 이슈도 흔쾌히 우리에게 일임하여 추진토록 하는 것이 바로 우리 아이덴티티의 위력이라고 할수 있을껍니다.

그런 의미에서 우리 PR인들은 자신들의 아이덴티티를 명확하게 세워야 합니다. 그 노력중 하나가 현재 몇개의 PR 동호인 그룹을 형성하고 있는 움직임이라고 생각합니다. 무척 다행스러운 움직임입니다.

앞으로는 동호회의 단계에서 발전하여 공식적이고 대외적인 모임이 되었으면 합니다. 연구투자와 발전적 사례에 대한 시상, 전문PR 분야에 대한 공동 연구 저술 사업, PR 전공학생들에 대한 투자, 권위와 트렌드 의식을 갖춘 교육사업, PR인들을 위한 공인시험 제도 및 라이센싱 사업등을 벌이는 제대로 된 조직이 되기를 바랍니다.

현실이 아직까지는 그렇지 못해도 하나하나 우리 PR인들에게 그러한 조직에 대한 비젼이 있기를 바랍니다. 그리고 그러한 비젼을 형상화 시켜 나가며 노력하는 우리들의 Mentor가 있기를 바랍니다. 현재 우리에게는 완성형 Pro, Hero 보다는 자상한 선배,,선생님이 필요합니다. 왜냐하면 우리가 함께 우리나라 PR계의 틀을 잡을 진정한 1세대 이기 때문입니다.

많은 근래의 PR인들이 벌이는 작고 소중한 노력들을 보면서, 그들의 열정과 목마름에 우리 PR 계의 내일을 봅니다. 이러한 멋진 열정과 목마름에 Momentum이 되셔서 강력한 비젼을 공유하게 하실 우리들의 Mentor들을 찾습니다. 또한 그 Mentor들께서는 Strategist로서의 PR인과 Practitioner로서의 PR인을 구분하시고, 각각의 분야를 고르게 다독거리실 수 있는 분들이었으면 좋겠습니다.

추운 11월의 토요일.. 지나가는 한해를 체감하며, 우리나라 PR계의 비젼적 발전을 생각해 봅니다. 더욱 열심히 일해야 겠습니다.

이제는 따분한 글”에 익숙하신 여러분께 감사와 죄송의 말씀드립니다.

케네디 Jr.와 Crisis Management (Media Relations를 중심으로)

종종 PR에 관련한 책들을 읽거나, 잡지 및 보고서들을 읽을 때, “참 말들은 잘한다..”라고 뇌깔일 때가있습니다. 몇몇 선배님들께서도 저의 글이나 다른 사람들의 PR관련 글들을 읽으시며 “말만 잘한다..(경험도 없이..)”라는 말씀들을 하신다는 얘기를 듣고있습니다. 맞습니다.!? (사실 제가 말이라도 잘하고 있는건가에는 확신이 서질 않습니다..)

제가 그런 생각을 가지고 덮어버린 여러 책들을 언젠가 시간이 나서 다시 펴보게 되면, “참, 그래도 보약이 되는 공부거리구나..”하는 변덕스러운 생각이 들곤 합니다. 곰곰히 생각해보면, 그냥 흘러가는 사실들을 PR적인 시각에서 바라보고, 내가 저일을 맡으면 어떻게 어떻게 진행할텐데 하는 머릿속의 Training이 현재 저의 일에 얼마나 많은 도움이 되고 있는지 모릅니다. 많은 영감과 전략적 디자인은 이러한 뇌속의 시달림으로 부터 자연스레 스며나오는 것이 아닌가 합니다.

또하나의 말 잘하는(?) 이가 쓴글을 소개 합니다.

근데 이분은 말만하는게 아니가 봅니다. 실제로 보스톤 지역의 자가비행 운전사이고, 트레이너이구, 주요 직업은 PR 컨설턴트로 에이젼시를 경영하고 있다는 분입니다. 마샤의 농장 근처에서 지난 초 가을 떨어진 케네디 쥬니어의 비행사고를 보고 현장에서 겪고 느끼고 배운 점들을 꼼꼼히 적어 주었습니다.

경험을 기록으로 남기는 미덕 우리나라의 여러 선배님들과 우리 일선 쪼무라기들에게도 절대 필요한 대목이 아닌가 합니다.

현장에서의 위기관리 강의(Crisis Management), 즐겨보시죠..

그럼 홍보!!!!!

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Kennedy Crash Shows PR Lessons Learned from TWA Flight 800

John F. Kennedy, Jr.’s tragic plane crash turned out to be a case study in proper handling of crisis communications;for the most part, at least.

As a public relations professional, Boston-area general aviation pilot, and flight instructor, I followed the media reporting on the crash of John F. Kennedy, Jr.’s plane with a fair amount of interest. What I saw during the weekend of July 1718 showed that valuable lessons had been learned by governmental agencies since the public relations debacle of TWA Flight 800 three years ago.

I first heard about the accident on Saturday morning, when I received a call from a former flight student of mine who was finishing his Air Force pilot training. Accident analysis always has been an important training tool in aviation, and students and instructors routinely discuss accidents to learn from them. Since this student had received his general aviation training in the Boston area, he was familiar with the general aviation flight environment of Cape Cod and Martha’s Vineyard. Quite coincidentally, I had been doing some routine proficiency flying on Friday morning (the day of the crash) and saw first-hand the weather that Kennedy was dealing with later that evening.

During the weekend, I monitored the major media available in the Boston area and analyzed their coverage of the accident. Overall, I was impressed by the public relations choreography of the various government agencies, the relative accuracy of the information, and how quickly some media were able to tap into informed commentators. As a pilot, I also noticed some “missing parties” and a few clever “spins” put on some of the information. What was abundantly clear was that lessons had been learned from the confusion and poor handling of public relations during the TWA Flight 800 accident.

