After accepting the Communicator of the Year award from the IABC earlier this year, Lin Cummins gave a speech on the state of corporate communications. Aside from the usual
spiel about how PR executives need to measure their work more effectively, strive for a seat at the marble table and convince upper management of their inherent value et al.,
Cummins homed in on one of the thornier issues in PR today: how PR managers can improve the performance of younger PR pros.
"A lot of [young PR] people think this is a glamours profession," says Cummins, senior VP/communications for ArvinMeritor Corporation, a tier-one supplier to the automotive
industry. "But the reality is, it's a lot of hard work."
Without adequate mentoring from PR directors today, young PR pros may find themselves in a hole tomorrow, through no fault of their own. "As a [PR] manager, my job is to guide,
coach and provide the tools and resources young PR pros need. If not, they'll flounder." While younger PR pros probably need to look at PR in less glowing terms, PR managers also
need to step up to the plate. "We need to groom them more and teach them how their functions impact all facets of the corporation, whether it's the employees, the brand,
competitors or the government," Cummins says. "It's up to us that they don't fail."
Cummins provided PR NEWS with a scratch sheet on how PR managers can bridge their differences with younger PR pros, while at the same time be more responsive to newbies'
concerns.
Commitment to Excellence
There is immense talent, energy and enthusiasm in the best of our new crop of communicators. This is something that has "stayed the same" in our profession. It's up to us, as
managers, to keep that drive and enthusiasm alive. Mentoring is part of that. A commitment to thorough two-way communication is also key.
Hunger for Integrity
Because of the recent changes we've seen in corporate America, new communicators want to know that their companies hold to high ethical standards. Managers need to convey
their companies' ethics policies clearly and unambiguously--and then, of course, "walk the talk."
Expectation of Flexibility
Unlike previous generations of communicators, many of today's top young pros expect those who employ them to support work-life balance. They put a very high value on the "life"
part of the work-life equation. Many of today's young communicators have seen the price previous generations paid for career success, and feel it was too high. They are leery of
following that pattern. Some simply are willing to trade off achieving a higher level in their careers in return for more personal time, or time with families. Or, they may be
willing to sacrifice an important promotion, if it means disrupting a spouse's career.
Numbers Count
Until very recently, a company representative could brief analysts or others in the investment community on aspects of a company's financial status or performance, in advance
of sharing those facts with the media or the rest of the world. Today, the federal government's new full-disclosure regulations forbid this kind of information sharing.
Today's young communicators realize they must learn the language of income statements, margins, working capital, and balance sheets if they want to make serious progress in
their careers. Savvy new communicators take financial classes and sign up for MBA programs. They realize they must not only be knowledgeable about industry trends and issues, but
also must know their companies' financials well enough to recognize what financial events or reports signal, if they're going to usefully advise and counsel their company
executives, and effectively manage media relations.
Contact: Lin Cummins, SVP, Communications, ArvinMeritor Corp. can be reached at 248.435.7112; [email protected]