Happy 2020, friends! Here’s to a year that’s filled with happiness, good health, and prosperity.
When I look back at 2019, I realize it was an intense year for so many reasons. Every week was one of reflection and new insights with a 52+ week millennial research project.
Today, as a result of this reflection and realizing my research had uncovered a new Mode of Operation or communication model, I’m focusing on a FEEL roadmap in 2020; adding FEEL to all of my communications. At the same time, I’ll be helping other professionals understand why strategic communications can only get you so far in your connections and relationship building. FEEL is the stepping stone to real relationships personally and professionally. How much do you use FEEL in your communication through all of your channels? Now you can find out with the FEEL First Test.
I decided to evaluate myself and my ability to FEEL, by taking the online FEEL First test, which came together as a result of the deep conversations with millennials in 2019.
I was surprised, not so surprised, to learn that I still have some FEEL work to do in the areas of facing Fears, engaging with Empathy, etc. In 2020, I’m on my way to FEEL Mastery, which is the highest range of scores you can achieve. The FEEL First Test not only evaluates your ability to FEEL, in every area of the model, and in different settings, but it also recommends exercises to increase your level of FEEL.
And, so my roadmap begins and yours can too.
A huge thank you to all of those millennials who took the time to interview with me, and who wanted to share the value of communication, what it means to have trust in a real relationship and what they expect from the important people in their lives. You have helped me to get through a difficult time and to turn loss and sadness into purpose and focus.
Here’s my video discussing where my roadmap begins and how professionals and companies would solve a lot of their issues and communication challenges with the FEEL model.
Featured Image Photo Credit: Amit Jain at Unsplash
My FEEL First research journey continues. I’m speaking with Millennials every week to learn what they expect from leaders, including their interactions with business executives from their companies or the brands that interest them to government officials online and at different communications touch points. The communication model I’m building is based on these informal one-on-one interviews, social media searches using the Talkwalker Quick Search platform, as well as 30 years in communications and relationship-building best practices.
Although I have a few favorite research questions, there was one that yielded powerful results. I asked Millennials to fill in the blank for the following statement, “I don’t like leaders who…” They were told they could answer in a few words or a sentence. What I ended up with was much more than I had imagined. Millennials had a lot to say about leaders they don’t like.
As a matter of fact, they elaborated far more on this question than any other. Why? Is it because their leaders are coming across as leaders who don’t meet their expectation? Or, is it because they’re seeing communication that lacks an open perspective or appears self-serving and disingenuous, especially on social media? I see it everyday … there’s very little listening with a low tolerance for opposing or differing opinions, not to mention communication that is self-absorbed and isn’t transparent. Do you see this too?
The Millennials I’ve interviewed are clear, and they know exactly what they don’t like about leaders today. Take a look at some of the partial responses to the statement, “I don’t like leaders who …”
Don’t follow anyone on social media, and they don’t post anything other than policies and products.
Have a bad attitude and their tone is passive aggressive.
Blow up your feed and you still don’t get the answers you need.
Don’t have integrity and are full of hot air.
Communicate through multiple persons and a complicated chain of command.
Don’t know how to lead; they were just put into a leadership position and have no leadership skills.
Ignore the criticism you share; Millennials want their voices to be heard.
Talk more than they listen.
Are egotistical and self-centered.
Are unwilling to learn and who have a finite agenda in their communication.
Strategy and planning have always been the focus of my work in PR and marketing. I’ve created countless communication roadmaps for brands and professionals, to successfully prepare, launch and implement their campaigns with a goal to build relationships and to create business value.
Today, my research uncovers an approach that must be applied first. Based on Millennial responses to my questions over the last six months and numerous social media searches, leaders and business professionals must FEEL First before they communicate. FEEL stands for: Facing Fears, engaging with Empathy, using Ethics and good judgment and unleashing the Love of their mission to genuinely connect and to build loyal and unbreakable bonds.
