Taking Control of Your Career Well-Being

How should PR professionals proactively map their career path?

Instead of remaining passive, public relations professionals must proactively design their careers around three core questions: identifying their preferred environment (agency, in-house, or independent), committing to a specific industry specialization, and continuously adapting to the diversity of modern communication services.

My first public relations job lasted nearly 15 years. That’s the exception, not the norm, in today’s world.

Most PR professionals today are thinking of career chapters in months and years, not decades.

Along with the physical, mental, financial, and social aspects of our well-being, we should also analyze our careers regularly.

Regardless of your career stage, it’s always a good time to ask yourself some essential questions about where you want to go in the coming years.

In the hundreds of conversations I’ve had with college students, new professionals, middle managers, and executives about their careers, the focus comes down to three key questions.

Do you want to work in-house, agency, or independent?

From what I’ve witnessed first-hand, along with conversations I’ve had with leaders, typically, the path for most PR professionals is to start in an agency, then go in-house, and then start your own consultancy a few years before retirement. With the advent of GenAI, this path might be rewritten in the months and years to come.

Before deciding, I encourage people to have informational interviews with at least 3-5 people in each group. You’ll receive a diverse set of answers and some key themes.

Did you know? PRSA offers several sections to help find answers, including New Professionals, Independent Practitioners Alliance, and Counselors Academy.

What industries do you want to work in?

This question is the most critical in determining who to meet with from a networking standpoint. I’d look beyond “I want to work at this company or that company,” but rather an industry. One key lesson I learned during my career was to specialize in B2B and Consumer Tech. While the “Swiss Army Knife” approach helped in my account executive and manager roles, I had to learn to build thought leadership in tech to become an executive.

Did you know? PRSA offers several Professional Interest Sections for industries, including Association/Nonprofits, Banking and Finance, Counselors to Higher Education, Educators Academy, Entertainment and Sports, Health Academy, Public Affairs and Government, Technology, and Travel and Tourism.

What kind of work do you want to do?

One of the great things about this industry is the diversity of work we do daily. The diversity of services will continue to evolve with the scopes of work we as public relations professionals offer. What was traditionally focused on earned media relations has grown exponentially to a plethora of services.

Did you know? PRSA offers Professional Interest Sections focused on responsibilities, including Corporate Communications and Employee Communications.

Answering these three questions, no matter what career stage, will help you build your brand and network.

How this looks in reality:

- I’m seeking an in-house role leading corporate communications for a B2B healthcare technology company.

- I’m seeking a global agency role helping build out GenAI prompting best practices for pure consumer brands.

- I want to start my consultancy focused on influencer marketing and earned media for independent video game companies.

Writing such sentences will help you write the rest of your story to help build your career. Once you have this nailed, now you can reach out to your first-degree connections to get their thoughts, find second-degree connections, ask for introductions, and start to share your message.

Finally, please use the power of PRSA and the thousands of members to help connect the dots and create your journey. We are all here for you!

The Golden Rules of Highly Valuable Team Offsites

How can leaders design team offsites that actually drive value?

Without intentional strategy, employees forget 90% of team offsite material within a single week. To guarantee lasting value, leaders must establish concrete post-offsite accountability, survey their team on what topics to explicitly avoid, and heavily diversify the agenda between hard skills, human connection, and deep ideation.

We’re nearing summer, which means teams are planning their offsites. Regular gatherings with a special blend of work and play can build a positive relationship and improve the well-being of your team.

Too often, however, offsites lack strategy, focus, and, most importantly, follow-through.

Here are ways to ensure your team has a valuable experience while achieving your objectives.

Start with the post-offsite in mind.

No offense, but your team will forget aspects of your offsite the second it concludes. Data suggests humans forget approximately 50 percent of new information they encounter within an hour and an average of 70 percent within 24 hours. After a week, that average goes up to 90 percent.

What this means: Before finalizing your agenda, think about how you’ll extend the value of the meeting. When running offsites with my clients, I ensure we have a scheduled time after the offsite to advance the next steps. Before your offsite wraps, ensure you have established key actions, that the team understands those next steps, and that you put something in place no later than two weeks after your offsite to discuss progress.

Ask what they don’t want.

While it’s important to have a theme or approach for your event, it’s just as important to ensure buy-in. Survey your team to get their thoughts, but I have a slight twist. Often, we focus on asking our team for ideas on topics for offsites, and out of that comes many different ideas. While it helps to receive this information, it can be overwhelming and ultimately challenging to make everyone happy.

What this means: Instead, I recommend asking a straightforward question of your team, “If we hosted an offsite, what is something you do not want to experience or discuss?” The answers will be critical to ensure you’re covering valuable topics while giving you the necessary flexibility to create an exceptional experience.

Build the offsite like a balanced meal.

Offsite topics can be tricky to balance. In today’s multitasking era, getting people to focus for hours or days at a time is challenging. This is when perspective is critical. Would you want to simply sit in a conference room all day without getting up and moving around? Probably not, I know I wouldn’t!

What this means: Great offsites offer a unique blend of learning a new hard skill, learning or relearning a human skill, learning about one another, learning about the business, and taking all that in to better your team. Consider a diverse agenda in which everyone will find at least one aspect of the time together of value. One of the most popular sessions I host with teams gives them a complete roadmap of professional development opportunities over the next 12 months, with topics taught by one another.

Allow everyone to participate and lean in.

One of the challenging aspects of team offsites is ensuring everyone feels comfortable. While some people love commanding a room and speaking in front of everyone, others aren’t as comfortable.

What this means: Along with diversifying the topics, diversifying how your team works together during the offsite is critical. No two aspects of your offsite should look the same. Some topics might be full-team discussions, while others are smaller breakouts, while other aspects are time for individual ideation.

Set your boundaries and celebrate.

The more you can set boundaries for your team, the better. Ensure your partners, clients, and internal teams know that your team is in essential training and unavailable.

What this means: Give key partners a heads up at least two weeks out and a reminder 1-3 business days from the event. If necessary, identify one person on your team – perhaps you - who can be contacted via text.

Finally, enjoy your time with your teams! With permission from the team, document the event and get great photos and videos ready to share with your internal and external audiences. Prospective clients and employees want to see that you’re doing all you can to improve the well-being of your team.

Have a wonderful summer, everyone!

Overcoming High-Conflict Generational Stereotypes at Work

Why should leaders abandon generational stereotypes in the workplace?

Media-driven generational labels—like "lazy" Gen Z or "entitled" Millennials—create false narratives and toxic derision across teams. To cultivate a healthy corporate culture and protect employee well-being, public relations leaders must actively dismantle these stereotypes by facilitating cross-generational mentorship and treating employees as distinct individuals.

