Let's Fight Blindness: Join Warriors4Sight On Feb. 25

Let's Fight Blindness:  Join Warriors4Sight On Feb. 25

It's not easy having your world cave in around you, but that's what I've learned to deal with each day.  I found out I was afflicted with a hereditary eye disease called Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP) when I was on active duty in the US Navy. It is a degenerative retinal disease that causes tunnel vision and eventually blindness. All my life I have struggled with little or no night vision, having difficulty seeing people's hand gestures, recognizing where a person is and not seeing the night’s starry skies. 

At first I was depressed and I felt like giving up. But here I was a mom, wife to a disabled Veteran,and now a disabled Veteran myself. Although I felt sad, I knew I couldn’t quit. I decided I needed to be a good example for my family and would try to help them see that when life doesn’t go your way you change your perspective and you gain resiliency.

My vision loss gave me access to some excellent support programs to help cope with the never ending changes.  Just last year I became an "inpatient" at the VA's Southwestern Blind Rehab Center.  They helped me learn how to improve my mobility with my cane, they taught me how to use special lights and adjust my computer accordingly. And they taught me about new technology of reading books through a Victor Reader, speech aspects on the Iphone and much more.  The six week program was a great experience.  

Although learning new technology is important, in dealing with vision loss it's also important to help find ways to cure and prevent diseases like mine.  That's why I support the Foundation Fighting Blindness. Through their research funding I enrolled in a six year study that proved taking 15,000 IUs of Vitamin A in the palmitate form could help slow our disease. Although I have 10 degrees of vision in each eye and  I know it’s not the 90 degrees the majority of folks have, I remain thankful for my “Tunnel of Light”.
 

One of the ways I support FFB and their research efforts is through the Arizona VisionWalk  It's a family friendly three mile trek that takes us around the walking path at Steele Indian School Park on Feb. 25th at 9 a.m..  It's one of those rare times where you'll see hundreds of people with red and white canes and guide dogs helping us navigate the circle. 

You can join us as we continue to “fight on” for research, for cures, and for hope in saving our vision. You can do so by joining our team and becoming a Warrior 4 Sight, or you can make a contribution online.  

It takes all of us to win this battle and we hope you will join us in becoming Warriors4 Sight!
http://www.fightblindness.org/site/TR/VISIONWALK/VisionWalktr?team_id=68238&pg=team&fr_id=4902  
 

PR Pro of the Year Acceptance Speech, PRSA International Conference, Nov. 9, 2015, Atlanta GA

Thank you Kathy for that lovely introduction.  I am so honored to be here as a US Navy Veteran and a PR Practitioner and I can tell you I am humbled to represent our profession, our military and our veterans as I accept this honor.

Many people may not know it, but today, as we are gathered here, there's one percent of our population who are watching our backs as they serve us with their military service in the Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, Coast Guard or Merchant Marines.  To those military members who are with us today, can you please stand for a moment to be

PRSA President Kathy Barbour APR presents the
PR Pro of the Year Award to Paula Pedene APR, Fellow PRSA.

recognized?

And in our country, they are followed by another group of people who have defended our freedoms. They are the seven percent of the population who have left military service and are now called our veterans.  So to any of our veterans who are out there today who served in the Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, Coast Guard or Merchant Marines, please stand for a moment so we may recognize you as well?

To this 8%, the other 92% say thank you for our freedoms. Your service allows us to assemble here today, to take part in this conference, to vote in our leadership venues and much more.  We owe you a debt of gratitude.

As our society gathered together on Saturday for the Leadership Assembly, our CEO Joe Truncale spoke about seven PRSA Values.  Of these values, which include:

1.    Respect for the Individual

2.    Courage

3.    Honesty/Integrity

4.    A Servant's Heart

5.    Innovation, creativity and risk taking

6.    A commitment to personal and professional growth and

7.    Achievement....

I want to take a moment to highlight a few that I know helped me during my 22 months of whistleblower reprisal when I was "banished to the basement" by senior leaders at the Phoenix VA Health Care System.  In my opinion, these leaders didn't share these values, as it was okay to reprise against a service disabled veteran.   

But what seemed to be okay for them, wasn't okay for me or Dr. Sam Foote, who led the charge to expose the VA Wait Time Scandal.  For folks like Sam, myself and others what they were doing needed to be stopped.  Someone had to take a stand to fight it. Someone had to help our veterans and that is what compelled Sam, myself and others to collaborate together and fight this battle against some pretty oppressing odds.  

So of these PRSA values which are the ones I felt were the most prominent in our lives during this time?  Let's see if I can explain....

