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…