Some of you identify as Baby Boomers, Millennials, Generation X, or Generation Z.

I identify as me and am part of no generation. And I wish you did the same.

Why? The “Generation Debate” emphasizes false narratives and stereotypes meant to create derision. And that derision is causing strain on teams trying to create healthy cultures.

I ask you, my public relations friends, to lead in shifting from argumentative, compartmentalized debates about generations to conversations that emphasize learning and understanding, which benefits everyone’s well-being.

This Generation Debate is not new. Magazine covers from the past several decades have focused on stereotypes of future generations. “Lazy,” “Entitled,” and “Me, Me, Me,” are common themes in articles.

A deeper examination comparing generations has grown in recent years, fueled by the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic and the shift to working from home. Many of us have had to learn how to do our jobs from home while keeping our teams connected and motivated.

With social media algorithms emphasizing debate topics to solicit engagement, combined with up-and-coming generations entering the workforce while spending formative months and years of high school and college from home, the debate has only grown in dominance.

Because we have been fed these messages over decades through earned and social media, it’s impacting our relationships with college students, new professionals, emerging leaders, and those at the end of their careers.

And, we must ask, what’s the value of these debates?

These debates do us no good in learning how to build relationships.

These debates do us no good in understanding the motivation of individuals.

These debates do us no good in creating effective communication strategies to reach our publics.

These debates do us no good in terms of our well-being.

We need to shift from a debate about generations to an understanding of individuals within each generation.

How can our public relations community take the lead on this effort? Five thoughts.

- Ask yourself, “Am I making a broad generalization?” This is a reminder that these stereotypes come from decades of messages delivered to us. Others define them and, to date, have not asked for your critical thought. I’m empowering you to think first before acting!

- If you see someone comparing someone to a stereotype, say something and call it out in the moment. Start a conversation and get to the root cause. You will both learn something about the process.

- If issues persist or potentially cross over to discrimination, please check with your human resources team for guidance.

- Find mentors from every generation. Instead of complaining about others, let’s turn this conversation around and turn it into a learning experience. We have a lot to learn from one another. Perhaps multi-generational mentoring is a topic for a future PRSA session!

- Finally, if you’re responsible for employee communications, consider mining internal and external story ideas highlighting examples of different generations working together.

I’m confident we can, over time and with a concerted effort from our industry, move away from these media-hungry headlines to ones that benefit our well-being and society.

Actionable Daily Habits That Create a Healthy Team Culture

What are the daily habits of highly empathetic leaders?

Building a healthy team culture relies entirely on small, daily behaviors rather than grand gestures. The most effective leaders consistently assume full blame during crises, proactively cancel unnecessary meetings, and conduct quarterly career growth conversations instead of relying on stressful annual reviews.

Treat others how you want to be treated. The Golden Rule is a message as old as time, installed in many of us since we were little.

The message is also an essential reminder of how we work with others. Healthy leadership in 2025 is not about a title but rather the confidence in yourself and your teams to do great work while feeling physically, mentally, socially, and professionally sound.

How should we create healthy leadership moments in 2025? Some examples include:

- Being honest about the roles and responsibilities of the job you’re hiring for and respecting the time spent by candidates who are showing up in their best way possible for you.

- Setting up your team to succeed instead of testing them to fail.

- Living humble enough to extend 100 percent of the credit to others and accept 100 percent of the blame.

- Showing up as a human with challenges, emotions, and feelings that many of us for years have been trained instead to “keep away from work.”

- Hosting quarterly career conversations with your team instead of waiting for the annual performance review to help them grow.

- Delivering a clear understanding of your team’s priorities and creating a safe environment where your team can come to you if they are overwhelmed.

- Communicating quality context with your teams instead of short and vague “need to chat” messages.

- Giving your team enough grace during difficult times while experiencing serious world events.

- Spending time in the office in a valuable way for your employees, not simply as a “check the box” adherence to company policy.

- Expressing more transparency and creating less gossip.

- Turning off the cameras for meetings occasionally, picking up the phone, and suggesting a virtual walk and talk.

- Taking a vacation, not after you’ve burned out, but well in advance. And not checking your email so you can “stay up to date on things.”

- Treating your team like adults, especially when it comes to your company’s financial picture.

- Trusting your team to do what they are hired to do and getting out of their way.

- Empowering your team to live and breathe the confidence you already know they possess.

- Knowing when to be comprehensively inclusive of hearing from all team members, and when you need to be brave and decisive.

- Cancelling the meeting with your team the day before, not when everyone is already prepared and on the call.

- Practicing active, distraction-free listening and communicating those same expectations across your team.

- Understanding the goals and ambitions of your teams and pushing them just enough so they feel energized but so too much they despise you.

- Listening with an open mind and a long-term viewpoint when your team members leave your company to take another job.

- Making check-in calls with former team members within three months to see how they are doing.

These are just a few examples of how creating healthy moments can make for a positive relationship with your team. The quicker you translate and apply these examples into your world, the healthier your team will feel for months and years.

The Rise of the Employee Well-Being Communicator

What is the ROI of an internal communications leader focused on well-being?

Organizations bleed millions annually when employees abandon paid time off and ignore existing mental health benefits. Establishing a dedicated "Employee Well-Being Communicator" immediately drives massive ROI by ensuring front-line managers continuously train their teams on utilizing life-saving health benefits and rebuilding systemic corporate trust.

Leaders, consider your next internal communications role centered exclusively on employee culture and well-being. If done right, such a role could turn burned-out employees into healthy ones, saving your company millions of dollars annually.

First, a few data points:

- We are not taking our paid time off. According to the U.S. Travel Association, Americans leave an average of a full week of paid time off on the table per year, and only 25 percent of Americans use all their paid time off. This has a direct impact on the bottom line of organizations, as well as an indirect effect on productivity, burnout, and subsequent resignations.

- We are not using our benefits. Gartner revealed that although 87% of employees have access to mental and emotional well-being offerings, only 23% use them. Ensuring people are clearly, concisely, and consistently aware of company benefits has a significant financial and reputational impact.

- We are in a trust crisis. A Slack survey reveals that more than 1 in 4 desk workers do not feel trusted at work. The same survey says that trusted employees report 2.1x better focus, 2x higher productivity, and 4.3x greater overall satisfaction with work. Building trust across your workstreams has a clear impact on several business objectives.

The common thread through those data points is the role strategic communications and internal relationships play in solving these critical challenges.

