Attaining Buoyancy This Summer
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 and 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 difficult to be optimistic or cheerful. Many challenges are thrown at us as PR professionals, parents, children, friends and volunteers.
For some of us, our jobs are about sharing positive messages with our publics. For others, we’re brand protectors. For others, it’s about handing 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 & 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 attain buoyancy this summer and beyond. Examples might include:
Setting 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 and let me know the steps you’re taking to prioritize your well-being.
In the meantime, have a safe, healthy and buoyant summer!
A Rewewed Look at Company Culture
You are in a powerful position to play a significant role in influencing and defining company culture.
Whether we’re working from home 100% 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 PR 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% 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 work stream 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 casual 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 multifaceted and primed for the PR profession to play a leadership role. I cannot wait to see how this profession continues to lead the way.
Health and Fitness Tips for Conference Travelers
While attending conferences, we spend a lot of time sitting and eating (too) well, and we forget to take care of ourselves. Here are three tips for protecting your health and wellness during conferences in general:
Determine your goals for attending
If you were your own client, what would you recommend that you prioritize at your next conference? What is your goal? By making this determination in advance, you can focus on what’s most important to you.
My goal for the San Diego conference is to share my weight-loss journey with others and to engage with people who want to learn more about how to incorporate health and wellness into their work lives — and to thereby reduce stress and advance in their PR careers.
Prepare before your trip
Business travel can be stressful. Deciding what to pack, finalizing travel logistics and managing meeting schedules are just some of the factors that can increase our stress levels.
To compound the issue, spending long days at a conference can cause us to let our guard down at night — which in turn can lead to poor decisions about what to eat and drink before going to bed. We tend to forget that our bodies might not recover right away the following morning. As a result, by the time we get home we might discover that we’ve gone back to square one in our efforts to take better care of ourselves.
Before leaving for your next business trip, answer these two important questions:
What will you eat? If a dinner is scheduled for a specific restaurant, research the menu online and determine in advance what you want to eat to be sure it suits your health and wellness plan. This way, you won’t have to make another decision during your trip.
How will you make time to incorporate exercise into the trip? The hotel hosting this year’s PRSA Conference has a map of one-, two- and three-mile walking/running routes, so I’m already prepared for how I’ll exercise before heading to San Diego. I also bring a resistance band on my trips, which I use in my hotel room to do simple dynamic-stretching exercises that loosen up my body before I start my day. These exercises warm up my muscles and make me feel accomplished and mentally and physically prepared for the day ahead.
Expect changes in plans
In business travel, the only constant is change. Some changes are frustrating, such as last-minute alterations to schedules or travel plans. Others are positive. You might attend a session that inspires you to spend the next several hours creating the next great idea for your client.
You also might run into someone you haven’t seen for a while. But because conferences often offer free food and drinks, a short conversation with an old friend can turn into a five-hour dinner.
Regardless of changes that may occur on your trip, remember that your health depends on you staying the course. Having an accountability partner is great, but your health and wellness journey is your plan.
I recommend preparing for contingencies. For example:
“I will only have one drink tonight. If I’m offered a second drink, I will.…”
“If no gluten-free food options are available, I’m prepared because I will instead eat.…”
“If the hotel’s fitness facility doesn’t have the equipment I like, I will.…”
By determining your conference goals in advance, thinking ahead about meals and exercise, and spending a few minutes to prepare mentally for the trip, you will be ready for a great event.
Your Springtime Outdoor Challenge
We get paid to think, not just do.
Unfortunately, most of our time is spent on instinct, based on 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 through 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 that 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 résumé 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!
Wellness Challenges With Lasting Impact
The premise behind corporate wellness challenges offers good intentions. Challenges promote a sense of mental and physical well-being that can solicit a sense of community across a team or organization.
From a strategic standpoint, challenges help employees feel healthier, making them more productive and ultimately helping businesses achieve their business objectives. Tactics include inviting yoga instructors to host sessions, downloading mobile fitness applications, ticking off boxes on bingo cards, and taking cues from giant colorful wall posters.
Beyond health benefits, incentives to participate include everything from money and gift cards to time off and praise. The problem with short-term wellness challenges is: While intentions are good, they are typically incomplete and don’t address long-term impact.