Did our fight take courage?  One could say it did.  Day after day, I had to go into the facility, where I once was the "face of the VA" and work in a position seven notches below my pay grade.  Here I would help veterans, not with communications venues and media relations, but in checking out books, logging patients onto the library computers, faxing documents, providing support services such as making copies and handing out pens and pencils.  I did so with a smile, while all the while living in a fog of depression.  The depression came from knowing that there was so much good I could be doing in a communications realm and yet despite having the talent and ability to do so to face the inability to do so while dealing with verified reprisal by senior leaders.

Did it involve honesty?  Yes it did.  According to the evidence, there was misleading information and as a result it was hindering the care to our nation's veterans.  We knew that we would have to share our facts, convince people to listen to us and in some cases to take a stand for ethics even if it meant standing alone.  

Did it mean having integrity?  Yes it did.  We were waging a battle with the most senior leaders at the Phoenix VA Medical Center.  It was their word against ours, their word against the patients, and their word against those who were "taken out of their jobs".  It was interesting to see how the battle unfolded.  Among the staff there were those who were my steadfast supporters and who would constantly pray for me.  There were those who began to question my ethics and integrity because after all I was "taken out of my job".  And then there were those who willingly jumped on the reprisal bandwagon and constantly tried to throw us under the bus through their words, their efforts, and their abuse of leadership authority.   For Sam it was the senior leaders trying to paint a picture of him as a "lazy doctor" to Congressional leaders.  And to members of the media to portray him as one who "didn't know the numbers" or who didn't "grasp the real effect of what they were doing".  Really?  In our books, delayed care is denied care and it needed to stop.

Although it was stopped then, what still bothers me that to this day, is that some of those leaders are on paid administrative leave, while others are still in their jobs.  To VA and our veterans, I think this is a disgrace. So if you can join me in taking a stand, I hope you will by calling for #VAAccountability.

Did our efforts take a Servant's Heart?   We believe it did.  We all know now that it was Dr. Foote who was telling the truth, and he paid a dear price for it.  He had to retire from VA earlier than he had hoped.  He had to throw rocks at an agency he adored.  And he had to stand alone to expose the VA wait time scandal.  It was during this time that I helped Sam with public relations advice and counsel and to put him in touch with staff on the House Veterans Affairs Committee.  To them and to Congressman Jeff Miller, who truly broke the story about the horror of the waits and delays in veterans’ health care, we owe a debt of gratitude. We made it through by focusing on those who were supporting us--our families, our true friends, my legal team of Roger French, Josh Klinger and others--and my wonderful PRSA colleagues nationally, in Phoenix and through the Western District.

Yet perhaps most importantly it meant having faith in God.  For you see, even though I didn't always handle the situation as well as I would have liked--I drank, I cried, and I lived in a gray fog for many months-- in looking back at it now I can honestly say that God had me where He needed me to be.  And that is what matters the most.

As Phoenix VA Whistleblowers our lives will never be the same after being "banished to the basement" or for exposing the VA wait time scandal.  But what I can say is this, I'm ready for the future whatever that may be and I pray now to let God be THE guide in my life.  

I thank you for this honor, I'm truly humbled, I'm proud to be a member of PRSA and I am truly proud to serve our veterans.  

Paula L. Pedene APR, Fellow PRSA

PRSA 2015 PR Professional of the Year

The Beautiful Bond of Motherhood

At one point in my life, at the wise age of 21 (hah), I swore off marriage and family.  I was having so much fun, being in the Navy, traveling, writing, getting into broadcast journalism. I felt content.  This "wisdom" lasted until I was about 27 when I began to change my mind and started thinking about the next phase of my life.  Fortunately at the age of 29, I met Bill Pedene.  We were married and years later we were blessed with two children.

Paula and Steven at the Navy Lodge in San Diego

On April 30, 1995 our second son Steven Pedene was born. As a child his light blond hair shone bright like his personality, ambition, and smile.  He was gregarious from the get go. Today marks his 19th birthday so I sit here reflecting back on the life we've had together thus far.  There's been so much--first words, first steps, first hugs and kisses, first birthdays, first grade, field trips, plays, musicals, tournaments, and more.  All of these have made an impact on my life and the majority of them have been for the better.

So today I'm thankful that the "wisdom" of my youth was changed by someone far wiser than me (thank you Lord!) because this day my life is much fuller and better because I'm a mom.

Happy Birthday Steven, I wish you a year full of joy, happiness, faith filled inspiration and much success.  Love you!  Mom. 

A Birthday Blessing

Today is my birthday, and although I know there is all things fun happening on Facebook, there's joyful wishes on LinkedIn, and I have a beautiful Google birthday doodle on my Google page, the thing that's already made my day, in just the first hour, is a telephone call from my sister Denise.