Elevating a strategic communications role centered on the well-being and culture of your organization is a critical growth path opportunity for our profession and one that solves a critical business need.

Those in our industry have unique skills to 1) do the proper research in understanding challenges unique to every organization, 2) set appropriate goals and objectives to solve those challenges, 3) flawlessly strategize and execute a communication plan, and 4) measure its success.

In close partnership with executives and human resources teams, the role fulfills four primary functions to reach the needs of individual contributors, people managers, and executives.

- Elevating the definition of well-being. This includes setting and executing a communication strategy to ensure all activities regarding employees’ health are communicated effectively through a holistic look at well-being — career, community, financial, mental, physical, and social.

- Cross-function relationship building. Understanding bespoke challenges by workstream and working with leaders of that workstream and their HR business partner to create and execute their own strategy.

- Front-line communication training on employee well-being. Many organizations are sorely missing training on how new managers should talk with their teams. This role would also lead conversations with front-line managers on strategically communicating employee benefits to their teams.

- Strong partnership with marketing. Finally, you should work with marketing to ensure your company’s website and other materials that share what life is like at your company are highlighted.

Where this role “sits” within an organization will vary. It needs to be in a position to have access to executives, employee engagement, people managers, leadership and development, and other groups in which this person will play a significant role.

This role is a critical path unique for those in our profession to employ. I look forward to seeing how this evolves in the coming years.

6 Strategies for Amplifying Healthy Employee Stories

How can internal communications proactively highlight employee well-being?

When employees say they love "the people," they are pointing to a hidden culture of appreciation. Internal communication leaders must actively document this culture by deploying "day-in-the-life" profiles, celebrating teams that pilot 4-day workweeks, and visibly tying these stories back to the company’s core wellness benefits.

“The people, Mark.”

Before I deliver a company keynote or host a team offsite, I ask employees why they love their company. Their answers help set the tone for my talks, especially when I can weave in their responses throughout.

The answers typically come back to one thing: “the people.”

It’s a great, yet incomplete, response. What does “the people” mean?

As public relations professionals, we have the distinctive skills to tell the stories of our employees in a way that separates us from others.

I’ve adjusted the question to “Can you please share an example in which you felt appreciated at work?” That question alone gets the conversation flowing!

Regarding employee well-being, there are several ways to tell compelling stories to inspire your colleagues and future colleagues.

Here are six tips to tell impactful, healthy employee stories.

1) Tell the story through at least three different mediums. Package your employee stories so every employee can read them — including executives, board members, and shareholders - in a way that they’ll understand their impact. And don’t minimize the potential impact of short audio-only stories.

2) Put yourself in a box and focus on key themes. Look at your recent employee engagement surveys for inspiration. For example, if belonging at your company is challenging, put on your journalism hat and identify examples of friendships and bonds formed across teams.

3) Give color in story angles we might overlook. One of the most popular types of social media videos is “day in the life” content. This works well for your internal channels as well. Think about your company and the roles everyone plays. How aware are your colleagues aware of what everyone does on a daily basis?

4) Highlight healthy teams. Is there a workstream piloting a new approach to work? Are they working four days a week instead of five? Reducing the number of video calls significantly? Spending in-person time exclusively on ideation? This is a perfect opportunity to share their adjustments and how they have impacted their well-being.

5) Tie back to the company benefits. Does the story involve the use of employee resources or benefits? Companies offer many different benefits, but are your employees aware they exist? Employee stories are an excellent opportunity to add awareness. Work with your HR team on the specific wording and call to action for employees to learn more.

6) Take your internal stories external. Look for ways to maximize the content beyond your internal walls. How can those stories be delivered throughout your website, discussed during interviews, and beyond? Your recruiters, hiring managers, and other influential employees should be aware of these stories so they can highlight all the great ways your employees are staying healthy.

Navigating Unprecedented Change in Public Relations

How must public relations professionals adapt to continuous industry change?

While the mechanics of public relations continuously evolve—from fax machines to generative AI—the core demand for strategic thinking remains unchanged. To successfully navigate this constant industry disruption and rebuild public trust, executives must rigorously prioritize their own mental and physical well-being.

The well-being of our profession is strong, which is good news as we have never been needed as much as we are today.

The first press release I sent was by a fax machine to 200 reporters. The nerves I felt were nearly infinite as I waited to receive that “ok” message from the machine confirming everything went as planned.

Today, a message can be automatically generated and distributed to the entire human race at the click of a button.

The mechanics of what we do have evolved over the decades, but not the critical and strategic thinking our profession is based on.

The Greek philosopher Heraclitus said, “The only constant is change.”

For public relations people, I say, “The only change is constant.”

In our profession, we understand change is constant. It’s what separates our profession from others.

Because our role centers on building relationships, we must ensure we know how those relationships are seeded, grown, and maintained.

At the same time, we’re in the middle of unprecedented change in our profession.

- We’re in the middle of an evolution in our relationship with social media.

- We’re in the middle of an evolution in our relationship with earned media.

- We’re in the middle of an evolution in where we work.

- We’re in the middle of an evolution in our trust in one another.

Looking back at the last five years, the amount of change can feel exhausting!

And yet, for decades, our profession has evolved with the times.

We showed up when companies were looking for ways to use social media. We were at the forefront of recommending that companies avoid the “buy me now” marketing approach, instead using a best practice of building community, creating advocates, and ultimately securing customers and fans.

When media companies were shuttering, we had to adapt. We have continued to build relationships and have empathy with overworked reporters who have mouths to feed and careers to grow.

When the constant barrage of topics around “Return to Office” and “The Great Resignation” were prominent, we helped companies strategically navigate this challenge to meet the needs of customers and employees.

But another fight is ahead: how do we use the power of public relations to build trust with each other again?

For the public relations profession and professional to continue to shine, we must ensure we are mentally, physically, and socially stable when the world around us appears to thrive on instability.

This year, I will examine several of these questions related to our well-being.

- How are we as individuals adapting to our physical and virtual surroundings?

- How will we prioritize our well-being first to take on the challenges ahead?

- How will we remain empathetic to others without negatively impacting our health?

These are just some of the questions I look forward to working with you to tackle this year.

Cultivating Healthy Professional Relationships Over the Holidays

How can executives foster authentic connection during the holidays?

The darker, colder months of the holiday season often exacerbate employee loneliness and burnout. Executives can combat this isolation by intentionally fostering authentic connections: writing handwritten letters to early mentors, delivering unsolicited testimonials for former colleagues, and prioritizing completely unplugged, screen-free downtime.

This holiday season, let’s focus on creating healthy moments that make us and those around us smile. It can be lonely for some of us as the days are shorter and the nights longer and colder. Being there for one another can mean more than we might let on.