If you’re creating a wellness challenge or working to communicate one to your employees, here is what to consider to extend its value.
Lean in.
Junior- and mid-level employees look at every move that senior leaders make in companies. That includes how much they participate in what some might consider auxiliary or non-essential activities like wellness challenges. Challenges require participation and support from all levels in an organization.
As an agency executive, I took it upon myself to participate in wellness activities. I wanted to show junior staff that executives are making their mental and physical well-being a priority.
Recently, I had the opportunity to lead an agencywide wellness program. It was a six-week course, which included workshops and weekly videos. The agency even created a specific Chasing the Sun Slack channel.
This agency has reported less employee turnover, and business revenue has increased. But it all happened in large part because the entire agency leadership participated, and the agency owner committed to her entire staff that they were making impactful changes to meeting frequency and work on Fridays.
Recommendation: Ensure you have the backing, support and commitment of senior leadership participation before starting a new challenge.
Be inclusive.
Despite their potential benefits, “wellness” doesn’t always mean eating healthy snacks and doing planks. Being inclusive of all employees is essential to hosting a successful challenge. Design challenges in a way that enables all employees to participate no matter their condition or circumstances.
One example: Are you creating bingo cards for employees? If so, consider including mental well-being tasks, including sending someone a thank-you card or volunteering your time for a local charity. Giving time and appreciating others not only helps others but ultimately makes us feel better ourselves.
Recommendation: Include your diversity and inclusion team in the discussion to ensure all perspectives are represented in the challenges.
Use challenges as a springboard for long-term change.
By themselves, wellness challenges will have minimal impact. However, partnering with your HR team can be a powerful opportunity to ensure a positive long-term business impact. HR leaders in your company are always looking for ways to effectively promote the existing benefits already offered by your company.
One example is to address paid time off. Recently, I spoke at a conference for School PR leaders. I asked attendees if they had scheduled time off for the upcoming year. More than two-thirds of the respondents said they had not!
I helped empower them to identify time to prepare for their next vacation. In addition, challenges are the perfect opportunity to remind employees of how to use paid time off appropriately and sick time in your organization.
Recommendation: Connect with HR leaders to inform your teams of the benefits that your company provides.
The Benefits of a Fake Commute
You’re lying awake in bed. It’s 5:48 a.m. on Monday. You hit snooze twice on your alarm already, but this time the phone wins. You grab your phone and immediately look at all those notifications. “I guess it’s time to get up and get to work,” you tell yourself as you rub your eyes, get out of bed and immediately walk over to your home office. Next thing you know, it’s 2 p.m., you haven’t showered or eaten, and you feel exhausted.
Sound familiar?
We didn’t sign up for this career to work 9-5, Monday to Friday. A standard work schedule is not why I started my career in public relations and is likely not your reason either.
However, the trend of blending work and personal lives has been accelerated significantly due to the pandemic. And work life is winning.
Because fewer of us are spending time in cars, buses or trains heading to and from a physical office, we no longer have a natural ramp up or wind down to our workday.
Trying to transition from work to personal life every day will continue to serve as a challenge for the foreseeable future.
It’s why I was drawn to recent articles talking about the German word Feierabend, roughly defined as “the time after work is done and a period of leisure and rest begins.” Essentially, we are creating a “fake” commute.
So let’s work on separating your personal time from your work time, within reason. It won’t always be perfect. There are times you’ll still have to join that 6 a.m. conference call or respond to that email at 9 p.m.
How can we start our day right? Here are three suggestions:
Drink a big glass of water. Among other things, a cold glass of water gives nutrients to our cells, especially for our muscles. This helps reduce muscle fatigue and increases energy.
Get your body warmed up. We’re about to sit all day so let’s give our muscles some love. Our bodies need time to wake up and get the blood flowing. Some simple body weight movements like leg swings, arm raises, lunges, trunk twists and squats will be helpful for our flexibility, and are good for our back.
Spend at least 15 minutes walking around your neighborhood or pacing in your house.
What about after work? Here are three suggestions:
Wrap on a high note and write down one thing that went well. We tend to focus on the negative. What’s one thing that went right, and more important, why?
Write down your three big priorities for tomorrow. Noting these will help with, among other things, reducing the time you’re lying awake at night thinking about work.