What is the genesis of my passion project? It all began after my step daughter Noelle passed away. She was only 24 years old and she was an outstanding scholar and an amazing young woman with a giving heart and someone who would have done great things in this world. Noelle’s passing was heartbreaking and it really threw my family’s world upside down. I started to research Millennials and their communication habits. I wasn’t surprised to learn that Millennials value themselves based on their performance and image. I also quickly uncovered that Millennials were more stressed out and anxious than years past. Anxiety and depression statistics are at alarming levels and so are suicide rates. Did you know that suicide is the 2nd leading cause of death in Americans from ages 10 to 34?
From everything I’ve learned, it was time for me to step back to take a good look at the communication differences between generations; how people interact, the level of integrity, authenticity and the empathy in their relations. Are increasing communication touchpoints and a technology-driven world fueling stress and anxiety? Plus, when we communicate, how much do we really know about the people that we work so hard to build relationships with? As a communicator of 30 years, I want to make sure that any workshops, training, speaking and the courses I develop will always stress helpful, ethical, communication with EQ in the driver’s seat.
So what does all of this have to do with the development of the new communications model, FEEL First? Everything! Communication can make a situation better; it’s an opportunity to put on your emotional intelligence hat so you can listen and help people; an important first step to lending genuine support. When there’s good communication there’s more understanding and empathy; kindness and caring are also present. Most of all good communication is a time for openness and transparency and even vulnerability. Brené Brown, who is a researcher and storyteller, nailed this in her TED Talk. When you’re vulnerable you can build a real relationship. Plus, with good communication that exudes passion and pure enthusiasm you will attract inspired and motivated supporters.
However, today, we’re seeing far less good communication. Think about it. As you spend more time on your smartphones and engage in new technologies, are you noticing increased noise, frustration, and anger, whether it’s on social media, in the news, and within the four walls of your companies?
Of course, leaders have to be strong, take a stance, show confidence, be innovative and have a clear vision that people will follow. This must come through in all of their interactions. But, if you can’t balance your strength and IQ, with greater levels of Emotional Quotient (EQ) then your ability to build relationships, bond with your tribe and create blind loyalty will be limited.
In an age of automation and Artificial Intelligence, it’s your emotional intelligence that separates you from the machine. Machines don’t have intuition, they don’t experience kindness and caring, they don’t know empathy and they don’t build relationships. Millennials are not shy about wanting their leaders to have more emotional intelligence. Here’s a FEEL First research blog post on this very topic.
What’s my advice to leaders about their communication, based on how Millennials finished the statement, “I don’t like leaders who?“ In a nutshell, you have to FEEL First!
If I asked you to name the top qualities of a leader what would you say? Leaders have vision. They inspire and motivate people. Leaders are creative and they have passion. But, would you say, leaders are people who feel deeply for the people they serve? Is this a conversation that you’re hearing?
As a quick snapshot experiment, using a social media monitoring tool called, SocialMention, I decided to test the strength of the word “Leader” with many of the known characteristics that I’ve just mentioned. When you pair the words, “leader” and “creativity” or “leader” and inspire,” the conversations are strong and the reach is wide. The sentiment is also a high positive ratio.
But what happens when you pair the word “Leader” with “Feel?” Check out my video to learn the strength and reach of this conversation. The results are sad which validates why we leaders today who want to create change and impact need a FEEL model.
F = Uncover your Fears and move out of your comfort zone.
E = Come from a place of Empathy and dig deeper to understand what’s “below the surface” of the people you want to reach.
E = Communicate with Ethics especially in the age of social conversations.
L = Love your mission and believe in the cause so others will want to join you.
A Guest Post By Sarah D. Huckins, Graduate Student, American University, PR Expanded Blog Contest Winner
Patagonia Community Board: Credit Ginny Lefler
Six months after graduation, the novelty of being in the “real world” may be beginning to wear off. Student loan grace periods are coming to an end, you may be wondering at what point will you be able to finally put your degree into practice. According to a report by Burning Glass and the Strada Institute, 39 percent of Communications and Journalism majors will be underemployed in their first job. While this statistic is an unfortunate reality for many graduates, it doesn’t need to define you. Everyone needs to start somewhere. While you may find yourself in a position that doesn’t explicitly align with your professional goals, there are ways to make the most out of any role.