It’s making a surprise phone call to a friend you haven’t spoken with all year. An honest conversation about the impact they have had on your life. What don’t they know that you’ve always wanted to share?

Consider sending a handwritten letter to your favorite college professor. We can often forget what lessons we learned from our instructors. What was the one class or moment you noticed they believed in you? Let them know and thank them!

We often feel we need to update our social media channels with our activities. What about an afternoon with close friends, shopping and supporting local businesses in your city, with no photos documenting your journey? Just you and your friends living in the moment.

What about the leaders throughout your career who made a significant impact? Deliver a testimonial for a former manager looking for their next job. Can you share an example in which they empowered you to do your best work in a healthy and empathetic manner?

Let’s not forget those in the service industries. How about an increased sense of empathy for the airplane gate agent who is doing the absolute best they can to get you to your next destination safe and sound, or an extra holiday tip to your coffee barista, along with a look in their eye and a sincere “thank you” that will make their morning as they craft hundreds of lattes.

Reflect on those you worked with for a short time this year. What about sending a check in text to the summer intern you managed who found a great new job? We all remember our internships and those who helped us feel professional. They will love hearing from you and sharing all the work they’re doing.

Are we spending time with our neighbors, making snow angels at the local park, and talking about everything except for work?

Are we spending brief moments to ourselves when possible, turning the phone off as you walk around a neighborhood renowned for its holiday light decorations, drinking from a warm cup filled with hot chocolate?

These are just a few examples of the moments I want us to cherish these next few months.

The 15-Minute Empathy Map: Building Deeper Executive Relationships

How does mapping employee empathy increase team efficiency?

Mutual empathy directly correlates with massive increases in job satisfaction and business revenue. Leaders can fast-track foundational trust by dedicating 15 minutes to an "Empathy Map" exercise, actively documenting a colleague’s unique goals, professional fears, and the external expectations fueling their behavior.

Core to our work as public relations professionals is building lasting relationships. Possessing empathy will go a long way for not only your relationships with others, but also for your mental well-being.

According to a survey by EY, “mutual empathy between company leaders and employees leads to increased efficiency, creativity, job satisfaction, idea sharing, innovation and even company revenue.”

So, how do you possess and build empathy? I have a proven 15–30-minute exercise – creating an empathy map - that’s helped people build deeper relationships within their teams, executives, customers and other key publics.

As you go through this process, it’s important to think about somebody you’re trying to build a relationship with at work. It could be your manager, an executive, a client, someone you manage, or a peer.

Take out a piece of paper and answer as many of these questions as you can about this person.

First, who are they and what is their role? Do you have a solid understanding of their responsibilities? What do they spend their time doing at work? In our profession, we can wear a lot of hats. In some instances, their role might be confusing, even to them. It’s important to understand if they themselves can’t articulate their role.

Second, what are their goals? What problem(s) are they solving? What are their success factors? This is the most important aspect of this exercise. What are they thinking about when they start working every day? It’s important we understand this because this impacts their experience at the company, and ultimately things like performance reviews, promotions, salary increases, and bonuses.

Third, what do we know about their behavior? How are they speaking with their teams? Do they appear to be accessible? Are they listening more than they are talking? When you speak with them, are they intentionally listening to you or are they distracted? Do they follow-through on what’s promised?

Fourth, how are they influenced? Remember when we asked about their goals and what problems they are there to solve? Someone else will measure whether they were successful. These are likely their managers, members of the board of directors, customers, and other people whose opinions matter. This also relates to media consumption. If they spend 30 minutes per day watching videos or television, reading articles or listening to podcasts, what are they?

Fifth, what are their fears, frustrations, and anxieties? This is the most vulnerable of the questions as these are deeply personal and may be difficult to determine. Keep in mind, some of these answers might focus less on their professional life, and understanding any personal challenges – friends, family, personal health, etc. - they might be living with daily.

Finally, what are their hopes and dreams? These can also be hard to pin down. However, understanding their personal and career ambitions are critical when understanding decisions they make.

Even if you don’t have all the answers to these questions right away, being aware of these will go a long way to building lasting relationships.

This is also an important exercise to do for yourself. How would you answer these questions? To what degree do those around you know enough about you to build strong relationships with others?

Look forward to hearing from you on what you learned during this exercise. What did you learn about yourself and those around you? Please send me a message and let me know!

The Mental Health Benefits of Continuous Executive Learning

How does continuous learning protect an executive's cognitive health?

Engaging in cognitively stimulating professional development during midlife drastically reduces the risk of dementia and Mild Cognitive Impairment. Executives must prioritize their long-term brain health by committing to learn one new professional topic and one new personal skill outside of work every single quarter.

“Ugh, I have a training I need to sit through.”

Ever felt like this?

Training and development can often solicit eyerolls and “is this required?” responses.

Something we may not have considered until recently, however, the positive impact learning does to our brains.

Did you know workplace learning can be important for our mental well-being?

Brand-new research says “People with a history of cognitively stimulating occupations during their 30s, 40s, 50s, and 60s had a lower risk of Mild Cognitive Impairment and dementia older than 70 years, highlighting the importance of occupational cognitive stimulation during midlife for maintaining cognitive function in old age.”

The good news is, in the public relations profession, no two days are ever the same. The opportunity to take on new projects, work with new clients, and in new practice areas are almost infinite. Add on the influence of artificial intelligence, and it’s an imperative for us to constantly learn.

But broad messages mean nothing if you can’t take intentional action on next steps.

What this means for you:

1. Make a commitment to learn something previously unknown to you in the business world at least once per quarter. PRSA is the perfect start for members and offers a multitude of resources available. And if there’s a topic not covered, use the PRSA Open Forums and Member Directory to ask. You will receive quality responses!

2. Learn something new outside of our profession at least once per quarter. One of my favorite offsite exercises I run involves team members learning not only what they want to learn professionally, but skills for their personal life. Instead of cheesy ice breakers, discover what you can learn from one another, and schedule some internal team development sessions and share tips on how to cook, garden, find cheap flights, or whatever is your passion outside of work. You’ll learn from one another and bond in a practical way and will feel good by learning and impacting others.

3. Add addendums to “must do” trainings. The perception of training and development can be one of “check the box, just get it done.” This is typical of compliance training, for example. Rarely is the content designed exclusively for the organization, so if you can influence consider adding in an additional component that invokes discussion across your workstream to contextualize what you learned.

