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| Ken Makovsky |
One of the most prized characteristics of successful public relations practitioners can also, surprisingly, become a double-edged sword. I’m referring to the focus on client service. In our industry, problem-solving for the client is something that’s universally understood and valued … but it represents only part of the necessary skill set for PR success.
Many PR executives have confided that they put a premium on skilled management, because great managers tend to be hard to find—and the short supply comes at a cost. Here are just a few examples:
• No one knows who’s in charge. Titles don’t always tell the whole story. When a manager doesn’t take control of decision-making, and a number of other people begin jockeying for the No. 1 position, the result is frustration for both staff and clients.
• “Cover your back” becomes the operative strategy. Employees who don’t feel empowered often begin running all their decisions past their supervisors—even the proposed list of snacks for the next client meeting—a big waste of time and talent.
• Business divisions morph into “cliques.” When people become territorial—and don’t share information with their colleagues—revenue opportunities plummet.
And the list goes on and on.
What do all these situations have in common? The principals have forgotten what they’re there for. I recently came across a great quote that says it all:
“Keep in mind that, in the work setting, the purpose of the interaction is to accomplish a certain task, and not to teach a lesson, win a contest, prove something or demonstrate who is right and who is wrong.” —Professor Renato Tagiuri, Harvard Business School
All the processes and efficiencies that can be mustered to make things run smoothly and reach the endgame should be the top priority.
FOCUS REQUIRED
Human dynamics in business, if channeled properly, can be the catalyst for great individual and organizational success. Unchecked, however, they can lead to disaster. Maintaining a keen focus on the task at hand is essential, whether you’re looking to hit a target budget, see a client or partner through a crisis or map out your own personal career path.
My son Matt recently gave me the book The Feiner Points of Leadership, written by Michael Feiner, the chief people officer at PepsiCo for many years. The book outlines 50 salient “Laws” which offer a blueprint to leadership in organizational life. There are two practical and insightful rules of thumb, particularly relevant to this case, that managers can put to work immediately: the laws of Feedback and Accountability.
THE LAW OF FEEDBACK
Timely and specific feedback, as described by Feiner, is a two-way gift that benefits both parties. While it’s not uncommon for feedback to be triggered by a subordinate with an existing problem, managers are supposed to proactively provide information to correct or support the behaviors best suited to getting the job done.
Steve Sadove, CEO of Saks Fifth Avenue, said in a recent interview: “I like giving feedback every day, on the spot. It’s important that people know how they are doing. I’m not big on year-end feedback... I don’t see a lot of value in that.”
I echo Steve’s sentiments; and the reality, as he also points out, is that feedback is an essential management responsibility, even though people don’t necessarily like to give—or listen to—feedback, especially when it’s a hard truth.
THE LAW OF ACCOUNTABILITY
It doesn’t matter how good your intentions are or how perceptive your feedback, it means nothing if there are no benchmarks against which to measure performance.
For Feiner, “performance contracts” are at the center of accountability in the business world. The relationship between manager and subordinate—and their expectations of one another—can be clarified by explicitly defining what success looks like, including metrics and the behaviors that each can expect from the other. This can build a stronger relationship and, ultimately, move the business forward.
MANAGEMENT IS NOT OPTIONAL
Over the years, I’ve met a great many very talented young people who seemed to regard management as a “lesser” skill—not nearly as important as programming, writing, creativity, media relations or coalition building. But mastery of the art and science of management is a prerequisite for success, whether you work for a PR firm, an NGO, an entrepreneurial start-up or a Fortune 500 company. PRN
CONTACT:
Ken Makovsky is president and CEO of PR agency Makovsky + Company. He can be reached at [email protected].
â–¶Management POV