Even more than 200 years later, her words resonate – especially in today’s world where messages and impressions continuously surge around us but  may never be absorbed nor applied.  From a public relations point of view, real learning takes place when we internalize and process information and then use it to enhance organizations’ relationships and reputations among their publics. There are five specific actions we can easily incorporate into our daily PR lives to ensure that we “learn with ardor”:

Read!

That means as much as you can of every genre. For me, the single most important way to learn is to read: newspapers, blogs, lifestyle magazines,  industry journals and novels.  Yes, novels!  (See Anne Kreamer’s Jan. 2012 blog post). You never know where the next creative idea will come from – often a single word or powerful image can open the door to a new way of thinking (if you let it!)

Listen!

Did you ever watch the TV show, “House”?  Just when it seems that all is lost and there will be no diagnosis for the mystery illness, Dr. House grasps on to a nugget of conversation that lights up his synapses and solves the problem — lives are saved! While your results might not be as extraordinary, you can still learn a tremendous amount by truly listening to others around you.  This is your opportunity to garner knowledge from other people’s experiences and expertise, and use it to help yourself and others.

Observe!

Step away from your desk and look at the world around you.  I just read a NYT article about the lost art of conversation — sad but true.  So often our heads are down, our eyes focused on our little screens, that we can miss both the simplicity of a friendly conversation and the huge, amazing things happening right in front of us. Look around and take it all in – you’ll get more out of life and have more to talk about!

Ask!

Even if you’ve taken the time to listen, and lifted your head to observe, there may be still more to learn. Develop your sense of curiosity, that urge to know more, and take it to a higher level.  Ask the questions that come to mind, or look for further details online, or even walk through the doors of a library.  Take ancestry.com, for example – you can learn a great deal about your family history by visiting the website.  Even better is when the featured celebrity on “Who Do You Think You Are”  actually visit a library. That’s when they dig deeper into real documentation, perusing the archived records that bring their pasts alive and make them meaningful.

Connect!

Back to Abigail Adams quote, connecting is the key to attending to your learning with diligence.  All those precious morsels you’ve gathered by reading, listening and observing will just float freely through your imagination if you don’t find a way to corral them and use them purposefully.  The best way we can use our information in the field of public relations is to apply our new knowledge to help someone else.  Have you read about a technology advancement that you can pass on to one of your clients to make their business run more smoothly?  Or did you hear someone discussing an upcoming seminar that would help a business associate further his/her career? Perhaps you’ve just met the perfect collaborator for your next venture — and your next learning opportunity.

What have you learned  lately that you would like to share?  We would love to hear about it here!

Looking forward to your comments.

Happy learning!

Phyllis

News Releases.  Such a simple task can seem daunting when faced with so many pieces to make the puzzle come together.  I was always the “A” student in English class. The one who read every required reading book and would rather have written a ten-page paper than take a multiple-choice exam. However, even I have to admit there is a learning curve for writing in the field of public relations. You are faced with AP stylebooks, word limits and writing for various media like print, online and social networking sites. Many times you are writing about an industry or a product that you weren’t familiar with 20 minutes ago. And in the end the information has to be accurate, newsworthy, unique or informative (or both), and ideally further the branding of your client. So where to start?

I recently read an article in Tactics, the Public Relations Society of America’s (PRSA) monthly newsletter that discussed common mistakes in writing news releases and how to fix them. I liked the article so much, that I not only saved it, but I’m going to share the advice.

We have committed to blogging more frequently with relevant, timely glimpses into the PR life.  So stay tuned in for more anecdotes, strategies, words of wisdom and all things PKE!

At PKE we work hard to provide that exquisite balance of stability and innovation – we have to keep the tried and true while having the courage to try something new.

So as we embark on our 2012 adventure, here is what is happening at PKE to keep us fresh, energetic and ready for a creative, productive and exciting New Year:

New Marketing & PR Coordinator

Kate Walter

We recently welcomed Kate Walter to our firm — she brings great PR and marketing experience, warmth and sincerity, vitality and an openness to new ideas.  Kate has already developed strong media relationships and has successfully pitched and placed several stories on our clients’ behalf.  Plus, Kate has begun developing strategic social media plans for our clients who are new to that arena – she is helping us make the social media aspect a seamless part of our overall planning. We are looking forward to even more fabulous things to come!

