| Effective public relations management depends upon | | | | that my department would take on any project or |
| developing and executing well structured plans and | | | | satisfy any request -- especially last minute, ill |
| achieving specific goals. Plan your work then work | | | | conceived requests. I learned to explain politely to |
| your plan. Stay focused. | | | | people that their request didn't fit into the organization's |
| However, I'd bet most public relations professionals | | | | public relations plan or business plan and I couldn't |
| responsible for managing a department or just an | | | | devote staff time, finances or other resources to take |
| individual program must constantly deflect requests to | | | | it on. |
| take on arbitrary projects that may be well intentioned | | | | Sure, some projects were emergencies and had to |
| but only drain staff time and deplete valuable | | | | get done. That's why we call it "crisis communications." |
| resources. | | | | But every unscheduled project didn't require immediate |
| In my experience, when managing organizations' public | | | | action, and many weren't worth doing at all. |
| relations activities, many random requests came | | | | Of course I ruffled lots of feathers, but soon my staff |
| shortly after various departmental or even board | | | | and I could focus more intently on key projects the |
| meetings where someone decided that a certain | | | | department had on its plate. Maintaining schedules and |
| activity or project would generate "great publicity." | | | | hitting our deadlines became easier. |
| I can recall numerous requests I received as a | | | | And, consider this: For a public relations manager, one |
| department head to publicize essentially "feel good" | | | | of the most time consuming and distracting aspects of |
| events that did nothing to advance the organization's | | | | crisis communications is the need to deal with |
| strategic business or public relations goals. Such | | | | numerous unconnected requests for information and |
| requests frequently came when my department was | | | | action. If dealing with such requests is a time |
| managing a crisis communications situation or | | | | consuming distraction during a crisis, why make it a |
| otherwise juggling numerous priority projects. | | | | significant departmental activity when no crisis exists? |
| For a time, I did my best to satisfy such requests. But | | | | Here are five criteria you can use to determine if a |
| soon the effort took its toll. No matter how early I | | | | project gets your "no" vote. For me, any one of the |
| arrived in the morning or how late I stayed in the | | | | five can stop a project before it starts: |
| evening or how much extra work I tackled every | | | | - No significant publicity value |
| weekend, I couldn't stay ahead of the curve. I knew I | | | | - No budget |
| was in trouble when my typical day started before the | | | | - No staff |
| delicatessen on the corner opened and ended after it | | | | - No time |
| closed. | | | | - No position in the organization's public relations |
| My solution: I learned to say "No." | | | | objectives |
| I stopped projecting the impression within the company | | | | You can do more when you do less. Learn to say "no. |