The Curse of Public Affairs Professionals
This week I want to look at something that I think I would call a curse of public affairs professionals. The curse of knowing too much. Let me explain.
Firstly, as public affairs professionals, we need to know the inner workings of our organisations. In short this means we know the difference between our external rhetoric and our internal reality. This in itself can be a real challenge. Secondly, we also manage all the political demands that look like they will be placed on our organisations. Often this external picture can look ‘heavy’. The sum of this internal-external sandwich is both one of the best things about the job and also one of the most difficult and frustrating.
At times, understanding the multitude of political demands on our organization can be overwhelming. We need to be able to see context and not get too carried away with perceived risks – and communicate this objectively. I have seen too many times (myself included) PA Directors spinning doomsday legislative scenarios. We need to avoid this. It’s too easy to feel discouraged and disengaged when faced with such complexity, but it’s important to remember that it’s precisely within these challenges that our greatest opportunities lie in Public Affairs.
We need to get our organisation to acknowledge the complexities of the environment in which they operate, and help them better understand the nuances of what is at stake. I started to think of ‘eyes wide open’ as my objective as the business took short-term commercial decisions.
This leads to the second (and personally) somewhat bigger challenge in our PA work – keeping the gap between what our organisation says and does as small as possible. There will always be a gap and there will always be opportunistic commercial moments. That said, as a PA leader it is essential that the gap is not too large as to impact your authenticity and credibility. Actions in public affairs speak so much louder than words. Codes of Conduct, commitments and great statements of intent, are all secondary to action. How you manage this in your organisation will be important for them – but also for your sanity. This will be one of the biggest challenges you face.
So, while I call this a curse (because it can become one) I should better call it a trap. One that you need to work hard to avoid. One that requires strong eyes-wide open leadership and one that can be an opportunity to showcase Public Affairs and yourself. How do others deal with this curse / trap?
This week I want to look at something that I think I would call a curse of public affairs professionals. The curse of knowing too much. Let me explain.
Firstly, as public affairs professionals, we need to know the inner workings of our organisations. In short this means we know the difference between our external rhetoric and our internal reality. This in itself can be a real challenge. Secondly, we also manage all the political demands that look like they will be placed on our organisations. Often this external picture can look ‘heavy’. The sum of this internal-external sandwich is both one of the best things about the job and also one of the most difficult and frustrating.
At times, understanding the multitude of political demands on our organization can be overwhelming. We need to be able to see context and not get too carried away with perceived risks – and communicate this objectively. I have seen too many times (myself included) PA Directors spinning doomsday legislative scenarios. We need to avoid this. It’s too easy to feel discouraged and disengaged when faced with such complexity, but it’s important to remember that it’s precisely within these challenges that our greatest opportunities lie in Public Affairs.
We need to get our organisation to acknowledge the complexities of the environment in which they operate, and help them better understand the nuances of what is at stake. I started to think of ‘eyes wide open’ as my objective as the business took short-term commercial decisions.
This leads to the second (and personally) somewhat bigger challenge in our PA work – keeping the gap between what our organisation says and does as small as possible. There will always be a gap and there will always be opportunistic commercial moments. That said, as a PA leader it is essential that the gap is not too large as to impact your authenticity and credibility. Actions in public affairs speak so much louder than words. Codes of Conduct, commitments and great statements of intent, are all secondary to action. How you manage this in your organisation will be important for them – but also for your sanity. This will be one of the biggest challenges you face.
So, while I call this a curse (because it can become one) I should better call it a trap. One that you need to work hard to avoid. One that requires strong eyes-wide open leadership and one that can be an opportunity to showcase Public Affairs and yourself. How do others deal with this curse / trap?