Those of you who are not baby boomers may wonder why a phone call could be so special. Well, because of all the things that happen today, that one thing, brings everything home to me.  You see our mother used to call each of her six children early in the morning on our birthdays. She'd be the first voice we'd hear.  She'd be the first person to listen to what was happening, our hopes, our dreams our challenges.

So hearing a voice, and receiving a call, early in the morning on my birthday is still special to me.  I grew up when phones hung on the wall, when you had a rotary dial, when the operators would be the primary source or assistance and when our voices--the spoken word--were phenomenal ways of keeping in touch.

It's been 23 years since my mom has moved on to be with the Lord.  I am grateful to her and my father for so many things, her special phone calls, their guidance, their love, their support, but primarily for my faith.  For I know that Denise's call this morning, was a gift from our Heavenly Father, who knew that was what I needed today.

May God watch over you and keep you in His care.

We're Walking as Warriors 4 Sight On March 2, 2013

     I found out I was afflicted with a hereditary eye disease called Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP) when I was on active duty in the US Navy. It is a degenerative retinal disease that causes tunnel vision and eventually blindness. All my life I have struggled no night vision, having difficulty seeing people, recognizing faces, and a long time ago I stopped seeing the night’s starry skies. After having my first son, I was told I needed to give up driving, start walking with a red and white cane so people knew I was legally blind and I was informed I would need to leave my Navy Reserve Career behind.

     As a mother, wife and primary breadwinner for our family I became concerned `with the question, how am I going to survive this? The realization brought me to my knees and I came face-to-face with the question, who am I? At first I was depressed and angry and I felt like giving up. But here I was the mother of a young son, wife to a disabled Veteran, a federal employee and now a disabled Veteran myself. Although I felt sad and lonely, I knew I couldn’t quit. I decided I needed to be a good example for my family. I needed my family to know that life doesn’t always go your way and you cannot give up or quit.
     I enrolled in the VA’s Low Vision Program and learned how to use a cane, special lights and adjust my computer accordingly. I enrolled in the YMCA play groups and the Public Relations Society of America and found friends and colleagues to help me with rides to and from events and activities. I learned the necessary skills to keep me safe, independent, and improve my quality of life. I sought out community, state, and federal resources to help me “find my way” back to myself.
     One of the resources I tapped into was the Foundation Fighting Blindness. Through their research funding I enrolled in a six year study that proved taking 15,000 IUs of Vitamin A could help slow our disease. So today, at 54, I still have 10 degrees of vision in each eye. I know it’s not the 90 degrees the majority of folks have, but I am thankful for my “Tunnel of Light”.
     Six years ago FFB started VisionWalk and I’ve been giving back to them ever since. This year we have combined the two teams Veterans & Friends for vision and AZ Blind Dragons Martial Arts into one powerful team, Warriors 4 Sight! Our goal this year is to raise $2500.00 or more. Last year AZ Blind Dragon raised $1000.00 and Veterans & Friends for Vision raised over $1000.00. Together we should easily achieve our $2500.00 fundraising goal. The Team Captains are Tom Hicks and myself (we are both blind and legally blinded Veterans).
     We hope you can join us as we continue to “fight on” for research, for cures for hope is saving our vision. We hope you can join our team and become a Warrior 4 Sight!!! Sincerely, Paula L. Pedene APR Legally Blinded Veteran & Warrior 4 Sight Here is the link to the Warriors 4 Sight page:

http://www.fightblindness.org/site/TR/VISIONWALK/VisionWalktr?team_id=68238&pg=team&fr_id=4902  

We appreciate your support and hope to see you on March 2! 

VA Veteran’s Day Parade 2012 | Nadine On The Scene | All Things Lifestyle

VA Veteran’s Day Parade 2012 | Nadine On The Scene | All Things Lifestyle

Crossing the College Threshold

Steven and Robert at Horizon HS Graduation May 24, 2012

       My son Robert crossed the threshold today attending college orientation with his mom.  I could hardly believe I was there because he had said earlier “mom college students don’t bring parents to orientation.”  Then by some miraculous change of heart, he came to me and said “I guess I can bring you with me to my orientation, if you want to go?”  Hate to say it but I jumped for joy much to his chagrin.

       As we set foot on the amazing campus of Paradise Valley Community College, it brought back memories.  I know they’re different than what Robert’s going to see and for that I’m thankful.