New Technology

As part of our plan for continuous improvement, we have adopted new web-based software to provide our clients with even more accurate and thorough month-end reporting.  We want to make sure our clients understand the value we are providing and that we are doing the most that we can with their dollars.

We have also added on new options for media distribution and media tracking to increase exposure of our clients’ news — we are also linking those articles back to social media to complete the circle and to generate consistent messages.

New Literature

At PKE, we are committed to being Lifelong Learners – to that end, we are reading voraciously.  Not only important new books that address public relations, marketing and social media, but also those that deal directly with our clients’ industries.  The Big Thirst, for example, by well-known author Charles Fishman, teaches us about how our lives are integrally entwined with water and how we must focus on this crucial resource to avoid disastrous consequences.  This book has had an incredible influence on one of our clients who is building a sustainable community - and if it impacts him, it impacts us.

New Ideas

Another effort at keeping it fresh requires us to strive for self-improvement in all areas of our lives.  To be at our best, we have re-committed to another year of running longer, working on our yoga practices, reading for pleasure, eating healthfully, and nurturing our family and personal relationships.  While all that may sound a bit self-indulgent, we know that it makes us more creative, positive and valuable to our clients in the long run!

To all of our friends, clients and readers — all the best for a wonderful 2012!

Deliciously handcrafted by Royal Palm Chocolates

One of the best parts about being a PR professional is getting to know a wonderful variety of people and discovering their passions along the way.  Over the past few weeks, I have devoted a lot of time to “new client immersion” with Royal Palm Chocolates of Naples, Fla., owners Philip and Stephanie Fincher and their strategic manager, Sam Hernandez.  How to describe this experience?  In a word: sweet!

To get educated on the world of fine Belgian chocolate and the artistry that goes into creating these confections, I spent some time last week with Philip Fincher who shared information about combining just the right amounts of specially imported ingredients, as well as the finer points of temperature and how it affects the final, scrumptious results. His demonstration revealed the perfect blend of precision and creativity as he spoke about innovative recipes and tantalizing flavors while measuring to the exact iota. Daughter Brittany pitched in, already an able apprentice on her way to becoming a fine chocolatier in her own right.

A former attorney, Philip, Stephanie and their family took a huge leap to fulfill his lifelong passion.  Once he decided to leave the practice of law, Philip attended the renowned Ewald Notter’s School of Pastry Arts where he graduated at the top of his class.  Next, Philip landed a coveted position in the pastry kitchen of the 5-Star and 5-Diamond Ritz Carlton Beach Resort in Naples. When the opportunity arose for the Finchers to open their own chocolate shop, Royal Palm Chocolates was born.

Since then, they have moved forward with a clear vision and an incredible passion for what they do.  In only two years, the company has garnered local and national acclaim for creativity, adventurous flavor combinations and “true” chocolate taste that comes through in every bite.  They have expanded from retail to include corporate gifting, the bridal industry and major special events.

A fabulous selection includes more than 23 gourmet flavors enhanced by fruity fillings, smooth liqueurs, exotic spices and more, with no added preservatives. One can also indulge in delicate chocolate wafer cookies or a delicious array of milk and dark chocolate bark. The entire staff has an impeccable eye for detail that extends from the distinctive chocolate creations to gorgeously designed jewel box packaging. To put it simply, they are doing everything right.

Royal Palm Chocolates...absolutely delicious and beautifully packaged!

One of the best aspects of my daily PR life is growing and nurturing client relationships with those who are so dedicated to quality and excellence in everything they do – their work inspires me to be better too.  And one or two chocolates along the way makes the experience even sweeter!

To continue the conversation, visit my site at pkecreative.com.

Excerpts from my 8/8/11 blog post from Florida Public Relations Association’s 2011 Annual Conference: What CEOs Want and Need from PR – presentation by Angela Buonocore, Senior Vice President and Chief Communications Officer, ITT Corporation

 

Do you have purpose and passion for what you do?  Do you have a seat at the table?  Angela Buonocore has more than 32 years experience in communications for major corporations and is still excited to wake up in the morning and go to work every day.  She says we should all feel that way – the PR profession is extremely exciting and that’s why we’ve chosen it.The lessons Angela shared with us can be applied wherever you are in the organization, although your goal should be to work for the CEO.