4. Identify a career path in leading and development. If you have responsibility or influence on training and development in your organization, this is a great way to impact the well-being of your employees. One of the biggest challenges of leadership and development is simply the communication of 1) its existence, 2) its relevance to the company and most importantly, 3) the relevance to employees. This is where our strengths in designing and executing strategic public relations plans separates us as trusted advisors.

Above all else, make sure these are experiences you enjoy, make you feel positive and accomplished.

The Public Relations Crisis Well-Being Toolkit

How can PR professionals protect their mental health during a crisis?

The relentless intensity of public relations crisis management severely damages an executive's physical and mental health. Professionals must actively deploy a well-being toolkit during crises, consisting of hourly 4-7-8 breathing exercises, daily outsourced meal deliveries, and strict, screen-free "gratitude walks" to protect their cognitive resilience.

Defining a crisis in the public relations industry can vary wildly. From a self-inflicted typo in an email, to a multi-month tragedy, we are trained to be prepared, own the message, speak with a single voice, and other best practices.

As crisis communications experts, a lot of pressure is put on us to deliver. And that pressure often causes a lot of stress, which impacts our physical and mental well-being. Hours of sleep and exercise might decrease, while our caffeine and alcohol intake might increase.

What we neglect, however, are the core needs we need to ensure we’re implementing throughout any crisis. We must ensure our well-being remains a priority, so we show up for ourselves, our teams, and publics.

These recommendations may seem rudimentary, but they are in fact often overlooked for our bodies and minds. These are activities 100 percent within your control, and include:

Hourly:

- Implement the 4-7-8 breathing technique. Once every 1-2 hours, sit in a chair with your back straight, inhale through your nose for a count of four, then hold your breath for seven counts, and finally exhale through your mouth for an eight count. Conduct this exercise for a total of four times.

- Stay hydrated. No matter your role, but especially if you are a spokesperson constantly speaking with the media, it’s important to consume at least one glass of water per hour.

- Stand up. Sitting all day leads to leg swelling and cramping. Blood circulation by standing up is critical to deliver nutrients and oxygen throughout the body.

Daily:

- Talk to someone outside of work. It’s easy in a crisis to focus on work 100 percent of the time, so find a friend, family member, or mental health professional to talk to daily. These can be serious conversations, these can be opportunities to vent, ask questions, or laugh, all with the goal to – for a few moments - mentally separate yourself from work.

- Outsource your meal preparation. Some people might experience a crisis and not eat at all, while others might compensate stress situations by overeating. Both are unhealthy. Outsource your meal preparation through healthy meal delivery. Included in that should be options to ensure alternatives to caffeine and alcohol are readily available.

- Take a gratitude walk. If possible, leave the phone behind and take a 10–15-minute walk. This is your time to process what you’re grateful for, remain grounded and confidence to continue to take on this challenge.

Weekly:

- Journal your experience. This is especially important if you’re going through a lengthy crisis. Take a few minutes to write down thoughts on your experience. You will want to revisit these thoughts in the years to come. This will also be important for your career well-being, whether that’s for performance reviews or submitting award entries.

- Plan your getaway. You deserve time away. Take that well-deserved vacation when things slow down. Don’t wait for it to be over.

Finally, start implementing these recommendations before your next crisis. As we constantly prepare for the next crisis on the professional front, keep these as part of your daily habit will make it much easier for your well-being going forward.

The 150-Minute Rule: Getting Paid to Think Outside

How does dedicated thinking time improve executive performance?

Executives are paid for their strategic thinking, yet constant notifications trap them in a reactive cycle. Committing to 150 minutes per week of intentional, outdoor "thinking time" deeply stimulates creativity and solves complex business challenges without the distraction of a screen.

We get paid to think, not just do.

Unfortunately, most of our time is spent on instinct, based on years and years of experience. Meetings, emails, constant notifications, conflicting deadlines, and eager customers block us from doing true deep thinking.

On top of that, I often hear from people who are battling upper body injuries from sitting at their desk all day. Not good!

Being outside and one with nature is critical to our well-being. Studies show we feel better, sharper, and more creative by being outside.

So, as we head into springtime, let’s spend time around green grass, large trees, and luscious parks. But it’s one thing to simply say “go outside.” I understand the daily stresses and realities of our profession. That’s why I want to help us spend our workdays outside with intention.

Your challenge is to allocate 150 minutes per week – 30 minutes Monday-Friday - to get outside and get paid to think.

Some of you might want to play it by ear to determine what you’ll be thinking about. Perhaps you need to just vent to yourself, and that’s ok! However, some of you might need some prompts. Here’s an example of how to use your time outside to get some great thinking done.

Monday: What do you want to learn this week, and what are the steps you’ll take to do so? Since professional development is typically lower on the priority list, this gives you the chance to process in real-time what you want to learn.

Tuesday: What’s a challenge you’re eager to tackle? Perhaps you’re processing how to bring a new idea to an executive, or you need some new story angles to pitch media. Getting outside will help stimulate new ideas.

Wednesday: Who is someone you want to connect with and learn from? Since public relations is a relationship business, it’s important we’re constantly connecting with new people. But we also need a strategic approach so we’re meeting the right people at the right time. Who is one person you want to connect with this week, and for what purpose?

Thursday: Who is someone you want to help this week? Paying it forward is good for our well-being as well. Is there someone in your network looking for a new job, career change, or shared a challenge with you? This is a chance to do some deep thinking on how you can be of service.

Friday: What is something you’re proud of this week, and why? Often, we forget great work we’ve done over the course of a year. This gives us time to write down key milestones so when it’s reviews time, or awards season, or you’re interested in updating your resume or LinkedIn profile, it’s much fresher.

In just 150 minutes per week, you can get some movement in, and some real work done that will help you and those around you.

Please let me know what challenges you’ve solved this spring as a result!

A Strategic Approach to Rebuilding Remote Company Culture

How can organizations build a strong team culture for remote employees?

With only 28% of remote employees feeling connected to their organization's mission, companies are facing a severe culture deficit. To rebuild trust, leaders must aggressively evaluate three critical relationships: the employee-manager dynamic via honest 1:1s, immediate team cohesion through bi-annual strategic reviews, and broader cross-functional engagement.

You, my public relations friends, are in a powerful position to play a significant role in influencing and defining company culture.

Whether we’re working from home 100 percent of the time, in a hybrid situation where you may or may not meet your team in person, or some other agreement with your company, how we work today and, in the future, will constantly evolve.

The data shows there’s a disconnect with remote employees. Gallup states, “28% of exclusively remote employees strongly agree that they feel connected to their organization’s mission and purpose.”

But what does this mean for you and your team?

