Stories by Mike McDougall

The turkey has been picked apart, the wishbone wished upon, and the rounds of coffee are morphing into a Manhattan or two. With the family finally gathered after a tumultuous year, all seems well with the world. But then cousin Ed is nowhere to be found; same for your stepsister and her teens. They’ve all snuck out the side door, beckoned by the promise of amazing deals, along with throngs of rabid bargain hunters and store hours that would have been unimaginable a few years ago.

Is paid time off (PTO) a relic of the past? Should PR leaders abandon the concept? That doesn’t seem to be the ideal solution, especially when the benefits of vacation are well established. A Diamond Resorts International survey conducted by Nielsen found 71% of people who take a yearly vacation are satisfied or very satisfied with their jobs. Just 46% who fail to take a yearly vacation are satisfied or very satisfied with their jobs.

Despite years of being asked for more concrete performance metrics, of complaining that “they just don’t understand” what we do, and of being given opportunities at every turn to make a change, we somehow believe that public relations is absolved from having to play by the same rules.

Before throwing yourself headlong into a race to year’s end, commit to finding a few ways to keep a bit of that summer-like mindset in the mix.

Is your to-do list spiraling out of control? Try these six suggestions to tame the beast.

For today’s PR professional, data-analytics skills must go hand-in-hand with non-linear creativity.

For today’s PR professional, data-analytics skills must go hand-in-hand with non-linear creativity.

Those in leadership positions have a responsibility to set the tone in their organizations by encouraging big ideas and celebrating when those ideas come to fruition.

Those in leadership positions have a responsibility to set the tone in their organizations by encouraging big ideas and celebrating when those ideas come to fruition.

First step in earning and keeping your place among senior leaders: Speak the language of your executive peers, not of your PR colleagues.