How can you help team members develop their PR skills?

Every person in the organization is a PR professional. It is important to instil this basic ethos into each member of the team. Everyone is a Brand Ambassador and they must know it. PR essentially is reputation building. Hence, decoding the company culture, understanding its long term goals and having a sense of the company's direction is key. Next is consistency is maintaining that personal brand image. Last, but certainly not the least, a clear and lucid content creation style, be it written, verbal or visual should not be discounted. Each person must understand the importance of crafting their own personal brand voice across channels, even their personal handles

Trial by fire: with a little bit of training and understanding under their belt, you should ask your team members to do challenging tasks with some safety nets. By doing, you grow and there is no time like the present for your teammates to try, try, and try again... with guardrails.

As expected, you surely know the background and skills sets, the personal orientation of your team members and the primary beats they cover and their areas of interest in public relations. This essentially informs where personal and professional development is required for each person. Whilst every member of the team is encouraged to participate in every activity in the department. The core of team members primary beat remains the focus, as this helps improve their skills. Accordingly, regular brainstorming sessions, challenging them with assignments, reviewing their activities, encouraging them to discuss their challenges, share their views on various beats and recommending them for training, workshops and further studies are important.

So, you want to help your team members develop their PR skills, huh? Well, here's the scoop. First things first - encourage them to attend PR workshops or seminars where they can learn from industry experts. Also, setting up regular training sessions within the team will allow for ongoing skill development. And you know what else? Mentoring can be a game-changer! Pair team members with more experienced PR professionals who can offer guidance and advice. But let's not forget about providing constructive feedback and recognition for their efforts. Regularly review their work and offer suggestions for improvement while also celebrating successes along the way. Give them challenging projects that push their boundaries

Proporcionando recursos educativos, asesoramiento sobre estrategias de comunicación efectivas, y ofreciendo ejemplos prácticos. Además, puede facilitar la práctica de habilidades a través de simulaciones, revisiones de mensajes clave y proporcionando retroalimentación constructiva.

Watch me do it. I watch you do it. You do it. You teach someone else. Period. It’s literally that simple. People overthink this stuff. And there are no good resources on how to do PR. If there were, the PR industry wouldn’t be so bad.

The main purpose of PR is to communicate a message that resonates with the intended audience. Helping a colleague develop their PR skills starts with a message matrix, then involves throwing different positive and negative scenarios at them - a live TV interview, a social media post or comment, a panel Q&A, a face-to-face customer interaction - to see how they would handle the situation only using the message matrix. The second part of PR training involves the knowledge transfer of etiquette. There is an unspoken hierarchy of respect between PR professionals and the media, and there is a communication style that demonstrates that respect. The ability to stay on message and operate with proper etiquette will provide a strong PR foundation.

Use assessments to figure out where they can grow, and create workshops that focus on those areas. Guide them to online resources, industry webinars, and insights from experts for a deeper understanding. Foster a culture of self-directed learning, and set aside a budget for external courses. Keep your team ahead of the PR curve by emphasizing ongoing skill development.

In today’s world, ongoing train is more accessible than ever. Team members should be encouraged to constantly look for public relations related updates on social media. Official training courses also build skills and confidence and should be encouraged.

Assign a project that involves media relations, crisis communication, and relationship-building. Evaluate their ability to craft compelling press releases, handle challenging situations, and maintain positive connections with stakeholders. Look for strategic thinking, effective communication, and adaptability in navigating various PR scenarios.

Immediate feedback is key. When I was a beginner, I appreciate it if my senior makes time for us to be able to improve my deliverable together. I am immediately aware of my strengths and weaknesses and it motivates me to apply those fresh learnings to my next assignment.

Take time to regularly recognize their wins, pinpointing specific contributions to boost their motivation. When sharing feedback, keep it tailored - shine a light on their strengths and offer guidance for improvement, emphasizing a mindset of ongoing growth. Acknowledge both solo and group efforts to solidify team bonds. Cultivate an environment where feedback is a natural part of the conversation. Throw a party for milestones, reminding everyone of the vital role each team member plays in achieving those PR objectives.

Feedback can help strengthen professional skills and productivity. There is a fine line between too much constructive criticism and a making an employee feel unmotivated. It is important to validate excellent work to improve overall morale and productivity.

Taking initiative, being creative and collaborative is important for a PR professional’s professional growth. Feedback and validation is important to encourage innovation and resilience.

Please encourage your team not to shy away from being funny or unconventional in PR efforts! Urge everyone to share all their ideas, no matter how outlandish they may seem. Great campaigns often emerge from brainstorming sessions that are free from boundaries. Let's embrace creativity in its fullest form!

I encourage interns and entry level hires to attend classes and workshops in corporate, nonprofit and government public relations. Motivate them to become active in communication, leadership and public speaking organizations. Promote the resourcefulness of being PR generalists with experience in traditional and social media relations, community affairs, and employee communications. PR directors should provide opportunities and guide their staff in the planning, development, implementation and evaluation of communication projects. Everybody can improve their writing, proofreading and grammar.

Being placed in a position where you have to complete a task which you've never did before is the most effective way to gain new or improve your current PR skills

Elin, you’ve always been a great mentor to others as they learned about the importance of public relations. Blessings for 2024!

Encourage collaboration across different functions to expand everyone's perspective. Stay open to industry shifts by incorporating new tools and technologies. Ensure a healthy work-life balance to maintain consistent productivity. Stress the importance of creativity and thinking beyond traditional boundaries. Regularly review and enhance training programs to stay relevant. Lastly, seek input from your team for ongoing improvements. Stay dynamic and adapt strategies to the evolving demands of the PR scene.