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FEEL First Blog Post

Creating Meaningful Connections Through Emotionally Intelligent Communication

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My public relations/communication students and I have been discussing soft skills, including emotional intelligence (EQ), for several years.

More recently, the topic has come up in the context of relationship-building, specifically the role that EQ can play in building trust to create authentic, meaningful connections between organizations and diverse audiences. In the spirit of experiential learning, I wanted to turn these conversations into hands-on development opportunities.

Around the same time, I was speaking with Deirdre about her FEEL approach to communication. After learning more about her research and how it relates to EQ, I piloted an optional assignment in an upper-level, strategic communication course.     

Assignment Overview

There are three basic components to the assignment: 

  • Take the FEEL First test and obtain your score.
  • Review the suggestions, identify one and put it into practice.
  • Write a brief reflection paper regarding the experience.

Students had about two weeks to do the work. They weren’t required to share their scores but rather consider what they learned as a result of the experience.       

A Student Perspective

One student who completed the assignment, David James, a current UMass Amherst senior and communication major, felt that it was a personal confidence booster, as well as a jumping off point to better understanding public relations. He mentioned the importance of empathy, particularly for those who serve as chief relationship agents, to be able to “FEEL others’ thoughts, opinions and emotions on both a macro and micro level.” 

David, who is also taking business courses, shared that, “I might not have even appreciated that enough while learning it, but in hindsight now, it covers how we should always go about the PR process. Even in the most high-stress crisis comms situations, PR efforts would benefit from a step back, a deep breath and feeling out how each target public might perceive the organization’s message.”

Overall, this exercise provides an opportunity for continuous learning; one that’s designed to encourage taking a more human approach to communication to enhance interpersonal and organizational relationships.

Jennie Donohue is a Senior Lecturer & Director of PR Curriculum, UMASS Amherst.

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Six Tips on Building Positive Relationships With Journalists [Infographic]

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A Guest Post by Amanda Levenson, UMASS at Amherst Student, PR Expanded Infographic Contest Winner

For the PR Expanded Infographic contest, I chose to offer insight on how to build and preserve successful relationships with reporters. I selected this topic because I am a Journalism major with five internships under my belt. Media relations interests me because of the relationships I have personally had with public relations professionals. I was intrigued as I sat in class and learned about what happens on the other side of these interactions. I had never stopped to think about the objectives and intentions on a public relations specialist’s end. It also made me look deeper at my experiences working with PR professionals and how my relationships with them varied. Some people became my go-to resources because I knew I could depend on them to answer quickly and with helpful, relevant information. Others became notorious to me as slow-to-respond, unfriendly, or too pushy. These people became the sources I tended to avoid. When the time came to start my infographic, I felt it would be fitting to educate PR pro’s about how to make their communications with the media positive.

The target audience for my infographic is PR pro’s who specialize in media relations and trying to win earned media for their client. I wanted to communicate best practices for these interactions, so that my audience can learn to create mutually beneficial relationships between themselves and the journalists they work with. The purpose of the infographic is to help PR practitioners understand how to build meaningful relationships with journalists and make the most out of their time and effort. I hope to educate people on how to leave a positive lasting impression on reporters and how to be useful to these journalists.

I went about selecting tips by prioritizing points that Deirdre Breakenridge emphasized in Answers for Modern Communicators, and also aligned with tips Professor Jennie Donohue focused on in class and things that have mattered to me during my internships. I took notes as I read the book and made a list of the advice for working with reporters. I proceeded by looking over the list, combining points that related to one another, and deciding which held the most weight. By compiling information from the reading, in-class lessons, and personal experience, I was able to create a useful infographic.

Six Tips on Building Positive Relationships with Journalists

My Infographic connects back to class content because we have discussed media relations at-length and what practices are best when planning and executing these interactions. We have discussed how media relations must be strategic because it means seeking a third-party endorsement, or uncontrolled media. When working with the media, there really are no guarantees, and public relations professionals must know the potential benefits and consequences of that. Whether it is a newspaper, magazine, television channel, online publication, etc., earned media continues to be the most credible way to create awareness, and so public relations practitioners must understand how to work well with journalists. They need to know how to develop, maintain and improve relationships with reporters, and I strived to deliver comprehensive advice on how to do this with my infographic.

Amanda Levenson, UMASS at Amherst Student

Amanda Levenson is a senior at the University of Massachusetts Amherst pursuing a BA in Journalism and a minor in Political Science. Amanda can be reached at alevenson15@gmail.com and followed on Twitter at @Amanda_Levenson.

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Building Internal & External Relationships [Infographic]

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A Guest Post By Shayla Costa, UMASS at Amherst Student, Winner of the PR Expanded Infographic Contest

An assignment in my Principles of Public Relations class with Professor Jennie Donohue was to read Deirdre Breakenridge’s new book Answers for Modern Communicators and create an infographic based on one of four concepts. These concepts included media relations, employee and internal communication, building internal and external relationships, and reputation and trust. For a while I was actually stuck and had no idea what I was going to base my infographic on, until Deirdre answered my questions about her book when she stopped by my class. It was when she said that “Relationships are the heart of every business” that I was hit with inspiration and began to organize my thoughts. In the end I went from not knowing how to begin, to creating the winning infographic amidst a fairly large class.

Shayla Costa, Internal and External RelWhen Deirdre talked about the importance of relationships in the industry, I immediately knew that I wanted to focus my assignment on the concept of building internal and external relationships. After reading the book, I chose four main points to organize my infographic. These topics included listening, doing research, communicating, and being truthful. Using information from the book, such as the importance of speaking less and listening more and to move your relationships from online to in-person, I elaborated on each section.

In the end, I had an organized infographic that taught a basic understanding of building and maintaining relationships in the industry. I had no idea that I was a finalist to win the competition, so when I got the news that I actually won I was ecstatic. This assignment was an amazing opportunity and learning experience, and I am so grateful that I won. I am focusing on a career in public relations, so being able to get published on PR Expanded is a great gateway to starting my career.

 

 

Shayla Costa HeadshotShayla Costa is a senior at the University of Massachusetts Amherst studying Journalism and Portuguese. She is focusing on a career in Public Relations and has already gained experience working with a client and creating press materials through her public relations courses. Shayla is published on the Amherst Wire and has produced articles on various topics like local news on her WordPress blog. In her free time Shayla enjoys listening to true-crime podcasts and keeping up with current events. After she graduates in May 2019, she hopes to utilize her knowledge and experience to excel in the industry.