For many college graduates, it is isn’t economically viable to hold out for the perfect first job. With mounting debt (the average student in the Class of 2016 has $37,172 in student loans) many graduates need to take whatever employment opportunities are immediately available to them. For me, that meant starting off in retail at Patagonia when I first moved to Washington D.C. But what began as a means to pay rent ended up being an invaluable professional experience. Any job can support your professional growth, but first you’ll need to learn what questions to ask of your employer – and more importantly of yourself. The following five strategies helped me to go from seasonal sales associate to Environmental Coordinator at Patagonia and led me from D.C. to Jordan and back again in pursuit of my professional goals.
Be your own advocate.
Understanding your passions and skills and illustrating them to others is the first step is advancing yourself in a role. Some work environments have structured processes for goal setting, but even if yours doesn’t, take initiative. Ask yourself what is important to you and create goals within your role and share them with team leadership. I was interested in Patagonia’s Corporate Social Responsibility, so early on I worked to learn more about the company’s environmental programs. It’s possible that your managers may not be able to provide all the support you’d like, but by communicating where’d you like to go – and showing that you have the determination to get there – managers and leadership may think of you if new opportunities arise.
Take on work that builds marketable skills.
Don’t resign yourself to work that isn’t fulfilling. Even if you perceive your work to be completely unrelated to your undergraduate course of study, there are always ways to make strategic connections, particularly to the field of communications. Does your organization have a social media account? Offer to help create new content. Does your organization have a customer list-serv? Offer to help craft an upcoming newsletter. Does your organization host events? Offer to help with planning and marketing. What about other opportunities for developing in-demand soft skills?
For me, these two strategies involved aligning myself with Patagonia’s environmental mission. Environmental advocacy was much more relevant to my long-term goals than sales, so by expressing that to managers and by working to promote sustainability within the store from an early point, I was well positioned to apply for the role of Environmental Coordinator when it became available.
Learn from your co-workers.
If you find yourself at a job in service, or in a role not in a typical office setting, your co-workers may be your most valuable asset. It is likely that you’ll be working with people who have a wide variety of personal and professional backgrounds and learning from their experiences can only help you. By making connections with your co-workers you might be exposed to something you never thought about before or be able to think about a concept in a new way.
At Patagonia I worked with an undergrad studying food insecurity, a Master of Divinity who studied dual narratives, and two mid-career professionals who had worked at environmental nonprofits, just to name a few. Fostering connections with these individuals, and others, helped me to consider new variables and issues as I pursued my goals.
Take advantage of opportunities for professional development.
Some employers offer professional development opportunities, whether it be workshops and trainings or subsidies for continuing education courses. But even if an employer doesn’t offer an opportunity directly, it’s possible that they would support you if you found one independently. Ask your managers what opportunities are available to you, or if they would allow you to use company time to attend meaningful trainings at other institutions.
Patagonia’s support of employee activism creates an incredible opportunity for professional development. I found out that as a benefitted employee of over a year, I could travel anywhere in the world for up to 10 weeks – and get paid to do it – if selected for the company’s Environmental Internship Program. I was incredibly fortunate to be chosen to participate, and I was able to spend two months in Amman, Jordan interning at a nonprofit dedicated to promoting community-based environmental stewardship.
Know when it’s time to move on.
All beginnings need to come to an end. The final step in understanding how to make a job work for you is knowing when you’ve gotten all you can out of an experience. It is important to recognize when you’ve outgrown an opportunity. Your first job is necessary to begin building your career, but when you sense that your role is no longer serving you, it’s time to leverage the skills and connections you developed into finding the next experience.
If you’ve found yourself in a work environment where you needed to use these strategies, or if you’re looking for more inspiration from others who have worked their way up, continue the conversation in the comments section below.
Sarah Huckins is a Program Associate at the US Water Alliance and a Master’s candidate at American University’s School of Communication. She previously worked as Environmental Coordinator for Patagonia’s Washington D.C. store and interned for EcoPeace Middle East. Follow her on Twitter @SarahDHuckins or on LinkedIn.