As public relations leaders whose job is to build relationships, this is our opportunity to shine! No other profession has the skills and experience to help companies redefine their culture. Companies with a strong and understood culture will retain their employees and see an increase in productivity, trust, and rapport, reducing turnover and improving business results.

A new look at company culture should be addressed in three areas:

- Your relationship with your manager

- Your relationship with your immediate team

- Your expanded circle of engagement and influence

Let’s break this down.

First, and this is no surprise, your relationship with your manager will significantly impact your opinion on the company culture. They are the ones who, ideally, think about the role you play in the business and you as a person. They understand you’re a human, not a robot, and will have peaks and valleys. As an employee, you will realize the same about your manager. This relationship has a direct impact on your relationship with the company.

To do: At least once per quarter, have a focused 1:1 conversation with your manager about your experiences at the company. The discussion should relate to broader themes of your relationship with the business. These can be positive experiences to share with others in the company or constructive feedback to share with stakeholders and, if necessary, human resources.

Second is the relationship with your immediate team. This team is likely those you spend at least 50 percent of your time with daily. Along with your manager, this group will influence how you feel at the company.

To do: Every six months, host a conversation with your team to best determine the relationship between the workstream and the overall business. How does your team feel about its standing with the larger business? The conversation will illuminate adjustments to be made or examples of what’s working very well.

The third is your expanded circle of engagement and influence. These could be clients, executives, board members, or other publics you spend time with regularly. This group could be the most exhausting! This is why ensuring you have strong relationships with your manager and your immediate team is critical, as they will be essential to helping round out your employee experience.

To do: when appropriate, have causal conversations with select members of this group to solicit how they define great culture within the company. Often, people will respond, “I love the people here.” While this is a great, positive response, I often look to garner specific examples. Put on your story mining hat and solicit more details to help shape the responses.

Finally, harness the information you receive to help prospective employees you’re hiring better understand what life is like at your company.

Company culture is multi-faceted and primed for the public relations profession to play a leadership role. I cannot wait to see how this industry continues to lead the way.

Why Strength Training is the Executive's Ultimate Mental Edge

How does physical strength training impact executive focus?

Relying solely on cardiovascular exercise ignores massive neuro-cognitive benefits. Incorporating just 15 minutes of strength training into a weekly routine using a kettlebell or weighted vest drastically improves an executive's sleep quality, mental sharpness, and emotional resilience.

The amount of wellness marketing we receive at the start of every year focuses greatly on cardio and diet. As you wake up in February and look for more inspiration to help your mind and body, I want you to consider something different.

Strength training.

A consistent strength training regime is essential to keep our bones healthier and our joints stronger. My sleep quality improves at least 30 percent when I do consistent strength training in the morning. My mood is better. My focus is sharper.

And these are just the short-term benefits.

Researchers have found a 10 to 20 percent reduction in the risk of early death from all causes and from cancer and heart disease specifically — occurred when people did approximately 30 to 60 minutes of muscle-building workouts per week.

If you’re interested in some ideas to incorporate strength training for minutes a day, there are three things I want you to buy. As a collective, these items can cost under $100. And yet, when used consistently, it will give you priceless benefits to your health.

The first is a weighted jump rope. Jump ropes by themselves are a tremendous cardiovascular tool, but when combined with weights, they are incredibly powerful. Starting with a one-pound weighted jump rope – a LOT heavier than you think - will do wonders for your arms and core. If you’re a frequent traveler, there are even rope less weighted jump rope options to pack in your luggage and use in your hotel room or gym.

The second is a weighted vest. These are wonderful, low-impact options to help burn more calories by adding resistance. As we head into springtime soon, use a weighted vest while working from home during your walk and talk calls! These vests come in various colors and sizes and have scalable weight options. Ensure you’re adjusting the vest and feel comfortable wearing one before long walks.

The third is a kettlebell. Kettlebells are magical devices for the best all-around strength and cardio workout. 10 to 15 minutes with a kettlebell two to three times weekly will work wonders for you. Kettlebells also come in various weight sizes and colors, so start with lower weight and adjust as needed; there are even kettlebells with adjustable weights. I highly recommend speaking with a certified kettlebell coach who can help you with the proper form and technique. And, again, if you’re a frequent traveler, sometimes hotel gyms don’t have kettlebells. Don’t fear! You can purchase attachments to pack so you can use regular dumbbells as kettlebells.

Before starting any strength training program, please ensure you use the proper form and techniques. Find a local personal trainer or resource online to learn how to use these products. Ensure you’re spending at least 5-10 minutes per exercise to properly warm up and cool down. Also, ensure you boost your protein intake to repair your muscles faster. Finally, when starting your strength training, give yourself a few days to overcome those early-onset aches and pains. Your muscles are waking up and will take time to recover. They will!

In no time, you will not only see the changes to your mood and sleep but also notice your clothes feeling better.

Please let me know what steps you’re taking in your physical health journey!

Overcoming the Mental Toll of Professional "Ghosting"

How should public relations professionals handle professional ghosting?

Due to shifting priorities and digital overload, professional “ghosting” is an inevitable part of the modern relationship business. Instead of taking silence personally, executives must practice radical empathy, gracefully let go of unresponsive contacts, and intentionally focus their energy on clients who prioritize mutual communication.

This year I want us to reframe a critical challenge in the public relations industry that impacts our well-being: ghosting.

In this evolving remote and hybrid “out of sight out of mind,” world, it’s never been easier to suddenly disappear from professional relationships.

From media contacts who suddenly go dark, to prospective clients whose priorities are shifting, to prospective employers to suddenly are hiring from within, to employees who quit without warning, we’ve all been ghosted at least once in our career.

According to research by The Thriving Space on Psychology, “More than 2 in 5 have been ghosted by a prospective employer…and 1 in 4 admitted to ghosting a workplace by quitting without notice or explanation.”

Because this is a relationship business, it can feel jarring when suddenly an ongoing communication with someone ends without proper closure. I’m blessed the vast majority of people I’ve connected with throughout my career never ghost, but like all of us, it happens.

For those of us who are entrepreneurs and running your own business, it can feel particularly challenging with no one else to commiserate with about the specific situation.

It’s taken me a while to not take ghosting personally, but last year, I had a big mental shift in how I think about this issue.

A new level of empathy is required to dig deep into the perspectives of where people are at.

Sometimes, people who have fallen silent suddenly reappear, apologizing for being busy with work, dealing with personal matters, or frankly feeling overwhelmed with responding to people (including me).

Ultimately, they have had to reprioritize their life, and knowing that has helped me understand why I haven’t heard from them.

