Public relations and managing reputation

Public relations is both a positive social force and a facilitator for helping positive social forces take place. Climate change is a perfect example of how public relations can make, and help make, a positive difference to the world. This post discusses how this can occur at both a strategic and tactical level.

Who has responsibility for educating public relations professionals so that they maximise the profession’s strategic and/or functional potential? Candidates include: universities, industry associations, leaders of public relations within organisations, PR consultancy leaders.

Reasons why public relations such a professionally and personally rewarding business discipline to work in: it demands leadership and change management skills; it is full of nice people; the wide range of people we interact with; its collaborative dimension and getting to work in teams; getting to use social media.

Leadership is an inherent characteristic of public relations when it is practiced to its optimum level. This is analogous with two-way symmetrical communication. Here are ten elements of what makes for effective leadership in business/public relations.