Here’s a quick review of the major points of the Kennedy accident media relations that were clearly learned from TWA Flight 800:

Don’t leave a news vacuum.

Almost immediately, both the Air Force and Coast Guard District Command in Boston had spokespersons available. Initially, all they could provide were bare details;the plane is missing, it took off at this time and was due in at this time, etc. As the weekend wore on, more information was added, and the Coast Guard upgraded its spokesperson from a Lieutenant to a Rear Admiral. Rather interestingly, there was no hesitation to say, “I don’t have the answer to that question” or “You are asking me to speculate, and I can’t do that,” throughout the weekend. The Coast Guard continued to be the most authoritative source of information as the weekend wore on.

The important point here for anyone involved in a crisis is to be out there immediately with whatever information that you have. Don’t leave a vacuum. This lesson was learned from the mother of all public relations disasters, which was the 24-hour news vacuum after the 1986 Challenger disaster. NASA destroyed more than 20 years of excellent media relations with that information vacuum by frustrating the media’s requirement for information.

Two of the most noticeable players who were absent both from the briefings and any role in providing information were the FAA and Flight Safety International (the flight school that had trained Kennedy for his private pilot’s license). This is somewhat unusual, especially for the FAA, since it is normally the agency that provides the media with information on general aviation crashes and is usually the first to have local district-office investigators on the scene. For Flight Safety International, one can only speculate as to why they chose not to give a press conference (which the aircraft manufacturer did do). Both of these ‘missing’ organizations would have faced some tough questions about Kennedy’s training, common operating practices, and flight procedures, from which causal inferences could be drawn. The media seemed not to notice their absence.

The FAA weighed in later in the week, when it was revealed that a flight briefer at the Bridgeport Flight Service Station had taken a call from a ramp attendant at the Martha’s Vineyard Airport about a half-hour after Kennedy’s plane was expected to arrive. The FAA announced it was considering disciplinary action against the briefer. This is somewhat odd, since the published transcript tended to indicate that the ramp attendant’s hesitant dialogue sounded like a celebrity chaser, and if he knew enough to call Bridgeport, it would have made more sense for him to call the Martha’s Vineyard control tower and ask them. Perhaps the briefer could have suggested that, but they have no idea who is on the other end of the phone. (For example, I was recently flying at Hanscom Field in Bedford, and the President [Air Force One] was due in later that day. Someone called the tower on the radio and asked when the “Big Boss” was due in;as if he expected they would tell him! The tower claimed they didn’t know.) Also, a half-hour differential in flight-plan times is pretty common. Scheduling is not that tight. In fact, a VFR flight plan that is filed remains valid in the system until two hours after your indicated departure time. If you don’t activate (call on the radio after departure and tell the FAA to open the flight plan) in that window, you have to re-file. Many pilots (myself included) add an extra half-hour to the ETE (expected time en-route) on the flight plan to allow for stronger than expected headwinds, air traffic delays, and so on. And Kennedy had not even filed a flight plan (so there would be none in the system to check), and the ramp attendant was unsure of the tail (registration) number of the plane. It sounds like the FAA was looking for someone to hang out to dry.

Have a trained spokesperson;and stick to the script.

It was very obvious that the spokespersons for the government agencies had been trained in media presentation skills. Coast Guard Rear Admiral Larrabee was especially effective in his briefings. The media responded to that and were relatively polite and well mannered in their questioning. The contrast was especially obvious when the Chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board showed up Sunday for a joint news conference. He proceeded to lecture the media like a grade school principal, in a slightly condescending and belligerent manner, and they returned the favor by being noticeably more unruly. When the Admiral returned to the lectern, they calmed right down. The military has mastered the art of the press briefing, as you might recall from Operation Desert Storm in 1991.

Keep it tight, and stay on your turf.

One aspect that was very noticeable during the weekend was how tightly each agency (the Air Force, the Coast Guard, the NTSB, Massachusetts State Police, etc.) stayed on their turf by referring out-of-scope questions to the respective agency. It was like being briefed by Sgt. Joe Friday from the old television program ‘Dragnet’: “Just the facts, Ma’am.” This ‘information discipline’ prevents a speculative remark from one group being played off another group. This was one area where the respective government agencies really got in trouble after the TWA crash.

Control the agenda, and cut it off once you’ve said all that you have to say.

Every press conference had almost a military-style structure that was explained as the briefing started;and rigidly adhered to. After the structured briefing and a routine question-and-answer session, the end of the press conferences were signaled by the ‘two question warning’: Once the questions started to become redundant, it was announced that two more questions would be taken, and that was it. This allowed the briefers to be responsive, yet stay in control of the briefing. At one point, the Coast Guard Admiral’s aide stepped in (possibly by pre-arranged signal) and announced: “There is time for two more questions, then the Admiral has to get on the road.” He wouldn’t have done that unless he had cleared it with the Admiral in advance.

Don’t answer hypotheticals or speculate.

Throughout the weekend and into the following week, the briefers rigidly upheld this mantra. They would not vary from simply conveying the factual information. At one point, one of the briefers jumped into a Q&A and cautioned that a recovered “piece of debris” had been magically elevated to a “piece of luggage.” On other issues, it could walk like a duck, look like a duck, and sound like a duck, but it was premature to call it a duck. For example, the radar traces showed the final descent of the plane to be 4,700 feet per minute. Most general aviation maneuvers are done at vertical speeds (that is, climbs and descents) of 500 feet per minute, and aggressive maneuvers are done at 1,000 feet per minute. The VSI (vertical speed indicator) is “pegged” at 2,000 feet per minute. In other words, every general aviation pilot knows that a 4,700-feet-per-minute descent is an out-of-control airplane (especially at an initial altitude of 2,500 feet);most likely in a power-on spin. But they would not call it a duck. Not that it mattered: Any pilot listening knew what was being described, and the public was reassured that the respective agencies were diligently performing a methodical diagnosis.