She says, “If you’re not working for the CEO now, I hope it is your goal to do that.  I always wanted to sit in the executive suite.”

When she started her career In 1979, that was a pipe dream, but women have come a long way. As communications professionals, we have to strive to sit in the executive offices at the round table.

So how do you earn your seat at that table?

First, Angela shared a bit of history about ITT Corporation and the equity in the brand. She joined in 2007 after her tenure at Pepsi and is thrilled about this job and the diversity of products from pumps to break pads for cars, high-speed trains and more.

In January 2011, ITT announced they are splitting into three.  This has been a most interesting experience and she is proud of how she and her PR team used the history news hook to enhance the story. The firm’s history of splitting businesses and making them work became the story. Other companies have since announced splits, but ITT is mentioned in every story.  Angela is delighted about starting the trend.

Her road to the top provides her with the credibility to tell us about achieving a seat at the table. During the 30+ years, she has been a student of what works – not just when it comes to communications.

Angela’s advice?

If you find something you love, stick with it.

From the beginning, Angela has been a viewer of tables and seating arrangements.  When you join a company, first become a good observer of how things work because they don’t work the same way in any two companies.  Ask questions, interrogate.

Her mother used to say, “Here comes the questioner.”

Once she asks questions to several different parties, she triangulates the information.

As communicators, many of us with journalism backgrounds, we are the best detectives. Understand the who, what, when, why, where – apply what you’ve learned and figure out how you get ahead.

Gather your information but don’t hoard it. She used to love hoarding it because Knowledge is Power.  But it’s important to share what you learn – you get satisfaction, help build teams, and later on you may need help doing something.
If you haven’t been a player on a team, people don’t share with you.

What influences the function’s seat?  How well is the function perceived?  In a company you have to look at where communications sits. It doesn’t always have to report to the CEO, but if it does, you know he/she thinks it’s just as important as accounting, manufacturing, all high levels of the organization.

Understand the responsibilities – how well do we establish vision and direction?  Both in the division in which we work, and in the more elevated version as the lynchpin in developing the company.

How does the CEO tell the same consistent message that will resonate with different constituencies – shareholders and employees alike.  How do you deliver those messages?  ITT’s CEO looks to Angela to do that and we must ask ourselves these questions.

Focus & Results
An important characteristic is the drive for results. Getting the results is critical.

Like Pepsi, you have to be focused on the big win.  How do you get it done?

You must also know what the CEO is thinking when it concerns the big win – he/she is not thinking of the big news release.  The CEO is thinking about the money.  What is the ROI?  If our function is thought of as overhead, we better show results.

Angela always asks her team,  “How are these communications objectives going to drive the business?”  If you can’t answer that, it’s problematic.

A great communicator has to be a great businessperson.  And the very first thing you have to do is learn as much as you can about that business.

Ability to drive changes
We need to look and see what needs to be changed – and what doesn’t.  There is always opportunity for continuous improvement.

For people who drive change, communicators have the skills. Words are very powerful – if they are delivered in the right way, they can inspire, put fear into people,  or incent people to change things.  It’s not just explaining what we have to do, they want to understand why – what is the rationale?

Sometimes people at the top lose touch with the people running the business – meeting with customers, manufacturing.  Angela makes sure she is in the field, on the factory line – always engaging employees and learning about their concerns.

Get out where people make things, sell things. Nothing happens at a company until people sell things.  What are we doing to help sales people and manufacturing people?

Skills of the leader, skills of the team
A head of HR once told Angela,  “You will be judged as to how good of a leader you are – by whom you hire and whom you fire.”

Lots of leaders and managers cannot step up. The most satisfying aspect is to take someone who is not performing and make him or her perform.  But if that’s not possible, you have to be able to make crucial decisions.

How do we earn our seat?  We have our own value systems –we don’t all carry the same set.  You want your individual values to match the corporate values. What does the company value most and does that fit with what I value?

Treat employees well to serve your shareholders well.  You have to know how to ask those questions.  Big reasons why people fail – usually their values don’t align with where they are working, or they have not aligned other people.