Incorporate some physical activity, whether it’s walking, running or biking around your neighborhood. Make it fun — involve family and friends in person or virtually, set it in your calendar and make it a part of your wind down.
As business leaders and trusted advisers, this is our opportunity to show how we are prioritizing our well-being.
Encourage your teams, colleagues, managers and clients to join you in instituting this approach.
What I shared above are just some examples. What about you? What will your “fake commute” look like? Let me know!
Have a wonderful February, everyone.
Be safe. Be kind. Be well.
Shifting the ‘People Leave Managers’ Narrative
We typically hear: “people don’t leave companies; they leave managers.”
Let’s reframe the message: People stay at companies because of their manager.
I was blessed throughout my career because of my managers. I stayed at my companies because they trusted me and gave me life-changing opportunities. I learned something from every manager I had.
And, just as you learned from your managers, those you manage learn from your actions every day.
Here are three ways we can lead by example to positively influence our employees.
Empower your employees to create their path.
Data suggests “the real cost of turnover is often estimated to be 33% to two times the employee’s annual salary.” There’s never been a better time to design your career path. And your employees know this as well.
Give your team the flexibility to design a future job role. Talk to them about your career path, share the unique career paths of others in your company, or suggest they hold discussions with other mentors to learn how to create their job descriptions. Your team will appreciate you’re thinking about their future.
Set and live your boundaries.
Recent studies suggest “more than half of Americans fear their employer would think less of them if they requested time off for mental health.” This is a problem! Your team members, particularly those new to their careers, will follow your lead on how and when you communicate with them.
Conduct a self-audit of how you spend your nights, weekends and vacations. Do you send emails late at night? Your employees may well be waiting online to receive them. Join meetings while on vacation? Your employees will keep their notifications on while getting a tan at the beach.
Even if you have the best intentions to ask your teams to take time off and shut down their phones, people won’t follow if you don’t do it yourself!
Think like you’re the one receiving communications.
I’ve received poorly written emails throughout my career. Unfortunately, they cause more anxiety, stress and confusion than necessary. Keep your communication tight, yet solution- and action-oriented with the right level of context to help set the receiver up for success.
The most important thing is to think through the lens of the recipient. Do they have everything needed to act? Will a calendar invite titled simply “Chat” help reduce the stress levels of the recipient? Probably not.
Installing these techniques will help build trust and rapport with your team, giving them the flexibility to manage their family and job and, ultimately, show your value as a leader.
Taking an Escape From Work
In my article from January, I urged you to take time off. Today, COVID-19 has directly or indirectly impacted not only our time but also our mental and physical health.
My message from January still stands, however — we still need an escape from work. Taking a physical and mental break this summer has never been more important. As we have all learned, home does not equal a break/vacation.
While on deadline writing this column, there was this cute, tiny distraction who kept getting in my way: my 10-month-old puppy Molly. As much as I love to hang out with her, when Molly wants my attention it’s tough to focus on work — even on deadline.
Throughout the pandemic, I have evolved my mindset for the times when she tries to get my attention during the day. When I take time out to play fetch, rub her belly and give her all the attention she deserves, I have focused on the benefits, not the burden. Ultimately, she expends a lot of energy so she can nap. I enjoy playing with her and my mental and physical state is improved!
As easy as it might sound to simply tell you to get a pet, that’s not practical or realistic. However, what I can tell you is that you are in more control of your wellness than you realize.
If you do these three things every day, you will continue to thrive in your career and spend quality time with your family while prioritizing your health and wellness.
1. Identify your daily “no distraction” time.
Is your calendar “open” all day, every day? If so, you are sending two messages:
• “I am always here to help!” I understand! We are in public relations, a service industry. We want to be available! However, it leads to:
• “I will prioritize everyone and everything over myself.”
We need to evolve past this self-perception that we aren’t doing our jobs if we aren’t available all the time. Setting boundaries will not only improve your health and well-being, it will show others that you are creating a standard for them to follow.
I recommend blocking off at least 30-60 minutes every day that can’t be used for meetings. Find the best time that you can benefit from no distractions.
