A bad economy demands great PR

I’m happy to spotlight guest host Bill Prickett, APR (accredited public relations).   He has been successfully involved in Public Relations/Communications for more than 20 years, primarily in the nonprofit arena. He currently has his own PR Consulting business called Write You UP!  (www.WriteYouUp.com)  A prolific writer, he has had numerous articles published in national magazines and newspapers and wrote a quarterly PR column for a national trade publication targeting small businesses.  He’s also a published novelist and a blogger. (www.write-you-up.blogspot.com)  He lives in the Dallas-Fort Worth area of Texas.

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Bill Prickett, APR

In case you haven’t heard, the US economy is in bad shape.  Not sure if you’ve read some of the news reports, but companies are hurting and laying off employees at an alarming rate.  That is, those business that are even staying in business.  Unemployment is out of control, and not expected to recover until late 2010. 

In the midst of this meltdown, it’s my hope that our profession and professionals would rise to the occasion and provide some much needed expertise in crucial business areas:

Encourage the Employees.  If you don’t think your employees are concerned, you are mistaken.  They are worried about their jobs, they are probably overworked and they are stressed about everything from finances to healthcare to job security.  They are asking tough questions about their future with the company or about the future of the company. 

In an economy like this one, it would be easy to take your team for granted, or worse, take advantage of them, knowing that most are probably too afraid to leave a job right now.

PR should be on the frontlines to help address those concerns.  Work with executive management to encourage the staff.  Find ways to recognize them, honor them…and appreciate them.  It doesn’t have to be a monetary reward; a public “thank you” goes a long way.  Build loyalty now, because there will come a time when the employment landscape is not so bleak…and those stressed-out employees will leave your company like a bad Pauley Shore movie. (Is there any other kind?)

Employ Constant, Consistent Communication.  Often during difficult times, business leaders want to just hunker down and work on solutions; they are in lots of meetings, discussing every aspect of the situation.  And unfortunately, not much information is getting out to the worker bees, who are wondering what’s going on behind the closed-door meetings.  As I share in my couple’s communications workshops, where there’s an absence of communication, fear and insecurity will fill in the blanks. 

When times are bad, we as PR Professionals must work harder to make sure we (and management) are communicating.  And what we say needs to be ongoing, timely and honest.  We want to provide our staff with regular information about the company and honest assessments of the current situation.  If things are going to get tough for a while, let them know.  If folks will have to handle multiple responsibilities, tell them. 

Whatever you do, don’t lie to the staff.  Ever!  It will not help the reputation of the company if we mislead our staff about the health of the business, and then cut half the workforce the following week.  Just as we would in a crisis situation (and this is a crisis-type scenario, make no mistake about that), we want to have our messages/talking points prepared and give them often.  As I tell companies preparing Crisis Communication Plans: Tell it first, tell it fast, tell it often and tell the truth.

It’s very easy during difficult times to shut down communications.  But find ways to stay in touch with all the team.  Get them together and allow them to talk about what they are feeling.  Have a pot luck, or order pizza.  In addition, find ways to communicate positive  information and good news.  Tell them what a great job they are doing under difficult circumstance, and thank them for their efforts. 

Embody the Conscience.  Every organization needs someone to be the conscience in times of trouble.  One who hope it comes from the top down, but that is not always the case.  But as those committed to both the reputation as well as the healthy relationships of the organization, it certainly is a responsibility that falls to the PR professional, who will stand up and speak loud as a strong, heart-felt voice of reason about ethics, fair treatment, equity and compassion.  Challenge business leaders to do the right thing, not just the most expedient thing; to act in a way that honors the vision, values and mission of the company.  Even during tough times, we should work to keep our organizations involved in the communities, giving to charities and treating our staff with fairness, dignity and gratitude.  Those do not change just because of hard times.

A bad economy is no excuse for bad behavior.  In times like these, we need good…no, we need great PR.