Connection to and understanding of the business.  Surprisingly a lot of people don’t bother to do it – the more you can demonstrate you understand, the more leaders will respect.

Strong communication skills – this is not a throwaway.  Some people, communications professionals, send Angela letters and resumes with mistakes.  Read your work over.

Hardest one to measure – the ability to make magic.  The talent to put all the ingredients together.

What matters the most?
Three things:
*Masters of complexity – deep technical skills. People who can read between the lines, connect the dots – it’s hard to teach people how to do that.

*High impact leadership – sought for advice and counsel. Get out and see who is the natural leader.
Influences other people’s thinking

*Sense of urgency, but not reactionary

*Consistent results – day in, day out, year in, year out
Build a plan, work the plan
People are confident when they give you something to do.

Top three reasons communicators fail to realize their full potential:
*Skills not equivalent with scope of job – if job is too big, they can fail.  Can’t communicate strategy until you know business strategy. Develop relationships with internal customers and peers.
People get defensive and lose confidence
No “fingerprints”

*Good but not great is not good in a high performance company. What happens to people who are good but not great? They get eliminated.
They allow themselves to get in a comfort zone where they have inflated opinion of their work instead of trying to make the work better. Not viewed as a thought leader. Don’t look at big picture. Then tactical will outweigh the strategic – and this is the kiss of death.

*Good year, bad year – too inconsistent. Raise the bar.  Gets comfortable, doesn’t challenge.  Good becomes good enough.

Four ways you can take your seat and keep your seat.
*Gift of feedback
Ask for it – develop five sources for well-rounded picture of what it is you do well (and not so well).  Your boss, internal customers, one of your peers, external source, other team members.  Collect feedback as often as you like and compare. Be specific in how to get feedback.  Ask boss for respect, candor, sincerity, follow up.

*Calling your shot
Shows you are in control
Have risk orientation
Demonstrates self confidence
Requires clarity of purpose
Helps us measure your success
Takes luck out of play

*Break out of the pack
Results are the foundation
Good at everything
Great at something: Be the best at something, shape stories, create engagement, understanding company

You need purpose and you need passion!

Do you have a seat at the table?  And if you do, are you comfortable in it?

Link to PR Week Story to see what the ITT Chairman says about Angela:
http://bit.ly/n2uQ6K

More about Angela A. Buonocore
From the ITT Website (www.itt.com)

Senior Vice President and Chief Communications Officer
Angela Buonocore is Senior Vice President and Chief Communications Officer for ITT Corporation. In this role, she is a member of the company’s Strategic Council and is responsible for global brand and reputation management, public relations, employee communications, corporate advertising, community relations and corporate philanthropy.

She joined ITT in March 2007 from The Pepsi Bottling Group where she served as Vice President, Corporate Communications since 2001. In this role, she was responsible for the group’s public relations objectives and strategy, communication with the organization’s more than 60,000 employees and charitable initiatives. Prior to her 12-year career in the PepsiCo system, Buonocore spent 11 years with IBM and five years at General Electric Company in various internal and external communications roles.

Buonocore is a trustee of the Arthur W. Page Society and the Institute for Public Relations, and a member of the Wisemen and the Seminar, all organizations of senior corporate communications executives. In 2003, she was elected a member of the Accademia Europea per le Relazioni Econimiche e Culturali, a Rome-based organization that honors Italians and Italian-Americans who are leaders in their fields. In 2010, she was honored by the National Organization for Women’s New York City chapter as a Woman of Power and Influence.

Buonocore holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Advertising with High Honors from the University of Florida and was honored as a Distinguished Alumna of the College of Journalism and Communications in May 2007.

Zumba…it’s described as an exhilarating, effective, easy-to-follow, Latin-inspired, calorie-burning dance fitness-party^™ and today I experienced it for the first time. Since for me the lines between work and play are hopelessly blurred, I can’t help but discover important lessons in this one hour event.  As a matter of fact, there are three things I learned today…Try Something New!

In our field it’s easy to get tied to our computers — writing, planning, phoning — so much of what we do happens while we are sitting at our desks.  But did you ever notice how a brief respite from your office, a walk in the park when you might even stop to smell the roses, can make a positive difference in your day?  It’s proven that learning a new language, preparing a new recipe or trying a new physical activity stimulates brain activity.  Yes, PR people, that means creativity, inspiration and new ideas may be just a Zumba class away!

