How to Exit PR Limbo at the Start of the Year

In popular language, limbo is an indeterminate place where one awaits a decision. It’s pleasant enough but devoid of bliss or pain. I don’t fully understand the religious form of limbo, but I’m very familiar with the PR version: It’s where measurement deniers go after a year-end performance evaluation that’s ambiguous, unfulfilling and offers no guidance.

And yet, most communicators choose limbo over measurement. During Measurement Month in November, this publication published survey results. While some results were encouraging–communicators are measuring more now than they were before the pandemic began–PR lags other professions in its willingness to apply data science.  For every courageous communicator who seeks certainty, dozens suffer the fear of finding out, or FOFO (and the companies we work for are as fearful as us practitioners).

Without objective evaluation, you may hide a shortfall—for a while–but you also deny yourself a purposeful path forward. It’s too late to change 2021 results, but you can review last year’s performance and then ask executives, teammates and yourself important questions. The responses can guide your path in 2022.

 
January Questions

How’d we do in 2021? The New Year beckons with fresh budgets and opportunity, but most spending plans aren’t yet cut in stone.