A Guest Post by Jason Sprenger, President & Founder, Game Changer Communications
As I’m sure you’re well aware by now, whether you work in PR or not, it’s really hard to define public relations. According to the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA), the leading trade organization in our industry, “public relations is a strategic communication process that builds mutually beneficial relationships between organizations and their publics.” Ummm…that’s pretty vague. What does it mean? How do we translate that into concepts and practices that will add value to our clients and organizations?
This new model, launched on September 15, presents the entire spectrum of how people and organizations communicate and build relationships with their stakeholders in a visual, easy-to-comprehend way. This provides a roadmap for organizations to easily develop a holistic PR program with varying types of communications elements. Even better, it means we all finally have a tool to show our parents, spouses, etc. so that they can truly understand what it is we do for a living!
To download and/or read a white paper and images for the Umbrella Model of Public Relations, please visit http://gamechangercommunications.com/umbrella-model/. Already, the model has started a discussion in our industry about what we do and what value we can bring, and that’s fantastic. The more we engage in this dialogue, and the more we take it upon ourselves to grow our skills in other areas of PR and bring new value propositions to our organizations and clients, the better work we’ll do and the better our industry’s reputation will be in the business community.
I look forward to all your feedback, and the great discussion that is to come!
Jason Sprenger is the president of Game Changer Communications. Jason founded the agency in 2012 to help organizations propel themselves forward using the entire spectrum of public relations. Before starting Game Changer, he led North American PR for FICO and built a successful corporate PR department at data storage firm Xiotech (now called X-IO Technologies). Jason has also held various roles with three Twin Cities public relations firms, and has worked for a wide variety of organizations, from large to small and public to private, and has been a corporate, agency and freelance counselor.
Most professionals I know have a running To Do list. It always feels so good to check off each item one by one, just to add one more. However, what about creating a Don’t Do list and checking off items regularly? As much as we find pleasure in our To Do lists, it’s the Don’t Do list that keeps us focused on what works and what is positive, as well as what propels us forward.
Here are a few items to consider for your PR Don’t Do list:
Don’t always focus on the blunders and gaffes in Public Relations. Yes, companies and their executives all make mistakes and often pay the price in the form of reputation damage. Although many of the errors make excellent case studies, don’t just spotlight and finger-point. Instead, let’s balance out the negative with some of the positives that showcase PR success, which is good for our industry. What have PR professionals and their companies done right lately? For every wrong, there are probably 100+ rights that don’t get discussed in our communities. It’s time to share the great stories illustrating the value PR can bring to an organization.
Don’t forget our young professionals; they are the leaders of the future. It’s so important to take the time to mentor students and professionals. Although it’s impossible to help everyone, all of the time, try your best to make time each week to answer questions, whether it’s via email, Skype or through your social media channels. Let younger professionals know that you’re there to support them and to guide their growth and development.
Don’t forget to take the best of PR forward, leaving the hype and spin behind. The focus should be on your ethical approach to public communication through all media formats. With changing consumer behaviors, emerging technology and new media channels popping up daily, remember to act in the best interest of the public you serve. Ethics should always be top of mind in your communication. It’s especially important in an age of social conversations to be cognizant of your audiences, focusing on moral principle and the dignity and respect of the public, at all times.
Don’t waste anyone’s time, especially if you’re trying to build a relationship. Be a dependable and reliable source. For example, if you book an appointment, in-person meeting or conference call, then you should not only show up, but also be ready to deliver meaningful information. Of course, we all know that “life happens” and there are times meeting or calls are missed. A note of caution … when you’re dealing with busy media, bloggers, podcasters, etc., sometimes you don’t get a second chance. Keeping your appointments and showing up interested and prepared says a lot about you. And, if you don’t, unfortunately, you may not get another opportunity to move the relationship forward.
From this point on, as you update your PR To Do list, you may also want to check off your Don’t Do list.
