Communications Styles

OK, Coach Bob Huggins of WVU's Final Four team has proven himself one of college's best coaches. We can also learn something from Huggs about communicating. You know the third main step in any good public relations plan, where you take your messages and apply them, usually by communicating in some manner.

When Connecticut humbled the Mountaineers in late February, the basketball team could have folded after their latest stumble. But after the game, Huggs huddled with his team and in a low voice, and with some passion, the coach refocused his team on a goal of winning for themselves and this small, rural state we all love so much.

Without Powerpoint slides, video or raising his voice, Huggins did what all good leaders can do. Get others to follow them and become part of something bigger. We do not need formal measurement to see the results of a good speech. The whole nation sees it with us-- the first Final Four appearance since 1959, and a team that to a man tells the media that they are playing for us. For all of us.

Contrast his style to other leaders, such as pols who shout, wave their hands and raise their voices. Sometimes, however, a whisper will do wonders.

I'm Back!

Thanks to Helen Matheny and Jennifer Goddard for becoming the new co-chairs of the APR committee. I'm now "APR chair emeritus", and will continue to help guide our accreditation process.

My older posts on starting the process to get your APR are still valid. But I would add that the hardest thing to do is to take the first steps ... and keep going. All of us have full time jobs, if not full time families. Adding one more thing to the pile is never easy. But like exercise, once you get past the first few workouts, find ways to schedule and exercise, it becomes a good habit. Preparing for the APR is like that, and better.

First, you are in complete charge of the outcome and the process. There is no testing period. No three month study course followed by a written test. No set period you need to study for that matter.

Today, PRSA members decide when they are ready to test. The chapter helps you prepare, and provides through a review panel its opinion of whether you are ready to test or not. The rest is up to you.

Some like deadlines. Then set one. I would study and prepare for at least three months.

Some like to go slow and steady, until they feel ready. That's fine. But stay commited once you start. If you can afford two hours a week for study, then do it two hours a week.

Whatever you do, just do it. It is entirely possible a member could prepare for accreditation on their own, and the chapter would not be involved until the review. But I would encourage preparing for your APR test with others. Grab a mentor. Form a study group. Attend the chapter study sessions. It's more fun that way, particularly if you and your study mates make sessions regular and fun with food or drink.

If not now, when? If not you, who will get you started on the path to professional accreditation?

Getting Started -- Part Two

One of the best ways to better understand the practice is to shadow people in other kinds of public relations. And the best place to do this is at a PRSA-WV chapter meeting.

Next meeting, make it a point to come early or stay late and talk with someone in the room that is in a different practice. (Think of these as PRSA Sections for counselors, travel, education.) Ask them what is different in their business or organization from your line of business.

Some suggestions for "mining" the vast knowledge that is represented at chapter meetings:

• Find your opposite. If your are a corporate practitioner, seek someone in non-profit. If you work in government, seek out the agency member.
• Make a lunch date. Spend some time talking with someone with expertise representing one of your challenge areas. If you do employee communications, but not as much news media, chat with the media person.
• Shadow them. We host students for a day with a professional. You can, too. Do a "premise visit" to a fellow practitioner's business or organization.
• Ask tough questions. It's one thing to study the code of professional conduct. It's another to discuss it with a fellow practitioner. Ask a veteran about situations. Real life examples make the code come to life.

As we mature our new accreditation study process, I will provide a list of all chapter APRs and their areas of expertise, and they will be available to you for questions or mentoring.

Getting Started

OK, you want to earn accreditation. Where do you start?

• Take at look at PRSA's home page for accreditation and the study guide.


• Think about your overall strengths and weaknesses in your personal knowledge of public relations, based on what you know and your experience.


• For example, if you do not do research everyday, chances are you need to review the basics of research. Or perhaps you have forgotten your communications theory.


• What all candidates can study now is the Code of Professional Conduct. You should already be familiar with it. Now revisit the code and instead of memorizing the words, think about real practice applications of the code. I think of the code as good insurance -- something you hope to never need. So know when you would need the code and how it would apply in real situations.

That's enough for now. If you can find a current textbook on PR, such as Cutlip and Center's Effective Public Relations, scan it and review those parts of the practice where you have the least experience.

If you wish, share your PR challenges with others.