My favorite anecdote about the danger of answering hypotheticals is a question that was posed to an Israeli prime minister. He was asked what he would do if he was born a Palestinian. Without thinking, he replied that he would probably be a terrorist. That off-the-cuff remark stirred an outrage;and immediately gave some legitimacy to the Palestinian terrorist movement. I doubt if that result was the prime minister’s intention.

Consider the audience and what they can understand.

General aviation is pretty technical and not easily comprehended by the layperson, who gets most of his/her aviation (mis)information from the entertainment industry. Noticeable in this regard was the CNN commentator, Carl Rochelle, who is both a general aviation pilot and flight instructor. His commentary was both the most accurate and informative of all the media. There was a real effort to avoid terms such as VFR (visual flight regulations), IFR (instrument flight regulations), and a host of other complicated terminology and information that is routine for pilots.

This cuts both ways, however, and there were a few efforts at “spin” (if you will forgive the pun). The New Piper Aircraft Company, which manufactured Kennedy’s Piper Saratoga, gave a press briefing on Saturday afternoon. They rolled out one of the Saratogas as a backdrop for the briefing. I can’t recall ever having seen a general aviation manufacturer give a press briefing that quickly as a result of an accident. During the briefing, the president referred questions about Kennedy’s training and experience to the FAA and Flight Safety International, the neighboring Vero Beach (Florida) facility where he received his private pilot’s licence. When asked what the safety record was for the plane, the president responded by saying that there were 7,500 in use worldwide, and that they flew 500,000 hours each year. An interesting statistic, perhaps, but not an answer to the question. That didn’t really matter, because the media quoted that over and over again during the weekend. Only The Boston Globe called the NTSB and got the actual crash statistics, which it printed on Sunday. The New Piper Aircraft president also was asked if the airplane was too much to handle for a pilot with Kennedy’s limited experience. The president sidestepped the question and referred the reporter to Flight Safety International, the facility that trained Kennedy. He also replied that the airplane had been in production since the 1960s and had docile handling characteristics. True to a point, but not necessarily for a 100-hour pilot, which is what Kennedy is reported to have been. The reporter didn’t know enough to pose the question of how many 100-hour pilots are routinely flying Saratogas. Probably very few, since insurance companies take a dim view of 100-hour pilots messing around with 300 horsepower, retractable landing gear, a variable-pitch prop, and a 166 knot (190 mph) cruise speed. A lot has to be done, in proper order, both to fly and land a plane like that. Those events can gang up pretty quickly on an inexperienced pilot.

Another effort at spin or, more appropriately, omission was a narrative provided by an “aviation analyst” on CNN who happened to be a former vice-chairman of the NTSB. She proceeded to describe how the NTSB collects information and analyzes accidents. What I noticed was notably missing was that the agency usually constructs a forensic “pilot profile” of the judgment and temperament of the pilot. In fact, the FAA and NTSB have identified six or so personality types that have a high probability of being involved in accidents. These profiles are routinely covered in flight instructor training and pilot safety seminars;but were not mentioned at all in the media coverage of the Kennedy accident.

Skip the transparently non-credible statements.

The most obvious of these was the repeated insistence by the government agencies that this crash was not receiving any special treatment, that all general aviation accidents were treated the same way. This was repeated to the media as late as Wednesday morning, July 21.

Please. How many general aviation accidents start with a briefing from the Pentagon and have a keen Presidential interest? Any savvy reporter who knew enough to ask for a list of the last dozen or so accidents investigated and the amount of “assets” devoted to them would immediately notice that the statement was “non-operative,” as Ollie North used to say. Even Boston Globe columnist Adrian Walker commented on this. Walker drew a comparison to the Lear Jet that disappeared on approach to the Lebanon (New Hampshire) airport on Christmas Eve, 1996, and has never been found. Coincidentally, it was reported in The Boston Globe on July 21 the search for that plane had resumed after two-and-a-half years, after a high-probability crash site was determined by some Dartmouth College engineering students who studied the accident for a research project. Consider that it only took two days to pinpoint the area of the Kennedy crash, with the full resources of the federal government. What a difference a name makes.

Even Admiral Larrabee had to struggle when asked about the “special treatment” several days into the search. He paused just a bit too long before answering;and hence indicated the real answer. Not wanting to compromise his integrity, he said, as I recall, that the same “process” was being followed. That’s like saying the same “process” is followed in a third-world clinic for open-heart surgery as is followed at Mass General. Perhaps true, but the probability of the outcome due to the quantity and quality of the resources is far different.

The fact of the matter is that the Kennedys receive special treatment, and that it really surprises no one. If they didn’t, it would probably be demanded. So why the charade? For the benefit of general aviation pilots? They know better. It is simply an example of a positioning statement that was not thought through;and causes more damage than benefit.

Finally, on July 21, the President acknowledged the obvious, that he had authorized the additional resources for the search and recovery operation.

The media coverage and public relations efforts surrounding the Kennedy crash and resultant search and recover operations (the plane and Kennedy’s body had been located as of early Wednesday morning) demonstrate the wide and effective use of what is known as “crisis communications” in the public relations profession. The net result is a better informed public and increased confidence in government agencies and their effectiveness in emergency operations. But what a price that was paid in the initial events.

PR프로그램 플랜및 분석방법

제가 일천한 PR 지식을 가지고, 케이스를 모아서 보여드린지도 벌써 두달이 되어가는것 같습니다. 여러분들로부터 많은 피드백을 받으며, 정말 제가 이일을 잘하고 있는 건가에 대한 생각을 해보았습니다.