Listen to the Experts

I went into the Zumba class this morning not knowing what to expect.  And it wasn’t easy following all those steps — especially when it was all happening so fast.  But the instructor at the front of the room clearly knew what she was doing.  I’m quite sure she had her 10,000 hours in to qualify her as an expert – so I had to follow her as closely as possible or else I would have been completely hopeless in that class.  No matter how smart we think we are we can’t be expected to know everything. However, it’s crucial that we know how to find out.  Surrounding ourselves with experts, keeping data on resources for all subjects — that helps us become better.

Don’t Take Yourself Too Seriously

If you’ve ever seen 20 women (and two men) flailing around to the beat of Latin music, you would probably think it was really funny.  And it does take a certain level of confidence to dance around without caring what other people think of you. We spend so much time being serious — meeting deadlines, running to appointments, dealing with serious issues — it may seem impossible to simply have fun.  So if you can let loose for one hour and toss away those inhibitions for just a bit, it’s amazingly liberating.  As a matter of fact, it carries over to the rest of the day — so bringing that fun attitude back to your desk is inspiring and leads to better performance.

And according to SELF magazine, you can also burn 414 calories in an hour – fantastic!

So what will you do to shake yourself up today?

Should I take some time to unplug? Would it be mentally healthier to cut myself off for a few days from the ubiquitous iPhone and trusty MacBook? The article’s description of a “Digital Detox” vacation where in some cases you even have to surrender your electronic devices at the check in counter certainly sounded appealing.  After all, I might have more time to finish that great novel now overdue at the library (Julie Orringer’s “The Invisible Bridge”). Or I might be newly inspired to get back on track with the book my daughter and I are writing together (I am on it Emily!).  I am nearly seduced by those thoughts when the consequences start creeping into my consciousness.

What happens to the hundreds of email messages that will pile up — will my inbox simply explode?  What will I miss on Twitter – will the latest rules on social media news releases pass me by? And what about Facebook – how will I possibly keep up with community events in Southwest Florida and even more concerning, the barrage of family drama?

While others might find greater relaxation by disconnecting themselves, I think it’s important to understand your own stress triggers – and a huge one for me would be not to know what is going on and not being able to respond in a timely fashion.  So if anyone asks me to surrender my electronic connections to the world, I will politely decline — at least for now.

For me to stay cool, calm and collected, I must remain connected.

I am curious to know how others feel about this issue – please continue the dialogue!

One of these women was Myra Janco Daniels, founder and president of The Philharmonic Center for the Arts in Naples, FL and The Naples Museum of Art.  She regaled us with great anecdotes and sweet memories, but one piece of advice really resonated with me.  She encouraged the audience to “Learn something every day, and teach something every day.” I have been trying to do so ever since…

The learning part comes naturally.  With the diverse nature of my clients’ organizations I am always learning something new:  from geothermal solar arrays to identity theft protection to the antioxidant nature of organic olive oils — we are constantly researching and reading to be able to convey our clients’ messages to their publics. But the teaching part was a different story. Although I am an adjunct professor at Florida Gulf Coast University , and we almost always have a student intern in our midst, I was not attuned to teaching something every single day.

Now I have a new approach:  be conscious of both learning and teaching on a daily basis.  Inspiration came not only from Mrs. Daniels’ words of wisdom, but also from a recent article in the New York Times about The Brooklyn Brainery. Billing themselves as “cheap classes on anything and everything in NYC” they are actually much more than that.

Here they are bringing back the lost arts of tying knots and baking bread as well as offering classes in digital photography, postcard making and lots more.  And people are flocking there, classes are waitlisted, proving that most do recognize that it’s never too late to learn something new. How nice to get out of the routine day-to-day and expand your knowledge with something totally random but certainly not useless.  I find the whole concept very thrilling and hope we can start something similar in Southwest Florida.

