Bad Habits Need New Resolutions.

In all the things, situations, or people that affect our lives we take the good, and the bad, with the ugly. When I sort them out, I sometimes recognize qualities in myself, and recently saw an ugly reflection in FaceBook (FB).

There is much to love about FB: Messaging contacts, sharing links or pictures, and getting social news all at once saves time, especially for a dial-up internet slave. The FB fun factor is high with some great (and some not so great) applications. Perhaps best of all, it opens a floodgate of networking options beyond personal contacts.

There is a downside: Managing an online profile can become an additional task, create an obligation to communicate regularly, or even risk offending FB friends if negligent with updates. Fun applications make profiles take longer to load, and can offset the time saving advantage. Perhaps worst of all, internet strangers include perverts, ID thieves and internet scammers.

Things got ugly in FB over Christmas: I set up the Christmas tree and planned to gift every contact on my friends list; of course, on Christmas Eve everything froze then crashed. I could have blamed the dial up connection, or the bugs in the FB application, or even virus activity on my old computer. Instead, I had to admit my own (lack of) time-management, organizational and communication skills (the ones that make me late for some appointments, or rush for deadlines) were to blame.

Feeling less than jolly, I decided changing my habits would be more effective than crying myself to sleep. As a result, my 2008 resolution is to maximize what I do well, and improve what I do badly, to avoid ugliness in personal, professional, or social practices.

Work While You Can

My Grandmother said it wasn't easy getting old, and she was right. I did odd-jobs for her, and do similar jobs for my neighbours today. I am still (fairly) young, but a household accident made me walk a mile in elderly shoes - with a cane.

The week was humiliating, frustrating and painful. I could not do everything I needed to do, I incurred additional expense for various conveniences, and I overworked my good side, straining my back.

Now I know why people retire, the effort of everyday living leaves them too tired to work!

Since my insight I spend more time at my desk: My future is bright, but it won't be free or easy.

Back to Work - Continuing Education

After soaking up summer fun, September means back to work, or back to school; for me it's a bit of both. Though school was over when I graduated the Public Relations program at Loyalist, the learning continues working in the world of PR.

Photoshop class felt like a hurdle to jump for graduation, in fact it was a springboard to learn an essential tool of the trade. Now that I'm using the program every day, as well as Indesign and Illustrator, I'm only just discovering the amazing capabilities and design options these programs have. It takes many hours of practice with these tools to develop the skills required to produce great communication materials, and every time I use them I learn more.

These are not the only skills I'm putting into hard practice. By starting up my own small business I have an opportunity to apply PR knowledge; finding my target audience, developing my own promotional materials, and networking my business without the cost of advertising. So though I'm working, my education is not over, it's in a constant state of growth and I keep feeding it plenty of practice.

And the results: I'm receiving payments on my invoices already. It's my second month in business, and I've been so busy with "real jobs" I haven't had the time to develop my website or keep up with my blog. :-)

Great PR in Action

I can't remember seeing an ad. for Hewlitt Packard (HP) yet they are favoured by the general public. During a recent meeting with small-business owners, when the conversation turned to environmental impact, one gentleman actually used the brand name, saying "HP give paper envelopes with new ink cartridges, to return the old ones for recycling- free of charge."
Here is a classic example of great PR in action. By identifying a public trend (recycling) and backing a worth-while cause (saving the environment) HP have set themselves apart from the competition as leaders; by simply collecting their own garbage for free!
Of course the idea for this promotion would not have been free. I'm sure HP spent a pretty penny on PR services, but considering the results; it's obviously money well spent ;-)

Facebook Peeping Toms

Through networking with College colleagues many of whom are job-seekers, I was disappointed to learn that some employers search Facebook profiles to screen applicants. To me, this seems like very bad PR!

For years, protocols have been in place to stop employers from asking about ethnic backgrounds, religious views, or sexual preferences, yet all this information and more is available on Facebook. While there are no physical barriers to stop these "Peeping Toms" I think a professional level of ethical standards should.

There are plenty of "personality tests" available to employers, and of course the good old-fashioned method of simply asking people for information about themselves. While "creeping" Facebook may seem like an innovative use of resources, it's more like going through some one's handbag or pockets while they're not looking. Not only is this practice unethical, it's about as effective as grading students on how they perform during recess!

Though I tightened up the privacy settings on my account, I was tempted to put something shocking instead, since I would not want to work for an employer using these tactics anyway.

Big Events on Small Budgets

Over the course of my work in the non-profit sector, I've discovered it's full of hard-working individuals who are PR powerhouses and don't even know it. Operating with practically no budget, Christine Geoffrion, manager of information services at Volunteer & Information Quinte (VIQ) is putting together the seventh annual Ladies Charity Golf Tournament where ladies have a chance to WIN A CAR! Other great activities lined up for the lucky ladies include mini-spa treatments courtesy of The Body Shop and a good dose of the "hard stuff' from Woody's Coolers: Hopefully the hubbies are planning their own dinners for that night. From VIQ's base in Belleville, Christine is information specialist, fundraising coordinator, events manager, media spokesperson, communications officer and more. I'd take my hat off to her, but she'd probably pick it up!

Canadian Cartoons Save Lives

Marketing is powerful, but the real power of PR is the ability to affect people's lives. Canadian cartoons (public health announcements) starring three condom characters "The Three Amigos" are taking the world by storm. Translated into a multitude of languages, these illustrations reach the root of problems that aid organizations have been battling for decades, providing an educational tool to save lives. This is PR to be applauded, with innovative use of media, targeted communications, and a resulting public benefit. Oh yeah, business also wins: Condom sales increased by millions :)