제가 이 케이스들의 게재를 시작한 이유는 미래의 PR인을 꿈꾸는 무한한 가능성의 후배들과, 현장에서 지식적 정보가 부족하여 고민하는 도전적인 동료들을 위해서였습니다. 얼마나, 저의 케이스들이 그들의 고민을 해결하는 유용한 수단이 되었는지는 영원한 의문이 되겠지마는, 저에게 보여주신 많은 격려와 사랑은 제가 가슴깊이 고마움을 가지고 이글을 계속 하게하는 원동력이 되고있습니다.

제가 케이스들을 이리저리 뒤져가며, 가장 맛깔스러운 케이스를 고르려 애쓴다는 것을 아시는 분도 계실텐데, 이런 맛난 음식을 차려 놓고 여러분이 방문하셔서 드실때, 어떤 방법으로 드시고 계시는지에 대한 의문이 갑자기 생겼습니다.

케이스(영문)의 길이가 너무 길지는 않은지, 내용을 이해하기는 쉬우신지, 또 올바른 케이스 분석방법을 몰라 따분하지는 않으신지…

그래서 저는 PR 케이스 분석방법에 대한 유용한 참고자료를 찾았습니다.

제가 게재한 몇몇편의 케이스도 PRSA에서 개최하는 Silver Anvil이라는 유명한 PR프로그램 시상대회에서 성공적 사례로 뽑힌 것들이 있었습니다. 그 시상대회의 심판으로 계시는 Mr. Larry Chiagouris가 쓰신 좋은 PR프로그램 플랜및 분석방법에 대한 짧은 글입니다.

이글을 읽으시고, 과연 어떻게 세워지는 PR 프로그램 플랜이 완전한 것인가와 함께, 다음부터 계속될 여러 케이스들을 어떤 시각으로 분석해야 하는지에 대한 큰 그림을 얻어보시기 바랍니다. 이와 관련하여 질문이 계신분은 연락 주십시오. 친절히 알려드리겠습니다. Good Luck.. 홍보~!

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Confessions of a Silver Anvil Judge

By Larry Chiagouris

Reprinted from The Public Relations Strategist, Winter 1998

The Silver Anvil is the most prestigious award a public relations professional can win. But it doesn’t come easy.

This year, I had the privilege of serving as a judge for the PRSA Silver Anvil awards. As a marketing strategist and researcher with more than 25 years in the business, I have judged numerous competitions.

The Silver Anvil award selection process is as good as or better than any other professional awards program. And the winning entries were all worthy of the awards bestowed upon them.

What concerns me, however, is the quality of the entries that did not win Silver Anvils. In some cases, they were so far off in conveying a strong program, that one might conclude that many industry professionals need to revisit what constitutes a successful public relations program.

The entry criteria for the Silver Anvils is very specific, requiring documentation in four major areas -research(연구조사), planning(기획), execution(실행) and results(결과). To win an award, an agency must demonstrate that its entry delivered in all four areas.

WHERE IS RESEARCH?

Many agencies failed to quantify their entry’s contribution to each of the four areas. Research was clearly the area with the most room for improvement. Several submissions stretched the definition and in the process devalued the role that research can play in defining the goals and target audience of a public relations program.

For example, many entries seemed to support the notion that research consists of talking to a few editors about their perception of a company and its products. Other submissions relied heavily on what a top executive said was important to the progress of the product or company. While media soundings and senior executive interviews can be important factors in determining the parameters of a public relations effort, they do not begin to go far enough in terms of research.

A strategic public relations program will address the audience that is relevant to the public relations campaign. Many campaigns have multiple audiences, including endusers, employees, members, investors, suppliers, and government officials. Research, when properly utilized, will define the target audience of the campaign and help set priorities.

It will often delineate the existing perceptions, needs and opinions of the program’s target audience. Research initiatives should link this understanding to the marketing and brand situation of the product or company. In the process, it should provide a benchmark from which to judge the impact of the public relations program.

WHAT ARE THE GOALS?

Not every research effort has to be extensive or expensive. We have developed a number of quick and relatively inexpensive research tools to use when resources are limited. They include qualitative samples, in-house research panels and sophisticated analysis of existing data.

The planning stage is the second area addressed on the entry form.

Here, the most frequent problem was that the choice of goals and objectives was not justified against the client’s business goals. A public relations program should be developed to support the broader needs of the client, with emphasis on corporate reputation and brand building.

The program goals should be articulated in a manner that enables the client to easily evaluate the effectiveness of the program. Many of the entries did not provide any way to quantify progress made towards the program’s objectives – making it impossible to evaluate whether or not the program achieved its goals. The classic example is a statement indicating that a program was designed to “establish the company as a leader.” Again, the lack of documentation leads one to question the relevance of a program based upon poorly articulated goals and objectives.

WHERE’S THE SUPPORT?

The third area addressed on the Silver Anvil entry form is the execution of the public relations program. This was where the real fun began.

Copies of press kits, videotapes, audiotapes, and collateral of all kinds filled submission binders to the brim. The problem for many entries, however, was the lack of information regarding how promotional materials supported the program’s key messages.

Material generated by the creative team often demonstrated a complete disconnection between the creative and strategic elements of a program. The material looked slick but failed to convey key messages to the target audience. Lavish creative efforts on behalf of a low budget campaign points to a lack of planning and poor execution on the part of the staff responsible for the program. It may be hard to imagine, but it is possible overspend on production!

The final area on the Silver Anvil entry form is program results.

Stating that top management “liked the program” hardly constitutes results befitting a Silver Anvil award winner. To most professionals, letters received from the sales force or customers are also insufficient to be considered for an award.