2. Identify your daily “walk and talk” time.
I recommend auditing the next five days of meetings that are scheduled. Identify one meeting per day that you can take as a walk and talk meeting, vs. sitting at your desk or conference room. Some of my walk and talks are for business, however many of my walk and talks are family time with my wife Christine and Molly to get outside and enjoy the fresh air. Our walk and talks are scheduled during business hours, yet it is sacred to our family. We only cancel or postpone in case of an emergency.
Your walk and talk meeting — whether it’s virtual or in-person — should be planned for and scheduled during the day.
3. Identify your connection time.
As an extrovert throughout COVID-19, it has been difficult for me not to be around people — so I’ve had to find new ways to stay social. Throughout quarantine, I check in every few days with a select group of people. I block off 30 minutes at least two to three days per week to send messages. Recipients are a mixture of friends, current and former clients, former colleagues, and trusted advisors.
I ask how they are doing. They push me, I push them. They empower me, I empower them.
This has helped me immensely to stay mentally healthy through this time, and I guarantee I will stay connected with them this summer and beyond.
Find your group of people this summer. Check in on them. They will appreciate it, and you will feel all the better for doing so during this time. What will you do this summer to take the time to make your health and wellness a priority?
Let’s Cut Down on Ghost Stories
I want us to reframe a critical challenge in the PR profession 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 who 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 that 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.
Understand the other person’s point of view.
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, then 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, then 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, then 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.
Let’s start encourage each other to be more open, honest and transparent. Time is one resource we will never get back.
It’s Time for Your Meeting Audit
“Mark, I’m in meetings all day. 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 PR 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.
Often, we default to scheduling a meeting. Yet, how many times have we heard, “That 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, biweekly, or monthly meetings of all facets: 1:1s, team, partner, and client.
As you assess these meetings, ask:
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 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 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.
Why You’re an Influencer — Capital I
Our profession has incredible highs — the prominent media placement, the new business win, the strategic plan, the Silver Anvil.
At times, however, it can be mentally draining. From long days to sleepless nights, our brains are working overtime to help meet the objectives of our businesses and clients.
One of the ways in which we help overcome this is a typical mindset shift: “It’s PR, not ER.” While this mindset shift can help at times, I want to share and remind ourselves that what we do and how we work has a profound impact on those beyond who we know.
We are Influencers. Big I. Not “influencers” we see on our social media channels. But real, authentic leaders who have a lasting, lifelong impact on those we work with every day.
Understanding influence
Are you a new account executive at a PR firm? Dozens, if not hundreds, of college students and brand-new pros look up to you. They’re checking out your LinkedIn profile, wanting to be you one day, nervous to message you and ask if you could mentor them as they start their journey.
That’s Influence. Capital I.
Are you a new chief communications officer for a Fortune 500 company? Are you experiencing a little imposter syndrome, perhaps (we all do!)? Just know you have a following who are in awe of your progression, would read any book you write, and do anything for a few minutes to learn about your journey because they want to be you in 5-15 years.
That’s Influence. Capital I.
Have you recently shared on LinkedIn about your new consultancy? It’s nerve-wracking, isn’t it? I remember those days! There are so many people you inspire with your story who want to be brave and bold enough to go out on their own. They might reach out to you in a few weeks or months. “How did you do it?” they’ll ask.
That’s Influence. Capital I.
Are you a PR professor, ever wondering what the lasting impact of your courses will have on your students? Know that what you’re saying will not only have a short-term impact, but a lifelong one as well. I know my PR professor changed the course of my personal and professional life.
That’s Influence. Capital I.
Making connections
This is what we don’t realize: We influence people. This is not to put pressure on ourselves but to set the context and boost our spirits that what we do matters to businesses and those who aspire to be us one day.
In a world of social media influencers touting tailored products and experiences, be a true Influencer. Capital I.
3 Tips to Stay Physically Active While Working From Home
More than ever before, we must do everything we can to ensure that the mental well-being of PR professionals is strong.
During the COVID-19 crisis, a lot has been — and will be — out of our control for the foreseeable future. We are working from home, and keeping ourselves and our families safe while doing what we can to reduce distractions so we can continue to work uninterrupted. This process has been mentally taxing.
One thing that we can do, however, is stay physically active. After a long walk, run, bike ride or other exercise, I feel more confident to tackle what’s in front of me.
But, how do you stay physically active while living through a pandemic, working from home, managing a family and creating a brand-new set of daily habits?