For now, I learn from my clients, my associates and my PR peers.  Today, I learned about Quickbooks 2011 from Cheryl Willett who taught a workshop at the Bonita Springs Area Chamber of Commerce and now I know about 10 more things than I did when I woke up this morning.  In turn, I taught my summer intern how to write an upbeat, exciting radio spot that can get the message out effectively in 60 seconds. I am also teaching my husband how to use his iphone.

What do we get from all this learning and teaching?  There are no ulterior motives here, no hidden agenda.  There’s a simple beauty in gathering more knowledge and improving ourselves every day — and equal fulfillment in doing the same for someone else.

What have you learned or taught today?  I would love to know.

The latest trend on campus!

Less than five years ago, gel and acrylic nails were in. From there, false nails faded out and natural nails with plain polish came back. This trend in itself has changed. Going from red to black to white young girls were constantly inspired. Originally, Hard Candy polish started the innovation with their bold color palettes around 1995.  Additionally, girls got the idea of plain white polish from Lauren “ LC” Conrad on MTV’s hit reality series, The Hills.  When black nails were suddenly in, I thought that they were gothic until I tried the usually dull color and loved it. It’s interesting to see how quickly my perception changed. After the French manicure fell off, reverse French and designs quickly replaced the old craze.

Currently, for all of you fashionistas and trendsetters, there is a new way to wear you nail polish. OPI recently came out with a shatter polish from their Katy Perry Collection. All you need is any regular polish and this magic in a bottle. At first glance, it’s ordinary black polish. However, after one coat is applied over another color, parts of the black start to turn clear, revealing the color underneath and forming the scattered pattern.  Whether you decided to shatter all of your nails or just your ring finger, it’s a unique way to express the new nail fetish. For those of you who have gone through all of these trends, this is a way to get away from the ordinary red and plain black and really make a statement with ease.

As an adjunct professor at Florida Gulf Coast University, I have the pleasure of teaching Public Relations Strategy to a fantastic group of motivated, inspiring students who are poised to enter their professional lives.  Their recent blog post assignments reflect a diversity of interests, passions and pastimes and I will be featuring as many of them as possible on my blog over the next few weeks.  Enjoy and feel free to comment!

My Life Behind the Scenes by Chelsea Kesner

When you think backstage of a concert or an event, one may think luxurious things. What do I think? For Germain Arena, I think of a smelly locker room, crammed doorway, and a Zamboni. While that doesn’t sound so glamorous, I still love my job/internship and everything that comes into our venue.

One concert that I am most looking forward to having in our building is Trans- Siberian Orchestra. When I first heard about the possibility of having them come play at our arena, I thought to myself, “how boring! Who would want to watch a classical music show in the year of 2011?”  Boy, was I wrong though about what type of concert this was going to be.

After being sat down by my boss to listen and watch a preview of TSO’s concert, I realized how amazing this concert would be; a concert that no one should miss. The band’s musical style incorporates classical, orchestral, symphonic, and progressive elements into hard rock and heavy metal. They have an amazing ability to blend yesterday’s sounds (Beethoven) with today’s craving for outstanding music, creating a new rock sound. They’re coming to Germain Easter Sunday. My theory is “after a fun day painting egg’s and participating in an Easter egg hunt, why not enjoy a concert that the whole family could attend.

Trans-Siberian Orchestra doesn’t only wow their audience with some great tunes. They also put on an amazing performance with their multiple lasers that go a-long to the beat of the music and crazy pyrotechnics that would have you believe it was the fourth of July.

Here are some fun facts about Trans- Siberian Orchestra:

• Founded in 1996 by Paul O’Neil, Robert Kinkel and Jon Oliva
• Group’s name was inspired by the Trans Siberian Railway, which connected isolated cultures, much like music
• O’Neill has managed and produced rock bands including Aerosmith, Humble Pie, AC/DC, Joan Jett and the Scorpions.
• 33- member band, with a 60- piece orchestra
• Ranked on Billboards “Top 25 touring artists of the past decade”
• Huge philanthropists and official supporter of Litter Kids Rock, a nonprofit charity organization that provides free musical instruments and instruction to children in poor public schools throughout the United States.

If you would like more information about TSO visit Trans Siberian Orchestra’s webpage. For additional information about the concert Easter Sunday visit Germain Arena.

Let me know what you first thought about Trans-Siberian Orchestra. When you first heard the name did you think “boring orchestra?”