WHAT IS SUCCESS?

After opening several submissions that included clip reports as proof of a program’s impact, I was forced to wonder how some public relations professionals are measuring success? Clips are an indicator of interest on the part of the media, not necessarily of influence on the purchasing behavior or attitudes of the public.

To be considered a successful public relations program, there must be evidence that the goals and objectives of a program have been met. For instance, if the stated goal of a program is to raise brand awareness, the public relations agency needs to provide documentation demonstrating that the goal was achieved. A brand awareness survey conducted before and after the public relations campaign would clearly illustrate whether the brand experienced increased consumer recognition or not.

Some other examples of quantifiable objectives are a 5% increase in sales, 10,000 new hits a month at the company Web site or one million dollars donated to a nonprofit organization. Not every public relations program is well suited to the Silver Anvil awards. Entries are intended to represent the best a public relations program has to offer in a given year. Submissions that are clearly lacking in one of the four entry criteria devalue not only the awards, but also the public relations industry itself.

Programs that win Silver Anvils almost always demonstrate a tight linkage between the goals of the business and the program results. Failing to do that, other efforts will remain nothing more than submissions.

PR Campaign

여러분들 중 심리학을 전공하신분은 아시겠지만, 미국에는 APA(우리말로는 아파~ 라고 읽나요?..)라는 유명한 심리학 협회가 있습니다. 이번 케이스는 이 협회의 사회적 이슈에 대한 캠페인 자료입니다. 협회 내부에서도 이러한 캠페인을 벌인 동기가 있었습니다. 미국은 아시다시피 정신질환에 대한 분류 및 영역이 굉장히 포괄적입니다. 약간 술을 많이 마셔도 관련 정신치료 프로그램 타령을 하고, 부인을 한대 치면..(물론 큰 일이지만) 또 이상한 치료 프로그램에 가서 이상한 정신 순화 치료를 받습니다.

한 발표를 보니, 미국에서 1000명당 정신치료 경험자가 한국인 1000명당 정신치료 경험자보다 약 10배이상 많은걸로 나타났다고합니다. 바꾸어 생각해보면 적절한 정신치료 시스템이 부족한 우리나라에서는 많은 (광범위한 의미로) 정신질환자들이 정상인들과 함께 일상생활을 하고 있다고도 해석이 되겠지요. 그래서 서울시내 거리를 걷다보면 그리 이상한 괴짜들이 많은가 봅니다.

아무튼 APA는 사회에서 등한시되는 정신치료에 대한 가치를 개선하고자 전략적인 캠페인을 디자인 했습니다. 이러한 캠페인은 자칫 고루해 보일수 있습니다. 뭐 요즘은 캠페인이 너무 흔해서~, 해봤는데 별로더라구~, 너무 시간도 오래걸리고 돈도 많이들어서~ 등등의 의견들이 계십니다.

그러나 쌈팍”한 PR프로그램도 좋지만 문제의 근본을 바탕으로 한 일반적 접근이 더 효과적일 때가 많이 있습니다. 캠페인이라고 다 같은 캠페인이 아닙니다. 그 캠페인을 누가, 어떻게 운영하느냐 하는게 문제이지요.

만약 Goal을 확실히 세워놓고 전략적인 캠페인을 효과적으로 운영한다면, 그 보다 더 좋은 Issue Management는 없을 겁니다. 이러한 케이스 스터디를 하는 이유도 항상 똑같은 PR프로그램들을 지루하게 감상하는 것이 아니라, 이 프로그램은 이게 잘못됬고, 이게 잘됬고 하면서 감을 잡는거지요. 똑같은 보도자료도 잘되고 못된것이 있듯이 똑 같은 홍보 프로그램도 우열이 있습니다. 쌈팍한 홍보 프로그램을 찾기전에 우수한 프로그램의 운영에 신경써야 할 필요도 있다는걸 말씀드리고 싶습니다.

밑의 APA 케이스도 지루합니다. 일반적이고요.

그러나 APA는 원했던 목적을 달성했습니다. 과학적인 서베이를 통해 사전사후의 목표공중 변화를 체크했습니다. 이것이 효과적인 홍보입니다. 쌈팍해서 할때는 그럴듯 하지만 끝나고서는 아무도 그 효과를 모르는 좀 웃기는 프로그램이 아니었다는 얘기겠지요.

토요일이라 그런지 더욱 글이 오락가락합니다. 이해해주세요.

추워지는데 건강 유의들 하시고 저는 그럼 먼저..”홍보!”

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Talk to Someone Who Can Help

The American Psychological Association (APA)

OVERVIEW

The American Psychological Association was faced with several challenges:

· Americans’ access to mental health services including psychological services was being curtailed by managed care plans.

· APA members were concerned that consumers and other important publics did not understand the value of psychological care.

· Mental health services and the people who use these services were stigmatized.

The Goal: to create more public awareness of the value of psychological services, to decrease stigma, to encourage appropriate utilization of care, and to lay the groundwork for efforts to increase consumer access to psychological services from insurers and employers.

RESEARCH

A five-phase research program was designed to gauge the public’s knowledge of and attitudes toward psychology. It provided the foundation upon which the campaign was created. Research represents 50% of the campaign spending for 1995 and 1996. Research included:

· Town meetings with APA members held in 34 cities to receive a “situational analysis” from the front lines and to earn member “buy-in” for the campaign and their future involvement in grass-roots campaign activities.

· Eight consumer focus groups in geographically diverse cities to explore public attitudes, needs and concerns towards health care, mental health care and psychology.

· A 1,200-household national telephone survey to further test public attitudes, needs and concerns expressed in the focus groups.

· Pre and post-campaign testing in lead cities: Denver, CO. and Hartford, CT.

· Two Final consumer focus groups to test campaign messages and creative materials.

