What we need now to reap the fruits of change, is a true managerial culture.

The full assumption of a mentality coupled with an appropriate language, both coherent with today’s managerial culture, are mandatory ‘conditions’ if we -as public relations professionals- are to obtain (and keep!) that legitimate seat at the table of our dominant coalitions.
A seat well justified today by the relevant content of the many tasks which we are increasingly called upon to perform by the (private, public and social sector) complex organizations we work for…..

In fact, an increasing number of cultural business related studies in different countries indicate how today the wealth of organizations mostly relies on an effective management of relationship systems with stakeholders and other influential publics.
If to this element, one adds that:

°the quality of an organization’s process of reaching decisions, coupled with the speed of their implementation are both hugely enhanced and facilitated by an intelligent listening, a proper understanding and a correct interpretation of stakeholder expectations, before those decisions are taken;

°the full line of the organization’s management functions needs to be placed in a condition to manage its own respective stakeholder relationship systems; yes! in full autonomy, but on the basis of agreed upon and coordinated guiding principles, resources and diffused communicative and relational competences;

°the increasing strategic value of adequate sustainability processes and stakeholder reporting systems aimed at the continual renewal of that ‘license to operate’ which every organization needs to receive from society;

°the growing internal and external multiplication of active interlocutors of an organization requires a continual, effective, coherent and highly professional relationship presidium, which needs to be fully accountable, also in terms of evaluation procedures, for the increasing investments in communication activities.

Every single one of these diverse managerial and strategic competences, which have something to do with media relations, event organization or content production, but only in their operative phases, should be fully integrated amongst the primary professional knowledge of any skilled public relator.

And this is a very good reason for the urgent need that professional associations worldwide –obviously without relenting their present efforts to transfer technical/operative contents in their ongoing professional training- vigorously orient their services to members towards facilitating the full awareness of these changes, which are directing the boat of contemporary managerial culture towards our beach, before someone else jumps on the boat and directs it elsewhere, and also supply adequate methods and tools so that we may all properly compete with other managerial functions of the organization.

This is a call for more managerial culture in the programs of our professional associations and in the mind of each professional public relator.

2 Replies to “What we need now to reap the fruits of change, is a true managerial culture.

  1. Joao,
    in my view all three roles, as they develop, have the potential to support the future growth of the profession.
    For others, I had told Joao, a young and very brilliant portuguese professional/scholar, that recently a senior chinese scholar of public relations indicated that by 2010 there will be an estimated 1 million (I repeat, one million!) chinese graduates in public relations.
    of course this dramatic growth greatly increases the responsibility of each of us… tmf

  2. Toni,

    Reading your comment I recalled the classical distinction of the PR professional roles. Strategist, Manager and Technician involve different and complex competencies which are developed through time.

    I would like to hear more comments on the idea that althought the development of the field relies heavily on the strategist role (and on the development of a PR managerial culture) the future growth of the profession will essentially be made by the incorporation of thecnicians. The impressive numbers you have repeated several times about the potential of new PR professionals in China makes me wonder about this. Thanks.

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