First, we need to remove the idea that physical activity and working must be separate. You can incorporate physical activity during the workday, act as business leaders and thrive. Since many of you are working from home, keep in mind that the daily chores you’re doing — from dishes, laundry and cleaning to mowing the lawn, keeping your children and pets active, and cooking — all take energy and are burning calories.
Here are three key tips to keep moving and stay active.
1. Stand up.
Standing up while working, particularly during video conference calls, is one of the most important things I do to stay physically and mentally sharp. I typically burn 50 percent more calories when I stand up versus when I sit down.
And because standing utilizes my entire body, I can communicate more effectively through my movements and gestures. This allows for increased engagement during conference calls; and ultimately, I feel more positive and confident as a result!
Analyze your calendar over the next week, and identify three to five video meetings you can take standing up.
2. Host virtual walking meetings.
That said, spending an entire day on video calls can feel overwhelming and exhausting. With the increase in video conferencing usage in recent weeks, I’ve heard that many people are exhausted. I’ve noticed this myself.
Screen fatigue and video conferencing fatigue are real. It’s important to acknowledge and prepare for this and its impact long-term. We are not built to be in front of our screens for hours on end.
Take at least one call per day via audio-only and turn that call into a virtual walk-and-talk meeting.
3. Take the longer route.
I was heading into the grocery store parking lot recently when I realized something: I don’t have to spend five minutes finding the best parking spot. I can choose to find the first one available and then use the opportunity to exercise by walking farther to my destination.
I encourage all of you to do your version of this throughout the week. Park far away. Stop at the subway station that is a few blocks farther away from where you’re going. Take the stairs.
Implementing these small techniques can reap significant mental and physical health benefits that will positively impact our personal and professional lives.
The Right Way to Start the New Year
We made it to the New Year. Deep breath.
This is usually the time we write down our yearly resolutions. I’m giving you permission to give yourself some grace and skip writing down a resolution this year.
Resolutions tied to the start of the new year rarely work. They put pressure on ourselves, don’t set us up for success and ultimately, we feel like a failure.
I recommend focusing on your endorphins, which are a type of hormone the body produces to carry messages throughout the brain and nervous system. Endorphins interact with the receptors in your brain that can positively impact our physical and mental health.
Typically, people talk about exercise as one way to release endorphins. Does “getting a runner’s high” sound familiar? That’s because there’s a sense of euphoria that comes with sweating and exercise.
However, there’s another important, actionable, and very relatable way to release endorphins — helping others. Research suggests that people can get a “helper’s high” that can be just as impactful as exercise.
The giving season isn’t just around the holidays; it’s year-round. Here are three ways to do so for PRSSA and PRSA members as well as the general PR community.
1. Use your expertise.
Block out one afternoon this month and invite those in your network for informational interviews, —with a twist. Be prescriptive on the topic you want to give counsel on; make sure it’s something you’re passionate about.
If you love reviewing résumés, offer to review some. Do you have a great Instagram bio? Offer to help others develop theirs. If you have extensive experience in health care, offer to share your insights on how mid-level professionals can transition to that vertical. If you focus on one thing, you’ll attract the specific group of folks that you’ll love helping.
2. Think virtually.
With virtual events likely to continue this year, look for ways to help PRSA share your knowledge for good! Ask your Professional Interest Section or local Chapter if you can host a professional development event on a topic near and dear to your heart.
As a former PRSA Chapter president, I know the challenges that come with finding professional development topics and experts. The truth is that you have a lot of knowledge. Don’t see it as a burden; see it as a way to positively impact others.
3. Share your insights.
Pair up with another PR professional, reach out to your local PRSSA Chapter, and offer your time for an “ask us anything” session with students. It gives me purpose when I’m able to speak with tomorrow’s PR leaders about my journey, what I’ve learned throughout my career, and act as a cheerleader for the profession.
Students will appreciate your perspective and, at times as I’ve experienced, can be therapeutic to answer questions around challenging times throughout my career and how I developed as a result!
I guarantee by doing at least one of these things, you will be glowing with endorphins and find a renewed purpose to start the New Year on the right foot.
Do I suggest that you skip exercising? No. Keep moving and grooving during those conference calls, keep hosting those virtual walk and talk meetings, and make sure to block out time to focus on you.