Research showed that while Americans value good psychological health and understand its impact on physical health, they are unsure about when and how to seek psychological services and are also concerned about the costs of such care and whether their insurance would pay for it. Research also revealed that while Americans are feeling the negative effects of the threat of job loss, family pressures and the problems of physical illness, they did not always see psychological care as a potential solution to these problems. These findings built the underlying strategy of the campaign.

PLANNING

Based on what was learned in the research phase, key campaign strategies were:

· Target women as the primary health care decision-makers in most families.

· Use media relations to multiply the message in a cost-effective and credible way.

· Educate consumers about the value of psychological services, define when it’s appropriate to seek psychological care, and decrease its stigma by creating advertising that people could relate to–“real people dealing with real life issues”.

· Create more than one direct response mechanism for consumers to learn more about psychological care; each with direct links to appropriate referral services.

· Include some tactics that APA members nationwide would see and value so that they would be more inclined to support and implement campaign activities at the grass-roots level.

· Make the best use of campaign start-up funds by focusing campaign activities–media, advertising and consumer outreach–in two lead cities to demonstrate campaign effectiveness and build support for increased funding within the association governance and state associations.

· Provide APA members with a free campaign kit, a guide for conducting the campaign at the local level, and training to implement the campaign.

Campaign Objectives were:

1. Expand consumer awareness of the role of psychologists in helping people deal with job stress, health, and family issues.

2. Generate consumer responses to an 800-line and a World Wide Web site for more information about psychological services or a referral to a psychologist.

3. Generate support for the campaign among APA leadership and rank and file members so they would implement the campaign at the local level during campaign years 2-5.

EXECUTION

The campaign included:

· Media Relations –campaign launch press event in New York with satellite link to two lead markets; an audio news releasee national news feature distribution with an infograph.

· Television, radio and print advertising which carried forward the three campaign theme vignettes and told stories about average people finding help from psychologists in coping with real life issues. Ads included a consumer response 800

· The Help Center–a consumer information center on the World Wide Web included all campaign consumer information material and special features on campaign vignette themes–job stress, the mind-body connection, and family relationships.

· A consumer information brochure which answered the public’s questions, as identified in the research phase, about psychological services.

· Campaign activities focused in lead cites.

· A campaign kit included. technical advice and campaign materials which could be reproduced.

· Campaign training was provided in central locations across the country.

EVALUATION

· Post campaign survey research found increases in awareness in both lead cities: awareness of psychologists as mental health providers up from 52% to 63%; persons believing mental health coverage is important, up from 75% to 82%; Persons who said they would be likely to seek mental health care for family problems-a key campaign theme-up from 59% to 67%.

· Over 100 million media impressions were generated including AP, USA Today, Los Angeles Times syndicate, the Washington Post, CNN, local newspapers, and numerous health and women’s magazines, between February 1996 and January 1997.

· 223,308 “hits” were recorded by visitors to the campaign consumer help center on the World Wide Web between February 1996 and December 1996.

· More than 7,000 calls to the 800-line by consumers between February and June 1997–the months of most campaign activity.

· In Colorado calls to the state referral service QUADRUPLED during the months of campaign activity; calls to the referral service in Connecticut DOUBLED.

· 27 states have engaged in campaign activities or projects; 2,763 calls were received from APA members who wanted a campaign kit or other information about the campaign; 750 APA members attended grass-roots campaign training sessions.

Internal Communications

지난번에도 말씀드린것 같이 Change Management의 핵심은 Employee Communications 또는 Internal Communications입니다.

현재 미국에서 널리 공유되고 있는 Internal Communications의 패러다임을 아래글에서 구경하실수 있습니다. PR인들이 이제는 그들의 고유한 업무들을 넘어 더욱 조직 발전을 위한 Momentum이 될수 있다면, 과연 그 같은 PR프로그램의 실행 목적은 무었이어야 하는지, 어떠한 새로운 시각을 가지고 자신을 개발해야 하는지, 또 어떠한 자질이 우리들에게 필요한지를 잘 설명해 주고 있는 아주 깨끗한 글입니다. 문장하나한가 버릴말이 없는 좋은 글입니다.

바로 이전 글에서 말씀드린 전략적 PR 컨설턴트 Grates씨의 뉴스레터에 들어 있던 글인데, 새삼 그 명쾌한 비젼설정에 감탄하며, 이렇게 여러분들께 나누어 드립니다.

아래의 글의 깊이와 범위는 대학원 1학기의 강의로도 소화하지 못할 거대한 것입니다. 잘 프린트 하셔서 출퇴근이나 등하교시에 음미 바랍니다.

어지러운 제글을 읽으시느라 수고들 하십니다. 그지만, Grates씨는 다르더군요..

그럼 전 “홍보!”

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Moving Beyond Employee Communication…

Making the Quantum Leap from Crafting Messages to Maximizing Organizational Effectiveness

Internal communication is no longer about monthly newsletters, quarterly update videos, intranets, themes, events and employee suggestion boxes. Internal communication is evolving to a new level, where the focus is on accelerating decision making, challenging people’s knowledge, and providing information that leaders, managers and employees need to make decisions and launch initiatives. Going forward, strategic internal communication will be about improving organizational effectiveness, starting with leadership behaviors and managerial actions, not employee messaging…

When did the notion of employee or internal communication become “chic?”

In a recent article, a respected public relations trade publication lamented the fact that the “largest public relations firms have failed to take advantage of the opportunity presented by the burgeoning importance of internal communication.”

That neglect seems to be waning as evidenced by the recent spate of announcements by large public relations firms that effective internal communication is in fact an important component to organizational success.

