Public Relations

Work-Life Balance: Life Outside of PR

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“Work hard. Play hard.” This is every PR pro’s mantra, but let’s be real—emails can be relentless and sometimes there is zero time or energy left for ourselves or our families. I consider myself a lucky guy, I have an awesome wife and we just welcomed our second child. Balancing a great career while raising a family is arguably the best “problem” one could ask for, though that’s not to say it’s anything short of challenging.  While we all have different aspects of our lives outside of work we are juggling, I’ll let you in on some secrets for balancing those demanding work weeks with a “work hard, play hard” lifestyle.

1.) Communication: Of course communication is my number-one! Communication is the foundation for any complex system and balancing work and family life is no different. Maintaining an open line of communication with your team is key, especially when accommodating a commitment that may call for some wiggle room in your schedule. Communication can also be equally important when it comes to keeping in touch with your family throughout a work day. Oftentimes, I like to take a break at work and squeeze in a quick FaceTime call with my family. This helps me stay in the loop at home, and lets them know that while I am busy, they are still a priority.

2.) Organization: Balancing work and family demands can get hectic, which makes organization crucial – especially when expectations and responsibilities at work may seem tenfold at home. We’re all human. Forgetting things is inevitable. Take notes and stay organized.  Personally, keeping a calendar of important dates and tasks somewhere easily accessible is key to helping me stay on top of the things that need to get done.

3.) Equity: For me, this is where I have another cup of coffee and gear-up to handle business at home.  Attempting to devote equal efforts to a work and home life may seem near impossible, but setting a goal that reflects this is a great step toward being successful at work, and having a peaceful, happy home life.  To start, consider taking stock of the things you find yourself devoting the most time to at work, and make sure you have the resources and training in place to be successful.  Sometimes, learning a new skill or simply asking for a little help can be the ticket to achieving greater stability in both areas. You need enough in the tank to be alert and effective after work too.

4.) Gratitude: Positivity is important and optimism is infectious. No matter how stressful the days may get, making an effort to maintain a thankful, positive mindset is crucial. A good attitude at work goes a long way toward building relationships with your colleagues and supervisor, which ultimately paves the way for a less stressful work environment overall.  In the end, a positive outlook is the first step to perseverance and success.

Find something you enjoy and commit a portion of your week to it.5.) Balance: Find something you enjoy and commit a portion of your week to it. Often, we fail to make this a priority due to an already tight schedule, but creating a window of time for yourself, and sticking to it, can create a more balanced you.  For me, I enjoy riding my skateboard a few times a week, as it is the perfect solution to creating that balance we all strive for. Plus, it allows me to be outside and relax. How do you balance your hectic life? If you have any of your own tips for balancing work and family life, we’d love to hear!

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Ronald Barnes is a member of Sacramento’s PRSA chapter and an account coordinator at Prosio Communications, a California certified small business, and woman/minority owned public relations and marketing firm in Roseville, which specializes in media relations, crisis communication and community outreach.  Ronald earned a public relations degree from California State University, Sacramento, where he successfully passed the Principles of Public Relations beta-examination. Connect with Ronald on LinkedIn and Twitter.

Pros and Cons of the “Always On” PR Culture

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Although public relations is exciting and engaging, it ranks as one of the most stressful professions. This unfortunate ranking may be due to the idea (or reality) that public relations is a fast-paced industry where professionals have to be ready to manage a crisis at any hour, with lots to know and learn at all times. To be frank, we’re always on — but is the “always on” culture necessarily a bad thing?

The answer varies. An eager new professional may love being immersed in their work, thinking that the commitment and long hours is what it takes to climb the corporate ladder. From an executive’s point of view, they may deem the long hours inhibiting from personal activities like spending time with loved ones or taking care of their health.

There’s the saying, “When you love what you do, it’ll never feel like work.” Most aspects of public relations are exciting for those who truly love it. When there is passion for the work, it is natural to always be on — in many sectors of public relations, key events happen after “office hours.” Passionate professionals genuinely want to keep up with the latest trends and build relationships with influencers and journalists who cover niche subject matters.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, always being on means there is no clear distinction between work and play. Because public relations professionals often choose to work in a niche industry they enjoy, things that were pleasurable before starting a career can now be incorporated into work projects and as a hook when pitching journalists. But at the end of the day, where is the balance?