But never doubt the impact you have on others. Not only are you helping provide solutions to problems our profession is facing, the time you spend helping your community will also truly have an immense benefit to your mental and physical health this year and beyond.
Be safe. Be kind. Be well.
Your New Year Mantra: Live Your Values
We can safely say the well-being of the PR professional has been a volatile experience since March 2020.
After three years of evolving relationships between employees and employers, it’s time to focus on strategies centering on stability.
My call to action for you is to define, communicate and live your values to ensure that your well-being is front and center.
Values are “the fundamental beliefs that guide and motivate our behavior and choices of what is important in life.”
New employee experience data from Qualtrics says, “When employees feel their organization embodies these values, they’re 27% more likely to have higher engagement scores, and 23% more likely to stay working for more than three years” for the same company.
The more your employees understand and embrace their values, the better they will perform for you. And the better they perform for you, the more money your company will make.
Additional data from the same Qualtrics report states: “Globally, 63% of those who rate their work-life balance highly are willing to go above and beyond for their organizations.”
The importance of setting boundaries
Public relations is a service industry. It can sometimes require time beyond the 9-5, Monday-Friday experience. However, we must set boundaries as the default rather than the exception.
I encourage every PR professional to spend this month doing the following:
Understand the values of your employer. Ask your manager or other leaders how they identify with or practice those values. If you run your own company, then review and refresh your values.
Understand how your personal values align with your company’s values. You should avoid working at companies whose values interfere with what is important to you!
Identify three goals for your well-being to focus on this year. Examples include hiring a financial planner, volunteering for a professional association or blocking an hour out of every day for exercise.
Assess how your company’s values are consistently and strategically communicated at your workplace. For example, include them at the top of every internal meeting agenda, or reference them when praising others (directs, peers, and bosses) for outstanding work and how they tie to those values.
Encourage your employees to share examples of how they used your company’s values to improve their well-being. For instance, Chasing the Sun’s values are having respect for time, transparency and professionalism. If a Chasing the Sun employee told me this month that they preplanned their entire 2023 paid time off schedule (as I used to do during my career), then I might give them a spot bonus for prioritizing their well-being.
Let’s look to the new year as an empowering force for us to focus on living our values. Because when that happens, we can truly advance the PR profession and you as a world-class professional.
I look forward to following along on your respective journeys.
Happy New Year to all!
Internal Comms and Wellness Benefits
Internal communicators, we need you now more than ever to lead the discussion on the importance of your employees staying mentally and physically resilient.
Why? It’s inherently tied to dollars and cents, and in a profession in which we communicators are constantly evolving our key performance indicators, a surefire way to show your value is to demonstrate how your role can positively impact business results.
But how? Through playing an active role in partnering with your HR team on improving awareness of and activating the use of corporate wellness benefits.
According to a survey by Randstad:
• 42 percent of employees say they are considering leaving their current jobs because their benefits packages are inadequate.
• 55 percent have left jobs in the past because they found better benefits or perks elsewhere.
• 94 percent want their employers to ensure the benefits offered have a meaningful impact on their quality of life.
• 48 percent of employees report knowing all the perks their employers offer, and only 40 percent say their employers help them understand the available benefits.
My primary takeaway from this survey: Americans have a long way to go to activate the corporate benefits offered by companies.
How does this impact the bottom line? According to the Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM), it costs on average more than $4,000 to hire a new employee.
And that’s not just a hard cost. Other time-intensive resources are spent by HR teams recruiting and onboarding.
Making a difference
If internal communications experts can act as a great partner to your HR teams, then it can mean a real difference on the bottom line and subsequently your impact on the organization.
Here are three ways to lean in and partner with your HR team to improve awareness and activation of wellness benefits.
1. Audit your activity and lead by example. Ask yourself: Are you taking advantage of your corporate wellness benefits? One of the best ways to build rapport with your HR teams is to show them that you are supporting the resources and benefits that they have worked hard to secure for their employees.
Whether it’s a mobile application with meditation exercises or stipends for gym memberships or at-home exercise equipment, learn about the benefits offered by the company, use them, and report back to HR your experience.
