Learning is a lifelong process
I’ve been working in public relations for 25yrs in May this year. It’s a career that I’ve loved and I still do today. PR has changed immensely since I first started out. Long gone are the days of photocopying press releases, paper filing, courier bikes and paper cuts from monthly coverage boards (more on that soon)! Public relations is a creative brand marketing discipline that has many faces and abundant opportunity. This fast-approaching anniversary got me thinking about the changes I have seen and how much I’ve learnt.
The pros and cons of living in the UK versus NZ
I came to the UK nearly thirty years ago from my native New Zealand. Initially I planned to stay for a six-month overseas experience - and I’m still here today. Why, a lot of people ask, have I stayed so long, leaving such a beautiful country behind? And NZ is a truly beautiful country, but then again so is the UK. Both countries have their pros and cons…
Mental Health First Aid Training: How To Start The Conversation
I recently went on a mental health awareness course with Mental Health First Aid England. The half day course was conducted remotely over Zoom and was delivered as a group with a mixture of written exercises and discussions. Our instructor walked us through the various signs to spot in order to recognise mental ill health. We also learned how to start a mental health conversation. These are five key takeaways I learned about initiating a discussion with a colleague.
Time to say Goodbye: how to end client relationships positively
Every PR consultancy will have had at least one account on the books that was not working out for whatever reason. Before deciding to call time, it is important and prudent to look for solutions. Perhaps a change of strategy, refresh the team, address concerns or issues in an open two-way forum. However, through no fault of either party sometimes the chemistry is just not there, expectations are not set, or met, and it’s simply a case of ‘time to say goodbye’. The negative impact of retaining such clients when the magic has gone is detrimental to overall business performance, mental wellbeing, productivity, motivation and ultimately the business’s longer-term successes.
How to keep team morale on a high in the ‘new normal’
One of the biggest challenges businesses are currently facing, including the PR sector, is uncertainty. The pandemic situation is developing rapidly with changes to legislation, rules and protocols being introduced every week. Confusion is rife and this is unsettling. Business leaders need to navigate these changeable times with caution and consider how to effectively motivate their teams remotely as they adapt to the ‘new normal’.