It’s the end of the summer and fall marks the busy season for professionals, as well as PR educators and students who are back in school. Gearing up for a productive fall means having the most efficient tools in your PR and communications toolbox. There are SO many tools that I’ve “Tech Tested” in 2014. Here are nine resources (both free and paid tools) I’ve discovered that have the power to enhance your communications program in a variety of ways.
1. SumAll: Earlier in the year, I wanted to find a tool that gave me a comprehensive view of my social media data. At the time, I had heard about Tableau but wasn’t able to download the software to my MacBook Air. Then, a peer recommended SumAll, after a lengthy Facebook discussion.
Note: Since this discussion, I’ve come to learn that Tableau has a version for us Apple folks, if you want to check that out too.
SumAll allows you to look at your Twitter data over time and to look at data sets together for a more complete picture of your activity. The charts allow you to overlay your tweets, replies, retweets, mentions, reach, etc., so you can see how your actions result in a variety of interactions. SumAll is a free tool that shows you how conversations progress and you can make comparisons over time. Looking at the larger picture, allows your data to tell a story about how you are impacting your audience, or not getting enough of their attention. With clear peaks and valleys represented that highlight your ability to engage and spark enthusiasm, you can determine new ways to interest audiences at different times in your marketing programs.
2. TheSkimm: When it comes to the news, there is so much that we need to know on a daily basis. There are those industry publications that have thoughtful pieces that I love to read when I’m looking for deep coverage on a subject area. However, there are times that you need to simply skim the news to get the gist of what’s going on in the world, yet still have the option to dig in deeper to a story that affects your industry or a businesses you serve. TheSkimm is a brief newsletter, which allows you to do just that. You can skim news quickly in bite size, digestible pieces, explaining what’s going on, with an option to learn more. I read the theSkimm every morning and it has become a go-to daily resource. I’ve also recently received information on being a Skim’bassador, which is a great way to enjoy the theSkimm and get involved in their fun contests and giveaways and to become a part of a dynamic community. What’s also great is theSkimm appears in my inbox bright in early in the morning, so I can get a jumpstart on the days’ news.
3. Resonate(Disclosure: Client Platform). When you want to share your news with the media, bloggers and influencers, Marketwired’s Resonate platform, allows you to take advantage of a three step system: Distribute, Social Share and Publish. News distribution has advanced to include better targeting, social media intelligence, and deeper analytics. Through the Resonate platform you are able to make better decisions regarding your news content and leverage the impact of your business communications.
4. Digital Reach: Digital Reach by Cision is a new way for PR professionals to measure UVPM (Unique Visitors Per Month) or “reach,” which is the number of people who visit a site in a any given month. Many publishers are not obligated to share these numbers and it’s often difficult to find the information. However, Digital Reach sample data relies on sharing activities across social media communities (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+), which increasingly drives web users to the content they choose to view everyday. It’s important to note that UVPM doesn’t represent the number of shares, but the number of people estimated to have visited a site based on the number of shares.
5. Evernote (Audio Recordings): I’ve been an Evernote fan for a few years now, but I’ve only recently started to use the audio recording function for my notes. Being on the go means you can be anywhere and have an idea for a blog post or want to brainstorm on a topic. The ability to record a note and then synch it to all of your devices saves so much time and effort. Every week, I use Evernote for creating blog posts and interview responses; recording the articles and the answers to questions. My PR world became so much more efficient when I learned how to take advantage of Evernote’s audio recording capabilities.
6. Google Databoard: Everyone knows about Google Analytics, but not as many communications professionals know about Google Databoard. Google has a lot of research to share with you. When you use Google Databoard, you get the benefit of Google’s powerful insights. You can select research on a variety of topics, from understanding consumer behavior and mobile search to research on the new multi-screen world and YouTube insights. Once you identify a study and topics of interest, you can then take existing research and build your own infographics to showcase the information. Google Databoard lets you search, find and create visuals, highlighting important stats from studies, without you doing any of the heavy lifting (the actual research).