       For me, college wasn't a given.  My parents’ house burnt to the ground when I was a junior going into my senior year.  We lost so many items (my favorites were my letter sweater from Volleyball and a desk my dad had made for each of us kids) but the lesson I learned was the items were just things.  Fortunately, my family was safe, and with the phenomenal support of the Prescott community we regained our lives.   For me that life event meant taking a different path to get to college.  I turned to the US Navy, signed on the dotted line, endured the entrance physical,  and raised my hand to take the oath of enlistment to defend my country and in so doing earn the college benefits afforded to me.

    My first day at college was at a conference room at the Naval Facility in Bermuda.  Here about 12 people gathered with books in hand, to study for the 8-week condensed course through the Department of Defense partnership with the Los Angeles Metropolitan College.  I had passed several CLEP exams and was on my way to living the dream by earning my college degree.

       At each duty station, in-between a full-time job, I took my classes.  I went to work, went to school, studied and tried to sneak in some free time with friends for movies, the club, and the ever proverbial gym to stay Navy fit. Our conflicts of that day were quite different than what we have today.  We had a war in the Falklands, the incident in Grenada, the bombing of the Embassy in Beirut and other operations monitoring subs, people, dealing with spies, and the list goes on.  

        When I transferred to Washington DC, to anchor the Navy’s first TV show called Navy News This Week, the proximity of DC to the University of Maryland meant I could set foot on a REAL college campus.   I have to tell you, I still remember that day.  I walked around the campus full of lush green landscape.  I couldn't believe the massive size of the University of Maryland, the number of students, and the awe I felt.  My efforts were rewarded in 1986 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science.

      So when I crossed that threshold of a new college campus with my son, it brought back a flood of memories and a bunch of gratitude.
     I’m thankful I had the chance to take advantage of the college benefits the Navy offered.  I’m thankful I had the chance to travel and to meet some truly amazing and inspirational people along the way.  I’m thankful I had the chance to learn and to continue learning to this day.  I’m thankful for the people God placed along my path.  And perhaps most importantly I’m thankful we have such a wonderful country where these freedoms are available to us each day.  I can tell you from my Navy service, we, the USA, don’t often realize how wonderful our life is. 

       So, to all the college entrants who are crossing their thresholds, know that there will be unexpected help along the way, that you will learn if you apply yourself, that you have an opportunity to impact others, and if you persevere you’ll earn a distinction that will remain with you forever, as “college graduate”.  Robert we’re wishing you all the best!   Love, Mom

Some great pointers towards improvement http://ping.fm/O2l7C

Two Lists You Should Look at Every Morning - Peter Bregman - Harvard Business Review http://ping.fm/TBGJx

Great #MothersDay gift story. For me flowers, card photo reign supreme you? http://ping.fm/YwReB

The Federal Government needs PR assistance in creating good relationships. This can be done by contracts. Great PRSA op-ed relates. http://ping.fm/nTBE7

Creative film about new CPR techniques you rock Kim ... http://ping.fm/uDO8b

Thanks VA for engaging our Veterans via social media! http://ping.fm/wqdxc

In tough times we find true friends. Forever grateful to Dr. Sam Foote and Roger French. Looking forward to 2012.

Great info in this post -- and important tips for PR pros to be strategic. http://ping.fm/vjgCh

Create a Parade??? Really?

Create A Parade??  Really??

By Paula L. Pedene APR

            If you had told me 20 years ago that I would be creating a Parade for Veterans, I would have looked at you quite quizzically.  Me, create a parade?  Why, how, what in the world would be the impetus for that? 

            The impetus came in the form of direction from one of my best bosses, VA Medical Center Director John Fears.  In was 1996 and we had just finished a “parade” started by the Black Employment Committee on Veterans Day.  There were probably 100 marchers in the “parade”, Model T cars, some Vans, a fire truck and a few clowns.  On the street, we were lucky if there were 10 people watching.

            The Wednesday after, at our weekly strategy meeting, Director John Fears looked at me and said, “That parade has to be better next time”.  I wanted to say, but I didn’t have much to do with it…and I could tell it wasn’t one of those discussion times, so I said yes sir and off I went to figure out how to build a parade.

            I did not realize the effort it would take and the coordination it would require, how much it would cost, or where I would even start.  So it became one of those other on the job training experiences I have found a plethora of in my PR career.   

            First I had to figure out who could help.  I started with the City, they declined saying they already had enough events to manage.  Then I went to the Chamber of Commerce.  The Chamber told me I had to get the City on our side.  Therefore, I was back at square one, until the chamber leaders said just meet with your council member.  So John Fears and I met with Councilman Craig Tribken and he took the concept to the council chambers, where it passed.  The City reluctantly was involved.  But that wasn’t the worst of it.  When they called the City and VA Special Events meeting, there I was sitting across the table from the people who had told me no in the first place. The glares were grueling and I felt bad but it was one of the best PR lessons I have ever learned--careful negotiations.  That day, I gave my word to the City that VA would do what it needed to in order to make this a successful event for everyone. 

