Monday, January 21, 2013

Tools change, but pr still about relationships

Last week, I was awarded the Pine Belt Chapter of the Public Relations Association of Mississippi’s Practitioner of the Year Award, named in honor of my predecessor, Bud Kirkpatrick. Shameless self-promotion aside, the honor is special to me because of its namesake. As many of you know, Bud ably directed The University of Southern Mississippi’s public relations efforts for decades—to this point I have done so for two years. There are days, though, when I feel that changes in communication, both in significance and in number, have been greater in those two years than in any other similar span in modern history. Those changes make it extremely difficult for public relations professionals to perform their jobs at an expert level.

Here is what I know—learned primarily from watching and listening to the masters of the craft like Bud—as important as it is to stay ahead (or just keep up) with changes in communications, it is equally as important to remember that public relations remains about what the name of the profession suggests. Ultimately, it is about maintaining positive relationships, and Bud was and is the best at it. Whether the tool is Twitter, an email, or a phone call, if the recipient of your message trusts that you are honest, are well-intentioned, and have the best interests of others at heart, the message will likely be received well.

Sunday, January 13, 2013

A Life Changing Experience

On Friday, I had the pleasure of running into a young man who I had mentored for a number of years through the Big Brothers Big Sisters program. I had not seen him in quite some time, and to be honest, I had little idea of what he had been up to in recent years.

The cause for our re-acquaintance was noteworthy. He was on campus to register for the spring semester and bumped into me in Seymour’s. Nic indicated to me he was still a little unsure about the degree he will pursue—coaching for the time being—but wanted to do “something with young people.” As someone who had invested in his life as a young man, I couldn’t think of anything cooler.

The topic of our conversation was only in part about the future. Mostly, we just got up-to-speed with each others’ lives and talked about the time we had spent together many years ago. Nic remembered that time fondly, as did I.

Here is the thing about service we all should know—service changes you perhaps more than the person you serve. Nic thanked me for the time I had spent with him as he was growing up. I reciprocated, because that experience changed my life as well.

Truth is, though, I can stand to serve more. I should be more selfless; I have more to give. I hope that this interaction is inspiration for my doing so.