All this said, attempting to achieve this level of empathy has its own risks. If not properly checked, moving down someone's priority list – personal or professional - can impact one’s well-being.

The mindset shift I’ve had recently is – because I can’t control the decisions of others - I am choosing to no longer spend my energy on those who are suddenly unresponsive.

I’m also choosing not to take this personally. I’m choosing to give grace.

Life is too short to focus on those moving you down their priority list.

Focus on your priority list!

If you think you are a frequent ghoster, please do me a favor today: reach out to someone and thank them for their patience. They will appreciate your note! It’s never too late to revise and rebuild a relationship gone dormant.

If you find yourself as a ghostee, don’t be afraid to check in again in a month or two before moving on with grace and empathy. And you never know; you might be surprised when you hear from them again.

This is also a great time to recognize those who are responsive. In our profession, it’s a challenge to make time to manage and grow all our relationships. Send a quick note to a few people today and thank them for making time for you.

The Ted Lasso Guide to Empathetic Leadership and Employee Departures

How should leaders handle top-performing employees resigning?

Great leaders recognize that high-performing employees will eventually move on to new challenges. By responding to resignations with radical empathy and support—rather than frustration—leaders protect their own mental health and permanently secure their reputation as a world-class mentor.

Oxford Dictionary defines empathy as “the ability to understand and share the feelings of another.” The last few years have shed light on the importance of experiencing empathy and appreciating those who show it to us. There are numerous examples of leading with empathy, but leave it to an episode of the award-winning television series “Ted Lasso” to deliver a fantastic piece of empathic leadership advice and its positive impact on our mental well-being. “Ted Lasso,” a comedy-drama show about an American football coach who overnight becomes a manager of a Premier League soccer team in England, touches on leadership in a surprising way for such a show steeped in laughs.

One example is when the club’s marketing and public relations manager (Keeley) is nervous to tell her boss (Rebecca) she is leaving the organization to start her own firm. Throughout the show, Rebecca gave Keeley more responsibilities, which ultimately led to going out independently.

Before telling Rebecca this news, Keeley spoke with a trusted advisor and another senior member of the organization (Leslie). When Keeley mentioned how nervous she was to tell Rebecca, Leslie shared a valuable lesson. “A good mentor hopes you will move on,” Leslie said. “A great mentor knows you will.” And when Keeley ultimately told Rebecca she was leaving, Rebecca couldn’t have been more excited for her. She knew it was time for Keeley to move on.

Great leaders know that great employees will move on to different challenges at some point and are mentally prepared to handle the news. They can understand and share their feelings about how and why their employees made that decision. This is a sign of empathy and one of many examples we see from “Ted Lasso” on the importance of seeing the perspectives of others.

According to recent research, “possessing empathy is crucial for good mental health as being able to connect with others and share enough of yourself to feel connected in return adds immeasurably to relationship happiness.” Today, employees are showing more confidence in how they want to advance in their careers. Leaders, despite all your best efforts, your best employees will at some point hand in their notice.

How you respond and how your company responds and treats your employees when they leave is the impression THEY will have of your company and YOU. And for the remainder of their career, they will only remember how they felt when they left.

Empathy enables us to give and receive grace, have honest conversations with our employees (and our bosses) about our human experience at work, and encourage improvement and growth.

Demonstrating empathy will have a lasting impact and help shape your relationships for years to come.

As I say to employees who leave, I give the same advice to employers and leaders: take the high road. Your employees will never forget how they were treated when they left.

By the way: watch “Ted Lasso.” It’s truly worth your time.

The Quiet Discipline Behind Major Executive Achievements

How do executives actually achieve massive professional results?

The legacy of winning a major industry award or achieving massive weight loss is never the final headline. It is the unglamorous, solitary journey of early mornings, dietary discipline, and quiet resilience—proving that true well-being and success are built when no one is watching.

The legacy of winning a significant PR award like a Bronze or Silver Anvil isn’t just in the quantifiable metrics. Or the headlines. Or the executive kudos.

It’s the planning. The last-minute changes. The managing of egos. The delay. The acceleration. The blood, sweat, and tears.

These are often the aspects of the process most people forget about.

It’s not talked about at the award ceremony. Or in the celebratory social media post. But it’s what you remember most when you hold the award.

And that’s the same when it comes to changes to our well-being. In my case, that was my 150-pound weight loss journey that started on a dark December Friday night in 2007.

The changes were one at a time. It was shifting breakfast options. Exercising a few more times weekly and not eating so late at night.

But no one was watching to monitor me. No one was waking me up at 5:00 a.m. to work out. No one was telling me to swap sugary mochas for green tea. I was on my own.

But that’s what I remember most about the journey. Not the compliments. Not the after photos. But the journey.

And that’s what I want you to think about as you think about as we head into the holiday season. Start the journey now. Not Monday. Not January 1. Today. Because I am Exhibit A any positive change to your well-being is an extraordinary journey. And you want to experience those memorable journeys as soon as possible.

So, no matter what change you want to make for your well-being, there’s no reason to wait for the New Year. Are you looking to save a few more dollars, lose a few more pounds, or gain more sleep? Start today, and in 60 days, you will feel so much better and so proud of the decision you made at this very moment.

Most of all, you’ll look at specific days and reflect on how the choices you made had an impact.

Remember, it’s the journey, the process, not the result, that you will remember most.

The journey starts with you. You’re the author of your story; pick up your pen and get writing!

The 15-Minute Meeting Audit: Reclaiming Your Executive Calendar

How can an executive effectively audit and reduce unnecessary meetings?

Mindless recurring meetings are a primary driver of corporate burnout and late-night catch-up work. Executives can instantly reclaim hours of productivity by performing a quarterly "Meeting Audit"—ruthlessly converting 60-minute updates into 30-minute deep-dives and transitioning video calls into audio-only conversations.

“Mark, I’m in meetings all day, so I finally have a chance to work at night.”

My heart sinks every time I hear this from a colleague.

Meetings are a necessity in the public relations profession. They’re also a potentially significant time sink that, when not micromanaged, can impact our well-being.

The meetings we participate in should be prescriptive. Attendees should feel like it was a valuable use of their time, decisions made, and clear actions taken.

Too often, we default to scheduling a meeting. And yet, how many times have we heard, “That meeting could have been an email?”

As I was writing this column, I spoke with an executive who told me about the impact of frequent and unnecessary late-night meetings they used to participate in and the permanent effect it took on their personal life.

Meetings should not be playing such a role!

With some work, I think we can make a long-lasting impact on our personal lives and careers.

As we head into the fall, this is a great time to take 15 minutes to make a list of all your recurring meetings. These can be daily, weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly meetings of all facets: 1:1s, team, partner, and client.

