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Newer learning approaches are required in the current situation. In the new normal, as workplaces and personal spaces overlap, there are life learnings that professionals can take. The COVID-19 pandemic having drastically impacted the way people learn, work and respond – life skills become important. Since most meetings are virtual and remote-working is becoming mainstream, equipping people with certain basic life-skills becomes important.
As professional and personal boundaries get blurred, let’s look at some basic insights and lessons from PR:
The Team is Everything: v Value people’s Time:
In PR, you have just around 20 seconds to make your pitch – the outcome is decided on that. In the current context, this is a good rule to live by. In a scenario when colleagues, clients and vendors – everyone may be working from home or a remote location, it is best to keep your communication focussed, concise and clear. Not only will this save your time and theirs, but it will help boost efficiency and you will not be intruding on people’s time. They will respect that and respond accordingly. Prepare well in advance. Extend this rule to meetings as well – whether it’s a zoom call or over skype or a conference call. Remember, companies can now pass resolution by circulation over a video conference amidst the pandemic. Therefore, you need to be considerate about people’s schedules and the agenda for the call. Stick to the script, don’t deviate and direct the call towards the outcome you wish.
At the other end, it’s a Person:
The pandemic has wrought a strange situation. Virtual is real and real is almost virtual. With people working from home and remote working being the norm, it is technology which is ruling the day. Meetings, interviews – everything is done virtually. The PR lesson here is to remember that at the other end of the line, it is a person you are dealing with. Proceed further with this in mind. It’s a person with a deadline, concern, interests and problems. Added to that is the complication of working from home – they may be distracted by an unwell family member, other concerns, etc…Give them space, make allowances. The chances are that you yourself are in that situation sometime. Respond professionally, with empathy. Help people accomplish their goals and they, in turn, will be glad to step up to the plate for you when required.
Invest in Yourself:
During this phase, chances are you will have quite some time to yourself. Equip yourself to brush up on those latest softwares you wanted to learn. Listen to those PR podcasts, attend that content workshop which can help you a better writer. Track industry news and subscribe to newsgroups. Amidst all this uncertainty, don’t forget to invest in yourself as a professional and a person. Try new things, learn new skills. They can help shape you into a better professional.
In PR, one is always on the lookout for new angles to a story, media movements, news trends, which can be shaped into a story or a narrative. Constant learning and staying updated is the norm as businesses like LegalWiz.in offer Instamojo discount coupons on partners’ platforms. This is a trait that you can use and leverage to help yourself secure a better future by taking other businesses along. Equipping yourself with knowledge and skills is the best possible use of time during this phase and it can be of great value to the organization.
Conclusion:
The Pandemic has brought forth many challenges and it is up to everyone how they react and respond. There are quite a few life lessons to learn from Public relations as a discipline – and apply them to work life. Focussing on teamwork, ensuring everyone on the team is communicated properly with, helps build team efficiency. Sticking to a schedule and respecting the other person’s time can help manage time and outputs better. Dealing with situations and people from an empathetic, understanding perspective helps turn relationships into a 2 way street – stronger and more resilient. And if every team member starts investing in themselves as professionals, they can be better equipped, better skilled professionals – fully able to cope with the challenges of business continuity.
Swapan Dholakia is a senior Communications and Trade Advocacy professional. His current interest areas are trade diplomacy and leveraging Communications to impact society & audiences at large.
