Relationships!

From the start, one of the things mentioned about what was included in public relations was its importance as a means of corporate and social conscious. PR firms can achieve this by engaging in corporate social responsibilities like internal PR and building community relations.

The two main ideas I take away from this weeks readings would be the importance of internal public relations and community relations. The two way model of communication is also one again emphasized in a different angle and its importance can be seen in an organizations internal affairs.

The relationships between the employers and the employees of an organization are immensely important. Since there is a connection between employee communication, job satisfaction and productivity, keeping employees happy is a key issue. It is also known that communities can generate local awareness for organizations as well as do an organizations image harm. Thus, extending relationships beyond the office to these communities can really be an asset.

This readings remind me that in the field of PR, it is a constant goal to keep relationships between people strong and good. This does not apply only for the organization-client relationships but also for the people working in the organization.

Communication between the upper levels of an organization and the rest of the employees must always be present. As a PR practitioner I must always ensure that these channels are always open and if they are not, I must create an avenue for them. Employees must believe in their management and that is part of a PR practitioners job.

The readings give many examples of ways to keep these channels open like notice boards and video conferences. I think that as long as a PR practitioner remembers to ensure two things, this will not be an issue. Firstly, keep employees informed and up-to-date on the happenings of the company. Secondly, include them in as many ways as possible. One way communication has already been proven inferior to the two-way model. If the management agrees to follow a two-way between themselves and their employees, life in the office will certainly be better.

Once again, this aspect must be carried through to the relationship between the organization and the community. A large part of the company's revenue will come from the local people and keeping them well-informed and happy is a good way to do business. In today's society, mass media messages are no longer effective especially among the youth. But having a good impression with the local community will encourage goodwill and generate positive information of your organization which, will be passed on by word of mouth. Having good community relations will be a profitable long term method of generation and keeping public awareness and interest in an organization.

So, if I want to maximize an organizations reach and profit, I must keep these two forms of relations active.