As you assess these meetings, ask yourself:

- Do I understand the purpose of these meetings?

- How often are these meetings moved or canceled?

- What is my role in these meetings? If I’m running these meetings, are the right people in the sessions? If I’m not running these meetings, what’s the level of value in participating?

- Is the length of these meetings appropriate?

- Do these need to be on camera, or can they be audio-only?

- Is the style of these meetings valuable? If I have several “status” meetings, should I evolve these meetings to focus less on project status – which can be communicated through software - and more on decision making?

- What is the value of the 1:1 meetings I have with my manager and those I’m managing? Am I discussing topics that better my/their relationship and career, or are they project status conversations?

I conducted my audit recently and noticed I have defaulted to too many 60-minute meetings for introductory and networking calls. I’ve adjusted these to 30-minute video calls for initial meetings, with audio calls for subsequent follow-ups.

This 15-minute exercise can save you hours to exercise, meal prep, or spend time with friends and family!

Consider conducting a meeting audit every quarter. Set a calendar reminder to rerun this in November to prepare you for a busy holiday season.

On a related note, there are times when you might be thinking, “This email thread is too confusing; let’s get on the phone!” If after three attempts to clarify a conversation topic are unsuccessful, I encourage you to pick up the phone and discuss the issue.

I look forward to hearing from you about the adjustments you’ve made and the impact on your life.

Attaining Buoyancy: Reclaiming Your Optimism at Work

How can PR professionals attain "buoyancy" and optimism?

The relentless pressure of brand protection and crisis management constantly threatens a public relations professional’s mental health. By rigorously setting boundaries against 10-hour work sprints and deliberately modeling healthy vacation habits, executives can reclaim their professional "buoyancy"—an optimistic, resilient disposition.

It’s a warm Tuesday morning in the middle of summer. You’ve given yourself the flexibility to have a little rest and relaxation in-between meetings and deliverables. It’s just you on a giant flamingo float in a swimming pool. Suntan lotion applied, sunglasses on, drinks in hand as you tune out the world and tune into how you’re feeling. Positive, upbeat, energized.

You’re attaining – literal and metaphorical - buoyancy.

Lately, I’ve been fixated on the word buoyancy. Typically, we think about the word in terms of floating or as it relates to the economy or stock market. But I’ve been focused on a third definition: “an optimistic or cheerful disposition.”

At times it’s a challenge to be optimistic or cheerful. Many challenges are thrown at us as public relations professionals, parents, children, friends, volunteers, and other groups close to us. For some of us, our jobs are about sharing positive messages with our publics. For others, we’re brand protectors. For others, it’s to handle crises every day. The diversity of our work is one of many things I love about our profession.

At the same time, our work can and does impact our well-being. Whether it’s the long hours, the people we work with, or the work itself, it can be emotionally, mentally, and physically draining.

In this Strategies and Tactics issue focusing on health and wellness, you’ll read articles giving you many great ideas on prioritizing your well-being.

As you go through the ideas in the issue, please consider how taking action will help you this summer and beyond attain buoyancy. Examples might include:

- How to set boundaries so you’re not working 10 hours straight without a break.

- Taking actionable steps to build trust with your key stakeholders so you feel confident you can be away without fear of retribution.

- Feeling empowered to look for a new job or take on a new set of clients you advocate for.

- Creating a mindset of how your actions – whether it’s taking a vacation or prioritizing your mental or physical health - show up in front of your family, friends, bosses, colleagues, and clients.

- Learning how to help the next generation of PR professionals become trusted advisors while at the same time protecting their well-being.

My goal for you this summer is to use the great lessons in this issue to find your path to attaining buoyancy.

Please reach out this summer and let me know the steps you’re taking to prioritize your well-being.

In the meantime, have a safe, healthy, and buoyant summer!

The Most Underrated Phrase in Executive Leadership

How can managers reduce employee anxiety during 1:1 meetings?

Nearly half of all employees experience severe anxiety before routine 1:1 meetings due to a lack of communication from their leaders. Managers can instantly eliminate this anxiety and build deep trust by deploying the phrase “and here’s why”—guaranteeing immediate context is provided alongside all constructive and positive feedback.

The most important relationship in an organization is between the manager and the employee. This relationship ultimately makes up a large majority of one’s employee experience. Think about your career and the experiences you had. A lot of those memories come down to how someone managed you.

My experiences with my direct managers throughout my PR career are the primary memories – good, bad, or indifferent - at those companies.

Today’s evolved work environment has changed how these relationships are built. I was fortunate to meet every manager in person throughout my career. In today’s era, that might not be the case. Employees may spend their entire time at a company never meeting their manager in person.

It’s a significant shift in how we build trust and rapport and deliver feedback.

Leaders in recent years have been focusing on improving the value of 1:1 meetings, including the frequency and length.

However, we also need to address uncertainty. Recent data suggests people are nervous about talking to their managers. In a study by Humu, 49 percent of employees feel anxious before 1:1 meetings with their manager.

One way to alleviate the stress is to focus the meetings as less transactional (e.g., status reports) and more constructive and conversational (e.g., quality of work).

A constructive and conversational approach to 1:1 meetings is essential during difficult conversations.

One example: think about times throughout your career you received harsh feedback. Examples might include:

- “We’re taking you off the account.”

- “I had to rewrite your plan.”

- “You’re not getting promoted yet.”

Throughout my career, I’ve heard stories about people’s heightened stress and anxiety levels, not just because of the content of the feedback but even more so the lack of context.

This is why we need to consider using the most underrated phrase in leadership:

“And here’s why.”

When delivering a difficult message, include the context.

- “We’re taking you off the account, and here’s why…”

- “I had to rewrite your plan, and here’s why…”

- “You’re not getting promoted yet, and here’s why...”

This is essential when giving positive feedback as well.

- “We’re giving you a bonus, and here’s why…”

- “Here’s an extra-paid day off. Thank you for your work, and here’s why…”

- “We’re giving three months additional fully-paid parental leave, and here’s why…”

Evolving your 1:1 conversations and taking a few extra moments to share context will reap enormous rewards for those you manage, ultimately making you a more respected and impactful leader your employees will want to emulate.

Speaking of taking a few extra moments: I think you are all fantastic PR leaders and trusted advisors, and here’s why: with little fanfare, you are helping to build essential relationships to support the missions of companies and organizations you care about. You’re doing so often understaffed, under-supported, and under pressure with constant challenges from leadership who constantly ask to show your value. I know your worth. I see your worth. Thank you for all you do!