For those who find the always on culture to be taxing, there is a solution for more work/life balance. Professionals can limit their working hours to a set amount of hours per week, including the time spent returning emails, working on press releases, and managing budgets. During designated free time, turn on your out of office, do an activity that will help clear your head, attend community events, and spend time with those who mean most to you.

Are there any other work/life balance tips that you practice in the “always on” public relations industry?

i-zthGPGn-XL-230x300 Jasmine L. Kent, a member of PRSA-LA, is a fan of all things food and beverage, pop culture, and media. Combining all three passions, Jasmine builds community through engaging online marketing and dynamic events as a communications professional in Los Angeles, CA. Keep up with her on Twitter at @LoveJasPR or visit LoveJasPR.com. 

Tips for Mentoring a PR Newbie on the Art and Science of Media Relations

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So you’ve been asked to train, mentor, or manage a PR newbie on all things media relations. Congrats! Now what? Media relations is an art and a science. Mastering the balance takes practice, and can be challenging to new PR pros starting out in the workplace as an intern or account coordinator. While some colleges teach media relations, many do not, and those that do often only skim the surface.

That being said, those starting out in the PR world could use media relations guidance – a task that often falls on more senior account coordinators, or account executives and account supervisors. Often the shift from new pro to “less new” pro, responsible for helping out the greenest team members, can be tricky. Here are some helpful hints that I’ve found to be helpful, both as I’ve been mentored and have mentored others.

1. Remember that patience is a virtue, and encourage questions.

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Be patient with newbies – while you might be an ace at media relations, this is totally new to your mentee, and they will need some time to become an expert. Being patient with them will both encourage and motivate them, and create a more positive experience for both parties. As a manager or mentor, you are responsible for helping newbies build their skillset and confidence. As The Power Group’s account supervisor shared with me when I asked for her advice for this blog post,

“Always have an open door policy for questions. If your new account team member is afraid to ask questions, chances are they’ll come up with their own answers, which can be risky and potentially damage your outreach campaign.”

2. Show and tell – employ a “face-to-face” edits model.

If you receive a less-than-stellar media list from a new pro, don’t be afraid to call him or her over to your desk and go through the list, talking through your thought process. It’s easy to hide not-so-nice feedback behind an email chain, but I’ve found that sharing insight into your own process can be really helpful for new pros. If you’re making a personal connection and talking through your own media relations lessons learned, even better. Don’t hesitate to talk through mistakes made by the intern or account coordinator. It can be tough to deliver that feedback, but it’s crucial for the mentee to hear in order to improve.

3. Give your mentees plenty of opportunities to watch and learn.

I learned so much from my first media relations manager simply by watching how she composed an email to a journalist, coordinated an editorial, or approached booking trade show press appointments. A great (and risk-free) way to learn is simply to soak up everything like a sponge. As a mentor, that means including your mentee in every media relations activity you possibly can. Sitting in on client interviews, tagging along to broadcast segments, and observing media training are all great learning opportunities. Leveraging industry publications and organizations, such as PRSA and Cision, is also a great way for mentees to learn. Mandatory webinars and lunch and learns are a great way for an intern or account coordinator to “familiarize faster,” according to my account supervisor Jordan Liberty.

What are some of the more helpful things your direct supervisors have done to guide you in your media relations learning? What are some tips that you would add to this list?

lauren-leger

As digital account executive at The Power Group, Lauren creates custom digital strategies, crafts tailored social media content, and manages social media accounts on behalf of clients. She also leads Power’s inbound marketing efforts, and is certified by HubSpot Academy in Inbound Methodology. Lauren’s expertise is in B2B and technology. She started at Power in the fall of 2014 as an account executive, and manages select PR accounts. (Connect with Lauren on LinkedIn and Twitter)

February 2016 Twitter Chat Recap

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The February #NPPRSA Twitter chat, earlier this month, was all about big ideas on a small budget.

Special guests during this month’s chat were Adrienne Wallace, Managing Director/COO, at 834 Design & Marketing and Todd Butler, President & CEO, at Causewave Community Partners. Delivering big results on a small budget can be challenging as you work around the parameters, but it can also challenge your creativity and help you break through with new ideas and successes. Click through the Storify below to see highlights from the conversation.

Mark upcoming Twitter chats on your calendar and view past chat recaps here.