7. Canva: When social media became a part of the communicator’s world, so did design. Many of the programs you work on today require images, because you know that a picture is worth a thousand words and visual storytelling is powerful. Canva is a great resource for those who really don’t know anything about design, but want the ability to create on a blank canvas. The platform gives you the ability to build graphic presentations, posters and blog visuals, to name a few. You can even customize the dimensions of your graphics. Canva lets you experiment and be much more visual in your communications.
8. Tiny Pitch: Tiny Pitch is the latest in news release development, launched by PitchEngine. It’s a new kind of press release (functional and concise) and “one of the simplest apps you’ll ever use.” With the Tiny Pitch app you’re able to create modern Web news releases on your desktop, or quickly create them in real-time via your smartphone. The app is free, with no lengthy set up or password needed. Tiny Pitch is meant to not only simplify the news release, but also create an experience that’s crisp, clean and has more impact.
9. YellowDig(For Classroom Collaboration): For all of my educator friends, here’s a great tool. I discovered. Yellowdig is an internal collaboration tool. It’s free for educators who want to bring the resource into their college classrooms. I’ll be sharing YellowDig with my #NYUPRSM students. We have an entire class dedicated to internal sharing resources because it’s so important that good communication begins internally with idea sharing and collaboration. YellowDig let’s you pin ideas and articles to boards so that you can share interesting information with your students or classmates. Collaboration is the first step to getting on the same page and rallying around ideas that can take your class and project work to the next level.
Don’t stop here. I hope you will continue to Tech Test beyond what I’ve discovered to find more tools and resources to advance your communications toolbox. When you do please tweet or come back and share with us 🙂
There are days when I’m elbow deep in strategic planning, from research, audits and policies to communications strategy for my clients. However, at any time I could be called to put on my creative hat and brainstorm some fun / unique program ideas. Sound familiar? It’s a big shift from left to right brain, turning on your innovative, artsy and “think beyond the normal” mode.
If this scenario hasn’t occurred yet, oh it will, especially if you’re planning to stay in PR and communications. Today, creativity is a must … it’s a part of your daily practice. You’ve heard the saying, “communication is as much of an art as it is a science,” well that is more so now than ever.
At my former agency, we used brainstorming techniques to get us into a better and brighter idea mode with our teams. Here are five tips to help you expand your creativity in the brainstorm setting. Remember, creativity increases with more people, so you will want to grab your teammates, colleagues, peers, family, friends, etc., to get the creativity flowing to generate your next big idea:
1. Creativity should not be limited to the “creative” team. Who’s to say the HR director, receptionist or accounting person doesn’t have the same creativity or an interesting perspective that might play out well for your company or client. If these people have some type of interaction with the company, product, or service, then they too might have a great creative angle to share.
2. Avoid information overload at all costs with respect to the subject of the brainstorm. As much as the team needs to be briefed on the topic, you don’t need them to get “into the weeds” with too many of the details. This just might stifle the creative mindset. Actually knowing less allows you to create freely and to generate ideas that might not have surfaced with many of the informational restrictions.
3. Play the “build on ideas” game. Let the group start the process of sharing a thought and let other people finish it. You’re there to help facilitate the discussion as it progresses. Even if you think you’re the head creative guru, sit back and let others walk through the creative idea building process. While they do, you can map it out on the whiteboard. When everyone is done building the creative idea tree, you can then jump in, tie the pieces together and help to figure out the finishing touches on a crowdsourced idea.
4. Take your brainstorm sessions to a different setting. Let’s hope you don’t always have your creative sessions in an office, boardroom or small closed off conference room. Take your creativity into the middle of the department and sit on the floor, if you have to accommodate seating for large numbers. Use a portable whiteboard that travels where you take the group. And, if it’s a sunny day and there’s an elevator, then you can wheel your whiteboard outside!
5. Get out the fun toys! We used to have fun toys to play with at the office. These were especially helpful before a brainstorming session, from Nerf footballs and hula-hoops to squishy stress balls and Rubik’s Cubes. The goal was to play and relieve stress before a creative session. Then, you’ll find the ideas will come fast and furious, and much less uninhibited.
There are many ways to find your creative energy, with no shortage of people who want to get creative with you. What are your best tips to get yourself and your peers generating your next big idea?