2. Pilot, test and iterate. Are you aware of a particular department of your company with extremely high turnover and/or stress and burnout challenges? Offer to partner with HR to run a pilot program that involves increasing awareness of (and subsequently, activating) your corporate wellness benefits to test proof of concept.
3. Demonstrate your results. Was the amount of turnover of your organization reduced? Were more employees using wellness benefits year over year? Don’t be shy when touting your efforts by playing a critical role in communicating with employees. This doesn’t mean superseding the smart and hard work of your HR department; it’s about elevating your role in impacting business results.
Working with your HR teams will have a win-win. It will show your value, it will show the HR teams that you want to help amplify the work they are doing, and ultimately help you and your fellow employees illustrate that your companies truly value their well-being.
For internal communicators, this is your time to shine! Your relationships within your organization and your skills are never more important than they are today! Thank you for all that you’re doing.
What You Need to Know About Imposter Syndrome
Picture this: it’s the night before a new business pitch to a prospective client, or you’re burning the midnight oil trying to make the presentation just perfect for your client-side executive.
You’re exhausted, and your team is exhausted, but you know you just have to make this perfect (however “perfect” is defined).
Fast forward to the next day, when you’re in the physical or virtual room with your prospective client or executive. The energy is low. There’s no pacing. The delivery is off.
The feedback after the presentation isn’t great. You didn’t get the business or didn’t get the sign-off on the project.
As you reflect, do you focus on the output specifically? The words used in the presentation? How clean the slides look? The order?
While those could be the issues, I suggest you consider the three hours of sleep you had instead. The inability to discuss with your team how you will present the materials. The lack of cohesion and chemistry you have with your colleagues. How confident do you and your team appear in delivering the material?
Experiencing self-doubt
We forgo considering these reasons because we’re so focused on the output and often to our detriment. And that’s because of “Imposter Syndrome,” a psychological feeling of self-doubt and “not being enough.”
Data shows 70% of us have experienced imposter syndrome in our careers. Even if you don’t consider yourself to have imposter syndrome, you work with someone who does.
Experiencing imposter syndrome can significantly impact our well-being, which flows to the team.
Recently, I hosted a workshop on this topic with nearly 300 PR professionals. More than 80% of them identified as “the perfectionist,” one of five different personas of imposter syndrome (along with the super person, natural genius, soloist and expert).
How this relates to public relations: Perfectionists can be perceived as micromanagers, have challenges delegating, and feel their work is never “final.” Sound familiar?
One example I’ve witnessed during my career is preparing a request for proposal (RFP) to a prospective client. Flying into a new city, meeting a new group of people, working days and nights refining a presentation, all to show up to a room and not having any chemistry with my colleagues. And we didn’t win the business because the prospect could see it themselves!
Taking time to prepare
This month, I’m asking you to try something different that might positively impact your mental well-being and be good for your business. Set a hard deadline for finalizing a presentation or other output well in advance. Give you and your team 48-72 hours ahead of time to focus on what’s completed.
Use that time to get to know each other. Get prepared for the questions you might receive. Get prepared with worse-case scenarios; technology doesn’t work, someone gets sick, the client adjusts who will be in the meeting, etc.
Think about how this will positively impact your and your team’s mental well-being before heading into a meeting. I realize this goes against all our experiences, but I have a feeling how you deliver information in the room will be more important than what’s in the document.
And that’s the best way to overcome imposter syndrome. To activate the confidence I know all of you already have.
Be safe. Be kind. Be well.
Show Up for Yourself 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.
People don’t talk about it 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 Friday night in December 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 help monitor me. No one was waking me up at 5 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 photos afterward. But the journey.
Begin the journey
And that’s what I want you to think about as we head into the holiday season. Start the journey now. Not Monday. Not Jan. 1. Today. Because I am Exhibit A that 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 and 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!
It’s been an honor to serve as your Workplace Wellness columnist again this year. Thank you for the privilege. Have a wonderful holiday season, and may 2024 bring you and your family good health.
The most underrated phrase in leadership.
Think about times throughout your career you received difficult feedback. Examples might include:
“Redo this.”
“This is terrible work.”
“I don’t have time to share feedback. I had to rewrite this.”
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 project, 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…”
Taking a few extra moments to share this context will reap huge rewards for those you manage, ultimately making you a more impactful leader.
-mrm