My word meant something and I think they could tell.    I was asked to create a committee and lead it with chairs for staging, destaging, logistics, bands, and others.  We had to obtain permission to close streets, work with City of Phoenix Fire and Police to ensure safety all around and to work with our Congressional liaisons and Veterans Service Organizations to help find people who were willing to be part of a parade.  Moreover, we had to create a parade lineup that would depict a pretty event moving down the street.  Planning included a blend of Veterans group, military members and equipment, novelty units, bands and much more. 

We also had to select a theme (Salute to Patriots) and we had to publicize the event, order port a potties, pedestrian fencing, sound towers, tell people we were closing the streets and I could go on and on.

I worked almost 80 hours a week from Sept. to Nov. in 1997 and I have to tell you I learned a lot--about our PR trade, about event planning, about budgeting for large scale events, about promoting VA and Veterans and about working with the community and the City of Phoenix Special Events Department.

That year the parade had about 1,000 people in it, with approximately 85 entries and we had 10,000 people on the street cheering us on.  After the 1997 Parade, at my weekly strategy meeting, my director said, “You did a great job, with that parade, thank you”.  And he rewarded me with a nice special contribution award.  His thanks meant the world to me.  Just as importantly the City Special Events coordinators became my friends and remain so to this day.  So keeping my word, careful negotiations and the success of an event that would honor our nation’s Veterans became a part of my PR experience. 

For the past 13 years, it has been a matter of honing what we learned that first year in our parade planning.  Today our event garners nearly 200,000 spectators, 2500 people who are parade entries and a committee that works tirelessly to support what we do.  We have created timelines to keep us on track, we have developed phenomenal publicity venues, we have added education elements, we aligned the event with the VA health care system’s strategic goals and perhaps most importantly our research shows that we have improved the image of VA and Veterans in the Phoenix community by about 30% per year.

The planning has become a bit easier, funding comes from the Veterans Medical Leadership Council, the Parade Committee has remained strong and faithful—this year there are three members who have retired from their jobs and still volunteer-- and just this past year we earned the PRSA Silver Anvil for Community Relations, Government.  AND we are working on our current event.  You can see the latest publicity efforts at www.phoenix.va.gov/news/parade.asp. 

If you want to see how these efforts earned us the PRSA Silver Anvil come see us at the Home of the Free, Because of the Brave Class at the PRSA International Conference in Washington DC on Monday, Oct. 18 at 9:45 a.m.  We will have some great pointers for incorporating special events intro your strategy and we will have some fun along the way.  I look forward to seeing you there.    

Lessons In Leadership

    

     I was reminded this week about something that I had already known about leadership, it is important to trust and empower your people.

     While at a planning event, we were sitting around discussing options for improvement in our health care delivery system. Here we were four groups of about 20 people, trying to determine the outcome for our 2500 employees.
     I sat at my table listening to all the wonderful comments that were being shared: How can we improve the patient experience? How can we help with transportation? What about parking? What about our environment of care, our communications, and our variance--how could we improve all of it?
     As our group began to delve down into what we (all 20 of us) thought was important to relate to our employees, I started hearing more direction than what I thought might be best for those who would be called to carry it out.
     After all, several of us had recently been through Disney Training within the past month and an important take away for me was a key word "empowerment". When I turn online to see the definition, (my hardbound Webster's dictionary is dusty these days) I see that Wikipedia states it as this: Empowerment refers to increasing the spiritual, political, social, or economic strength of individuals and communities. It often involves the empowered developing confidence in their own capacities.
     Although I did not have this handy reference present with me yesterday, I knew in my heart I needed to speak up. Therefore, I slipped on my Mickey hand and raised it high...the instructor called on me and I said...I would like us to take a moment to see if we can change our frame of reference. I think the areas we are looking at improving are sound and they can be good guidelines for our action teams to pursue. However, where I think we need to change--is thinking we can tell these groups exactly how to take charge of their actions. What if we were to use the Disney model and empower the groups to do the research, create the plans based on those findings, and then implement accordingly?
     The doctors were quick to jump onboard, "that is what we should be doing! In medicine, we always need to look at what is happening first, we test, we prod, we poke, we analyze, we get lab work and then we make decisions. I like the idea of doing this for our committees as well". The rest of the group agreed. More positive comments ensued.  And through the dialogue, I think we helped set the stage for an empowering opportunity to create a better platform for our action teams, and to empower them to know they have ownership over the change.
     Does this work in every situation? Unfortunately no. I still think you have to have the right people in place in order to empower them and that boils down to recruitment and retention. Fortunately, our VA Veteran Centered Care Chairs have done a good job picking the right people to help. Moreover, when you have the right people,  you have looked at the research (patient satisfaction and employee relations surveys), and you have centered your strategies based on the research well, the situation is ripe for opportunity and empowerment.
     After all, it is what we as PR practitioners learn in our practice: First listen to what our publics are saying (through our research) then develop a plan of action based on that listening, communicate-build relationships-engage-enhance, and then re-evaluate to see if we got it right. I will be forever grateful for the PRSA Accreditation in Public Relations courses that taught me this.
     If you want to see more of this strategic based planning, a committee based on empowerment, and how you can incorporate it, I am hoping to share these concepts at the PRSA International Conference in Washington DC at our Silver Anvil Case Study Class, "Home of the Free Because of the Brave" on Monday Oct. 18 at 9:45 a.m. Here is a preview PRSA Silver Anvil Podcast site....Home of the Free, Because of the Brave
     I hope to see you there.