Pretenders vs. Contenders

Interestingly, this new found “discovery” of employee communication as a critical management tool by large public relations firms has resulted in the formation of a “strata” in terms of type, scope and thinking associated with delivering counsel, advice and services.

“There is now a strong distinction among the many firms touting employee communication as a practice,” explained Gary F. Grates, President of GCI BoxenbaumGrates, a unit of GCI Consulting, the recognized leader in strategic internal communication and change management. “While we welcome the additional emphasis on internal communication, it is safe to say that what is currently being delivered is, in fact, almost a decade behind the times,” Grates noted. Employee communication has evolved into maximizing organizational effectiveness. It means that professionals in this field need to have a strong knowledge and appreciation of business and organizational behavior including management theory, management models and behavioral psychology. Against this backdrop is an understanding of leadership and its intersection with organizational communication,” Grates stated.

Grates, who has been personally practicing internal communication since the early 80s, and the firm, which has been at the forefront of progressive internal communication practices since the early 90s, states that savvy clients must discern between those that profess an understanding and expertise in this area (Pretenders) and those that legitimately have the interest, credentials, experience and base of knowledge (Contenders).

“The litmus test is the firm’s ability to view internal communication as a management philosophy,” Grates concluded. Successful internal communication efforts are focused on management development and attention and integrated with other important functions of the business including marketing, sales, product development and production.

A Look Back

First and foremost, internal communication practices within agencies have long been viewed primarily as a stepchild;a view that was repeated at most corporations. With a charter that included “fostering goodwill and creating understanding of leadership’s objectives among employees,” the internal communication function was typically relegated to producing events and parties, distributing trinkets, celebrating anniversaries and other milestones, producing messages, publishing monthly newsletters, writing executive speeches, and implementing other “feel good” activities. In other words, it was the official propaganda machine for the organization.

This was in keeping with the times. From the 60s to the early 80s, internal communication reflected the organization’s bent on producing enough products to meet demand. As Tom Peters has said, “management during this period could not screw up if it tried.” In that post-World War II environment, the focus was on production, manufacturing, efficiency and distribution.

Of the same genre, yet on a somewhat different level, was benefits or HR communication. Practitioners of this type of internal communication focused on disseminating specific information, including instructions and updates related to benefits, pension plans, insurance, wellness campaigns and other company-sponsored programs. In both cases, the focus was on distilling information from the top level down and using a variety of vehicles to disseminate it to employees. While these types of communication helped to maintain employee awareness and understanding of certain messages and information, the internal communication function did little to increase understanding, affect behavior or otherwise direct people’s attention to the future.

For some, this is still the reality. Depending on whom you talk to, traditional employee communication is still being practiced, in more and less sophisticated ways, at many companies and agencies.

Yet, as today’s savvy business leader now knows, yesterday’s idea of employee communication is no longer plausible in a world where technology and the hectic pace of business are redefining how companies communicate both internally and externally and where people are more sophisticated (e.g., mature and immune to corporate speak). As a result of this pressure, communication has been changing accordingly, particularly during the late 80s and 90s, when communicators began to shift the focus from message delivery to message development albeit against a backdrop of corporate initiatives, strategic goals and financial targets.

The early 80s have been described as the undoing of the deals which formed the conglomerates in the 60s and 70s. Spurred by the oil crisis, the influx of foreign products, services and investment and a new instrument, junk bonds, which gave rise to a new breed: the raider.

Junk bonds and leveraged buy-outs provided new financial instruments and strategies that forced poor management’s out and organizations to determine the real value of their enterprises.

Reengineering, restructuring, M&A activity and the like began to dominate the business headlines as leaders scurried to eliminate waste and improve shareholder value.

This resulted in the need to recruit, retain and motivate talented employees so as to produce the value inherent in the organization. It is during this time that internal communication began to transform itself.

Internal Communication as a “Critical Organizational Priority”

Now, as we stand on the brink of a new century, the true transformation of internal communication &#8211; from necessary function to critical organizational priority is already underway.

As Alvin Toffler, noted futurist and author has stated, society is moving from the Industrial Age to the Information Age. In this new environment where information is abundant, competitive advantage lies in an organization’s ability to affect the behaviors, attitudes and actions of its employees. The end result is a workforce that can make decisions quickly, accurately and consistent with the business strategy.

At GCI BoxenbaumGrates, we believe a more accurate depiction of internal communication can be described as the concept of improving “organizational effectiveness.” In this framework, communications is practiced in a strategic manner &#8211; accelerating decision-making, challenging people’s knowledge, and providing relevant and timely information.

From this perch, internal communication is focused on understanding the true underpinnings of operational and performance including:

* Through what operations is structure actually designed?

* Through what operations does a leader impact a manager, employee and customer?

* Through what operations do rewards and consequences affect change?

* How are decisions made in the organization?

* How is strategic planing defined and used in the organization to effect change in operations and behavior?

* How is risk managed?

* How clearly is success defined?

* What are the interactions of individuals within the corporate environment?

* How is information generated, shared, interpreted and used?

* How is the organization contributing to self worth, self-actualization?

* What are the values of employees throughout the organization? How do they match with organizational goals?

* How much of the marketplace customers is part of the internal dialogue?

Another characteristic of this environment is that people are constantly reevaluating their skill sets and reinventing themselves. In terms of credibility, it’s experience that counts, not words, and people are judged by their deeds, not just their intentions. Importantly, leadership does not exist solely to lead; rather, leaders are there to assist and facilitate others in getting results.

Put succinctly, organizational effectiveness, or the institution’s ability to operate profitably, functionally, socially, strategically, innovatively and humanly, is the next management frontier. This new management model brings together the right mix of communication, leadership and team building to create an openness and an exchange that’s fostered by the right technologies and the right skill sets.