Redefining the Mentor-Mentee Relationship

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When most of us think of a mentor-mentee relationship, images of a seasoned expert offering sage wisdom and experiences to an aspiring pro probably come to mind. We tend to think that a mentor needs to have many years of experience and the mentor-mentee is an exclusive, hard-to-find relationship that helps to guide the mentee’s career.

Some of these assumptions may be partly true, but it’s past time that we redefine our definition of what a mentor-mentee relationship should look like. A mentorship doesn’t typically begin by seeking someone out and asking “Will you be my mentor?” It’s usually a relationship that evolves from a previous connection – a professor, a supervisor, a leader in your PRSA chapter, a friend of your family, etc. – to help guide you through your career.

What we get wrong about a mentor is that it has to be someone with a lot of experience, that we only need one and that a mentor will be able to guide our careers to perfection instantly and without much input from us. A mentor isn’t a fairy godmother for your career anymore than you’re a pumpkin who dreams of being a carriage. Dispelling some of these incorrect notions and understanding a mentorship needs can make you both a fantastic mentee and a phenomenal mentor, no matter where you are in your career.

A good mentee…

… knows his or her goals.

A mentorship is all about guidance and no one can guide you if you don’t know where you want to go. It’s important to at least have a general idea of what your goals are and where you’d like to be, because otherwise, you and your mentor will just keep going in circles with no real benefit.

…asks for what he or she wants.

Are you looking for advice? Assistance making some connections? Help fine-tuning your resume? An “in” to agency life? You have to be able to ask for what you need. A mentor can provide all kinds of help, but only if they know what will benefit you.

…is gracious.

There’s a difference between using someone for his or her connections and building a relationship that you can benefit from. It’s gratitude. Be gracious about any and every bit of assistance and help that your mentor provides. Beyond just saying thank you, you can send a handwritten note, a little gift, anything to show that you appreciate his or her time and help. The best thank you that you can give, though, is to follow through with their advice or introductions and building something better for yourself.

…knows that it takes a village.

There isn’t one person that will be able to help you with all the career questions you’re bound to have. It’s ok, actually essential, to have more than one person to turn to for advice. Having mentors at varying levels of their careers, with different backgrounds and experiences can help you get a better picture of the professional landscape as you navigate it and pave your own way.

…takes the lead.

If you’re seeking a mentor, you’re probably looking for someone currently working, with good experience and active in your professional interests. So they’re probably going to be busy, too. Take the lead by knowing what you want to know, scheduling meeting time ahead of time and meet them where they are. Don’t be afraid to follow up and nudge a bit if your mentor doesn’t respond within a day or two.

A good mentor…

…gets to know his or her mentee.

A mentorship is a relationship just like any other. It takes nurturing and connecting a multiple levels to keep it alive and beneficial. Learn other things about your mentee – interests, hobbies, family, etc. – and build a connection beyond professional interests.

…is available.

It’s understandable that you’re busy, but if you’re committed to being a mentor, you have to make time for it like anything else. It’s important to be available to your mentee, whether that’s by email, phone, Skype, social media or in person. You don’t have to be available 24/7 or at a moment’s notice, but you should have consistent communication with your mentee.

…isn’t afraid to share.

Sharing your mistakes and missteps is just as important as sharing your nuggets of wisdom and best practices. Knowing that everyone makes mistakes in their career and accepting that is an important part of professional development.

…knows age is just a number.

You can be a good mentor at any age and any career level. A mentorship should be focused around learning and growing together. As you progress in your career, you’ll have different experiences and advice to share. New pros can be just as good a mentor for aspiring young professionals as any master practitioner.

…is open to dialogue.

There’s nothing worse than trying to talk to someone who is stuck in their ways and unable to entertain any other viewpoints. No matter where you are in your career, it’s important to keep an open mind to new ideas and methods, no matter how big or small, or who they’re coming from.

The best mentors and mentees know…

…that mentorship is a two-way street.

Like any other relationship, a mentorship should be beneficial for everyone involved. Mentors can learn just as much from their mentees as they can teach them. Investing time in your mentorship, no matter which role you’re fulfilling, is a worthwhile contribution to your professional development.

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Robyn Rudish-Laning is a member of South Carolina’s PRSA chapter and is communications coordinator for the South Carolina Council on Competitiveness. Robyn is also a member of the New Professionals executive committee. She is a graduate of Duquesne University and is currently located in Columbia, SC. You can connect with her on LinkedIn or Twitter or read her blog here.