PRSSA Leadership Rally A Blast!!!

A few weeks ago I had the wonderful opportunity of speaking to 100 college students who are emerging leaders in the field of public relations.

I was so inspired after speaking to them and listening to their questions. It was one of the best opportunities I've had in a long time.

I took some time to work on that speech pertaining to public relations and I wanted to share it with them and others who are interested.

Hope you enjoy it...

PRSSA Leadership Rally Speech, June 10, 2010
By Paula L. Pedene APR

When PRSSA asked me to speak to you about leadership, I must tell you a million thoughts ran through my head. When I took the time to look back at my time in public relations it came to me that the essence of true leadership is the ability to move people to change.

In public relations it is a connection or a relationship with our fellow human beings that can cause change. Creating those relationships involves a variety of venues whether it is media relations, employee relations, government relations, management relations and so on.

I hope you have noticed that I have used the word relations numerous times already. Why? Because relations is at the heart of what we do. It is the relationships we create, build and then maintain that drive success.

The ability to lead in public relations comes from within and it revolves around people, not tactics or things. Our profession has struggled with a good definintion of public relations, as our trade is often misunderstood. So here is a definition I have found from one of the noted textbooks on public relations by Cutlip, Center and Broom:

"Public Relations is the management function that establishes and maintains mutually beneficial relationships between an organization and the publics on whom its success or failure depends.”

So how can you as our young professionals, create such relationships and teams and what have I found to be successful in public relations?

I would like to share THREE KEYS I have found that have served me well in my career.

The FIRST KEY to public relations leadership is to LISTEN. I love the adage God gave us two ears and two eyes so that we could listen and see first and then use one mouth to speak. Therefore, the initial key to leadership, or to inspire change is to LISTEN. One of the very first things I learned in earning my Accreditation in Public Relations from PRSA was the ability to listen. We need to LISTEN to what our publics say about us. How we do that is somewhat challenging.

In conducting our first LISTENING audit at VA, I opted for a formal approach to research. This meant creating surveys by using questions—developed with my colleagues-- to help determine what the image, the perception, and the relationship was like between VA and our stakeholders. We did this through telephone opinion polls, a mail survey and electronic surveys. We used questions that gave our stakeholders the opportunity to rate us on a scale of 1-5 or to give us their feedback in their own words by using open-ended questions. In so doing, our publics shared their opinions with us so that our leadership decisions could emerge. In other words, we first sought out their impressions as they are in the real world.

Through listening, we helped to convince our stakeholders we share the same experiences by listening to what they had to say. Therefore, to me the first key to public relations leadership is listening.

The second key to public relations leadership is what I like to call the TRUST BAROMETER. The trust barometer means incorporating the ability to earn trust through our efforts so that we can inspire our stakeholders.

Creating the TRUST BAROMETER involves taking what you have learned by listening, AND THEN seeing what you can do to improve things. In the business of public relations, it means finding ways to communicate openly, communicate honestly and communicate forthrightly to earn trust. I have to tell you this is where our challenges as PR counselors arise.

Sometimes we work with leaders who believe it is more about them then it is the institution. Sometimes we have leaders who think it is okay to bury the truth. And, sometimes we have leaders who refuse to listen and just believe that their experience will take them through.