What’s more, organizational effectiveness is a behavioral-based model, embedded in a belief that sharing the right information with the right people will result in decisions being made for the organization. The concept is so powerful, in fact, that savvy corporate managers recognize organizational effectiveness as the foundation for distinct and sustainable competitive advantage of the future.

Institute for Excellence Think Tank Formed

In 1998, in an effort to help lead a new generation of communicators, leaders and managers into this new frontier, Boxenbaum Grates, Inc. formed the Institute for Excellence in Employee-Management Communications, A Think Tank on Organizational Effectiveness. The Institute was designed as an umbrella entity for continuous learning, improving organizational effectiveness, and meeting business objectives through strategic internal communication.

Based on its initial work, the Institute recently reported that organizational effectiveness is a function of eight key considerations, all of which intersect with strategic internal communication:

Talented employees;

Motivated employees;

Sound business strategy;

Competent leadership;

Clear-cut decision-making;

An ability to communicate clearly;

Customer/marketplace focus; and,

Progressive systems to monitor the prior seven considerations.

The key variable in this new model, however, is leadership. Leadership is responsible for ensuring that all considerations are in place and appropriate. Consequently, the linkage between leadership and strategic communication is direct and especially profound. For leaders to be successful, they must build relationships and here is where strategic internal communication can make or break the paradigm.

A Distinct Difference

Establishing itself as the leader in this category, GCI BoxenbaumGrates has developed a proprietary methodology for delivering valuable counsel and services to strategic business thinkers seeking unconventional solutions to business issues.

This methodology comprises four areas:

Leadership: Through its actions, style and decisions, leadership can instill the appropriate mindset around the organization’s strategy, set the managerial and operational tone and provide continual focus on the future.

Management: This group is charged with making the organization successful through the behaviors, actions and attitudes of its people.

Structure: This is the design for the organization’s strategy and the roadmap for employee understanding and decisions.

Communications: Is the enabler of leadership, the dialogue of management and the oxygen for employee existence within the organization.

Approaching almost any client assignment from this vantage point provides GCI BoxenbaumGrates with the proper frame-of-mind and the ability to discern between problem and symptom, providing clarity and focus to leadership planning and decision-making.

New Research: The Missing Link

While employee opinion studies and internal newsletter readership surveys have long been tactics of employee communication departments, resulting recommendations could only be crafted against what was measured. A key component to practicing strategic internal communication is relevant, targeted research and analysis. It is at the core of leadership credibility, planning and activity.

Now more, than ever, business leadership must discern between problem and symptom as it relates to organizational performance. Oftentimes, incredible amounts of time, energy and resources are spent dealing with symptoms and never attacking the root cause.

“Such misguided efforts have plagued managerial effectiveness since many initiatives and communication campaigns were based more on intuition than fact,” said Dr. Robert Berrier, president of Berrier Associates, Inc. (Narbeth, PA) one of the country’s leading research firms. “This laissez-faire approach can no longer survive in today’s competitive environment.” In an exclusive partnership with GCI Consulting, Berrier Associates employs primary and secondary research in order to gain compelling insights, impactful programming and measurable results.

Through progressive, state-of-the-art proprietary research designed to obtain the deep insights and understanding needed to engage in meaningful communications and managerial behaviors, GCI BoxenbaumGrates has set itself apart from the professional service firms who have claimed to have expertise in this area.

Strategic Internal Communication & “Organizational Ability:”

It’s How You Think vs. What You Do

There’s no doubt about it, strategic internal communication can and does enable organizations to effectively and efficiently deal with a changing environment by engaging a highly-skilled workforce to assimilate and interpret new information quickly for competitive advantage.

Yet, as we look out today, few professional service firms are practicing this new level of communication. Indeed, most still package their tactical experience under a “strategic” banner in hopes that this one-size fits-all approach will generate the results needed to drive an organization. To move beyond this narrow definition of internal communication and practice this new model, firms must bring a varied and deep understanding and appreciation for a variety of non-traditional disciplines and backgrounds, including business strategy and trends; management theory and models; opinion formation and influence; research; organizational architecture and structure; credibility; relationship building; organizational imprint or genetics; organizational decision-making; power of symbols; behavior; reputation and image-building. But what will it take to create this type of necessary sea change?

As Peter Drucker, the noted management guru recently observed, “the new information revolution is about…redefining information; what is needed is new concepts. In one enterprise or another, top management people during the last few years have begun to ask, ‘What information concepts do we need for our tasks?’” The implication for public relations, according to Drucker, is that the function must evolve to become the ears not the trumpet of the new organization. In the future, the focus of communication will be on explaining and interpreting and on determining new ways for managers and employees to connect and keep the dialogue going. Instead of worrying about their grasp of the organization’s mission and vision, leaders and communicators will work to ensure employees’ awareness and knowledge of customers, the company’s positioning, the organization’s health and their daily contribution.

A Look Ahead

The advent of Toffler’s Third-Wave Information Society has produced an economy that is challenging everything we have grown accustomed to relationships, management models, expectations, services, products, wealth-creation. From a strategic internal communication standpoint, providing context, direction, information and sound management decisions are essential to helping organizations thrive in this ever-changing landscape.

This means professional service firms must move quickly to understand and apply new thinking to traditional management concepts. New ideas and techniques must be explored and applied to handle today’s and tomorrow’s issues and opportunities created by the information-based economy.

A glimpse at the organization of the future reveals that strategic communication will facilitate a culture of learning, where people share their best (and worst) practices; performance appraisals are used to assess learning activities; flexibility and risk taking are rewarded and people are encouraged to take responsibility for their own learning, budgets and opportunities.

Granted, the new frontier may represent a brave new world for the internal communication function, yet only if communications professionals recognize the need and accept the responsibility for making the quantum leap from necessary function to critical organizational priority.