Chapter 12: Leadership Through Effective External Relations

Chapter 12: Leadership Through Effective External Relations

Managing external relations effectively is essential for organizational leaders In this chapter you will learn to develop an external relations strategy, build and maintain a positive corporate image, work with the news media, and handle crisis communications.
All communication activity that touches a company’s outside constituencies-such as advertising, sale promotions, direct marketing, or public relations-falls into the category of external relations.

All of these are important and influence how the public perceives a company. Also, these activities must all be coordinated as part of an overall external relations campaign so that all messages are consistent and delivered effectively. However, the focus of this chapter is primarily on the activities usually considered public relations, including press and media management, philanthropic activities, community involvement, investor relations, and external publications.

Companies must manage all aspects of external relations very carefully. They all affect the company’s public ethos. In most organizations, the leadership communication skill of the manager has the greatest impact on that external ethos through their involvement in public relations.

All leaders of organizations must realize that their companies’ reputations depend on their internal ethos and the perceptions of their many external stakeholders. They cannot ignore the importance of establishing and maintaining a positive reputation or the need to manage external relations to keep it.

Question

1. What are the best practices of companies valuing reputation?

·        Design campaigns to promote the company as a whole

·        Carry out ambitious programs to champion product quality and customer service

·        Maintain systems to screen employee activities for reputation side-effects

·        Demonstrate sensitivity to the environment

·        Hire internal communication staff and retain public relations firms

·        Demonstrate ‘corporate citizenship’

2. What is the Strategic Communications?

The Strategic Communications function of External Affairs encompasses two areas:

·        Media Relations
As the primary liaison to external news media, we promote USF St. Petersburg as a whole, including the College of Arts and Sciences, the College of Education, the College of Business and the Nelson Poynter Memorial Library. We coordinate incoming media requests for faculty experts, USFSP information and other data. We initiate stories that convey the dynamic research, teaching and service that takes place at USFSP.

·        Web Services
Web Services is the starting point and a resource for web development of official USF St. Petersburg University Web pages. Web Services is responsible for leading university-wide Web site development and design projects. This includes strategic development and integration of related technologies, such as multimedia and content management systems, as well as drafting of appropriate best practices.

3. Steps to Developing a Strategy

·        Identify your major audiences or stakeholders

·        Draft, refine, and test your major messages

·        Select, limit, and coach your spokesperson(s)

·        Determine the most effective media

·        Work out the best timing

·        Monitor the results