Creating the trust barometer so that it is win-win for all concerned is a delicate balancing act, yet I will tell you the trust barometer is the heart of what we do in our trade as public relations practitioners. It involves listening, speaking with one clear voice, sharing, understanding and through that building relationships. This mutual ability to relate to our audiences through our practice allows us to gain their commitment as followers. After all, it is human nature to warm to someone with whom we can relate and trust.

With the TRUST BAROMETER, it is important to know ourselves and be able to identify our personal values to help lead people in a certain direction.

Therefore, developing that trust barometer in your personal practice is going to mean doing some research before you take your first job and any job thereafter. Have you thought about what type of entity you can support? Have you thought about what type of boss you would like to have? Have you thought about what steps you will need to take to get to that level of trust between yourself, your boss, your coworker and the organization?

As a VA Public Affairs Officer, I knew that my heart was in it for the Veterans but I have to tell you I never thought about working for VA until a situation in my life changed. I was working in Washington DC as a TV reporter, something I never thought I would leave. Then my husband got orders to go to Buffalo NY with the US Navy. As a Navy wife, I knew we could not say no, yet I was fearful about leaving my career, as I knew it. After nine months of trying to do a commuter relationship, I shuffled off to Buffalo. I had a freelance job for a PBS TV show called “For Veterans Only” that I was able to take with me. As a US Navy Veteran, I knew a lot about what it meant to be a service member in uniform but I knew little about what it meant to be a Veteran. Through the TV show “For Veterans Only” I became familiar with VA and the services they offered. I truly was impressed. Then one day I got a call from our TV headquarters office in Kentucky and they said, "Paula our show has lost its funding and we all have one month to go. We will give you letters of reference, etc. but at the end of July that will be your last paycheck."

After a crying bout, I dusted myself off and started looking at the want ads (this was when they used to be in the newspaper). I sorted through them and found one that listed a need for a Public Affairs Officer at the Buffalo VA Medical Center. I looked at the ad, thought I can do the things they are looking for and I applied for the job. When I was selected, I must tell you it was a wistful time for me. I never thought about being anything else other than a TV reporter and anchor and here I was getting ready to begin doing public relations. It did not take me long to realize that I found something that I could truly be passionate about.

I share this story with you as it involved using the trust barometer. I had to trust in the way things were unfolding that led me to a different path. You may not know it but you are already using the trust barometer. You are studying this wonderful trade, something has drawn you here and now you are ready to set upon your own journey. Our second key to PR leadership is the trust barometer and like me, it is probably something you already have internally.

However, having that barometer does not always mean that the job will be easy. Like you, a lot of HOW your career is going to unfold is going to depend on your bosses and the leaders of your organizations.

Here is some advice in that regard. Make sure you employ good time management skills –for yourself, for the organization, and for your family. The hardest thing in this profession is making sure you have balance because PR can be all-consuming. For yourself, be sure to take time to study your profession, practice your trade and learn. I have to tell you joining PRSA and earning the APR completely changed the way I practiced my profession. It was the best thing I have ever done and because of that, I have wanted to give back to PRSA, which I think, is the best association for our trade.

If you can, try to determine if your boss has the leadership style you would like. After having 20 years in this business, the best leadership style I have found is the one where the leader understands the importance of servant leadership. Especially in VA our leadership must be focused on taking care of our nation’s true heroes...the men and women who right now as I speak to you are thousands of miles away from their family, their loved ones, their friends, serving our country and defending our freedom. They return home to us and it is our responsibility to provide them with what we can, to help make them whole. All the things I have described to you can lead to trust….so remember the second key to PR leadership is the Trust Barometer.

The third key to public relations leadership is EVALUATING OUR EFFORTS. In a relationship, one constantly has to determine the status of where we are by listening, communicating and building trust. When we do this, true relationships develop and we can then maintain relations. Evaluating our efforts means to consider or examine something in order to judge its
• value,
• quality
• importance
• extent
• or condition.

This key ties back to the first key of listening. When we EVALUATE, it gives us the time to step back, look around and see where we are.

From here we can ask ourselves questions—are we on the right path, how can we improve, what can we change or keep the same, am I keeping my life in balance, and how do our relationships with those we serve look and feel.

This year, when I took the time to look back at the VA Veterans Day Parade--after all the long nights and weekends I have to give to make this event a success--I saw that in our evaluation the measurement was there…. We noticed an increase in the positive opinions of Veterans in the Phoenix community. We noticed an increase of improvement in the image of VA amongst our employees. Finally, we noticed that 95% of the people in the Phoenix community believe that our VA plays an important role. Those are good relationships. It was through listening, building trust and evaluating those efforts that we recently earned the prestigious PRSA Silver Anvil for our VA Veterans Day Parade titled “Home of the Free, Because of the Brave”. So, the third key to public relations leadership is evaluating our efforts.

So how do you tie all of this together to build a successful profession? I think it is by doing something in these areas every day and I will be the first to tell you it is not easy.
• If each day, you can take just a moment to listen—even when you are rushed…
• If each day, you can take just a moment to say or share a kind thought--even when you may not feel up to it…
• If each day you can take one step to build trust …
• And if each day, you can take a moment to evaluate your efforts—even if it is at the end of the day when your head slips onto the pillow…

I think you will find that what we do in building relationships is key to our profession.

Last night when I joined you here, I spoke with several of you, and when I looked around the room, I had a wonderful feeling of the future.

You have your world in front of you.
Your time ahead is a beautiful gift to treasure…
Be patient with yourselves, be honest, be balanced, most of all listen, trust and evaluate, and I think you will find that what life offers you will be a great relationship in the field of public relations and one that leads people to change.

I thank you for your time today, I am honored to be here and I’m happy to answer your questions…

Dealing with Vison Loss One Step at a Time....

If you were only able to see some shadows would you even try to climb Mount Kilimanjaro?  A lack of sight isn’t keeping the Phoenix VA Health Care Systems Vision Impairment Services Team (VIST) member Tom Hicks from doing just that. 

            In June Hicks will be amongst a team of about a dozen blind hikers who will climb Mount Kilimanjaro.  Day by day now, he prepares for this journey by doing hikes in Phoenix with his team members.  He also continues with his martial arts and he recently finished a walk for the Foundation Fighting Blindness (FFB) called Vision Walk.

            Vision Walk was started about three years ago to help raise awareness and funding for FFB.  So together with VA Public Affairs Officer Paula Pedene they created a local team called “Veterans and Friends for Vision”.

            “The Veterans I serve at the Phoenix VA Health Care System inspire me,” says Hicks. “Every week another newly blinded Veteran is referred to me. The onset of blindness in all cases is devastating to our Veterans and the VA VIST Program offers leadership, hope, and inspiration.”

            Both Pedene and Hicks suffer from Retinitis Pigmentosa, a disease that causes blindness by eating away at the healthy photo receptor and other cells in the eyes.  Hicks has the recessive form of the disease, which skips generations but causes vision loss at an earlier age.  Pedene has the dominant form of RP which affects 50% of those who carry the gene and complete loss of sight is usually later in life.  At the age of 35 Pedene gave up driving and other sporting activities when the VA therapists told her how little vision she had. 

            “That day that I learned I would need to give up driving, I should walk with a cane, I should have special lighting and special aids was a hard one for me,” she says.  “I cried all day. But like the majority of us facing vision loss, you go through the down times and you learn how to adapt.  I still miss driving and many sports, but VA was there for me then and still is there today.  I adore having people like Tom to help me when I need it,” she added.

            “My job is to help our blind and visually impaired Veterans with this new adjustment and motivate them to participate in blind rehab so they can learn the necessary skills to improve personal safety, independence, and overall quality of life. Blindness is the enemy and I hate the enemy. I can teach our Veterans how to live with it,” said Hicks.

            Both Pedene and Hicks created the Vision Walk team to help FFB.  Says Hicks,” I'd rather be a part of the cure for both RP and Macular Degeneration.  An overwhelming majority of the Veterans I serve have Macular Degeneration and nothing would make me happier than to cure this and all other diseases that robs our Veterans of their "Golden Years."Bottom line, I walk because it's the right thing to do and it is the very least thing I can do for our Veterans.”

            Pedene says, “Getting a team together to help ourselves and others is truly important.  FFB is exploring many avenues for cures and those are all costly.  The Vision Walk is a fun way to get together with my fellow veterans like Tom, my family, his family and other veterans to unite in a common goal.  We both agree we have to keep our spirits high and maintain hope.  Our team Veterans and Friends for Vision does just that.”

            The Veterans and Friends team earned $2200 for this year’s walk, about $500 more than last year.  Their largest donor was Tri West Health Care Alliance. 

            Now Hicks can focus on his next goal:  climbing the 19,340-foot-high Mount Kilimanjaro in June. At 42 Hicks is the oldest member of the team.

            Hicks is on the team with the Foundation for Blind Children from Phoenix.  Their team consists of eight blind hikers and 18 sighted guides.  The team plans to leave Arizona on June 20 and arrive at Kilimanjaro’s base on June 23. Their climb will last seven days and they plan to reach the summit on June 30. 

            You can learn more about the Vision Walk at www.visionwalk.org.

            You can learn more about the Kilimanjaro hike at http://www.seekiliourway.org/.