Meeting Management in PR

I found a great article in PRSA's Issues and Trends, so I thought I would share...

Jill Geisler wrote an article called "What Great Bosses Know About Managing Meetings." In it she first talks about the goals that we hope to accomplish by having meetings. We may seek to provide timely information, give direction, make group decisions, produce a product, generate ideas, or observe rituals. But Ms. Geisler also goes a step further, providing a checklist for how to manage our meetings. In her list, she asks many questions, including how important is this meeting to our organization? is there an agenda? is the right person leading the meeting? are the people contributing? what can we do to improve participation? how well do we stay on track? and most importantly, do we end with a clear message?

After reading this article, I began to think of what I could take away and use in my current job as well as during PRSSA meetings. Firstly, knowing how important the meeting is makes a huge difference in who shows up and contributes to conversations. For example, at our last PRSSA meeting, we had three people come to speak about internships, which are of extreme importance to those of us graduating in May. By letting people know that they would be receiving valuable information that could possibly land them with a future internship, we increased our attendance. Also, agendas and staying on track are really important, especially in large groups. At my job as phonathon manager, we have a 15 minute meeting after our break to discuss and work through any issues that we may have encountered. If we lose track, people tend to forget about the overall importance of the meaning and go off on random conversations (like last week, when one employee brought up the fact that Wendy's was out of frostys, and suddenly everyone in the office had a story to share about fast food places) Though the stories may have been entertaining, they ultimately had nothing to do with fundraising tactics, the overall goal of the meeting. The most important thing I took from Ms. Geisler's article was to end each meeting with a clear understanding of next steps, roles, responsibilities, and deadlines and to keep communication channels open between meetings. This is important in PRSSA meetings because since we only meet once a month, it is essential that everyone has a clear idea of the goals we need to accomplish before the next meeting. Also, the exec board especially, needs to stay in contact throughout the month to follow-up on progress and set the agenda for the next meeting.

I found this article to be very helpful in the management world, and also the PR world. Ms. Geisler's checklist was a simple list of questions that could help any professional get the most out of their next meeting. To listen to more of her management tips, lister to her podcast.

Enacting a Senior Giving Campaign at GCSU

As part of my fundraising efforts towards Georgia College and State University, I am currently working on a team to enact a Senior Giving Campaign at GCSU. Last semester, we held an interest meeting and got some senior leaders and Student Government members to join our cause, and this semester we are working to spread the word about the campaign.

Basically, we are asking GCSU seniors to donate $20.10 in honor of their graduation year. This donation can be in honor of a friend or student, be set aside for scholarships or specific schools, or go towards the Heritage Fund which pays for things that state aid and tuition don't cover at GCSU.

We want these students to give back to GCSU for three reasons:

1) to say thank you to GCSU for four amazing years

2) to make and strengthen a tradition of giving for years to come

3) to increase alumni participation and raise our national rankings

So far with this campaign, I have learned (and been reminded of) some valuable PR lessons. Firstly, I was reminded of how important it is to get enthusiastic outgoing team players working with you. In fundraising especially, people need to be outgoing and confident. Asking for money is not for everyone, sometimes it can be really challenging. Also, I have learned how important it is to fully believe in your cause. You cannot ask someone to donate money to a cause that you do not support 100% yourself. Also, never underestimate the impact of social media. A facebook group I created in 10 minutes is continuously growing and making new people aware of our cause. The last big this I have realized lately is that you can never have enough people on your side. On May 8, over 1,000 seniors will depart from GCSU and make their way in the world, and it is my goal that all of them will have supported (or at least heard about) our campaign. In order to do this, we need to be connectors, not just within our own circles of friends. We need to branch out and come up with creative ways to reach a broad audience of students of all majors, clubs, and activities.

For more information about this campaign, please visit: http://www.gcsu.edu/alumni/seniorgiving.htm

Bobcat PRSSA

Bobcat PRSSA received its charter on Feb. 25, 2008. During our first year, membership nearly doubled to our current total of 49 members. As an up-and-coming chapter, we pride ourselves on our exceptional membership involvement and the success of the events we have executed. We participated in a fundraising event called the PRSSA Media Mix, selling used books, CD’s and DVD’s to raise money for our chapter president to attend the national organization’s leadership rally in Scottsdale, AZ in June 2009. In addition to our monthly meetings and annual holiday party and service project, we held our second PR Day on Nov. 4. During this event, four PR professionals from Atlanta spoke with students about their jobs, social media etiquette, and future internship possibilities.

The event our whole chapter looks forward to most is PR Real World, a day-long conference held in Atlanta each February. Last year, 14 members met on campus at 5 a.m. to carpool to the event. That day we all went to various workshops, where we learned how to build PR skills and strengthen professional development. On the way home we all discussed what we had learned and the contacts we had made, and immediately began looking forward to attending again the next year.

This year, thanks to a $500 grant from GA PRSA, we will be able to help our members with the cost of Real World as well as the next PRSSA assembly. In our two short years, Bobcat PRSSA has excelled beyond all expectations. We received national recognition when two teams from our chapter took first and second in the CW campaign and we received state recognition when one of our members won a recent twitter contest and got to have lunch with the PRSA President. Also, at our last meeting our professional adviser brought along two young PR professionals to talk with us about preparing for summer internships. Currently, we getting ready to start spring recruitment as well as plan this semester's fundraising event. I think that the things our chapter has done just reflects the incredible work ethic of our members. I am so proud of the progress our chapter has made and I look forward to seeing it continue to thrive in the upcoming years.

PR In Action: GCSU Phonathon

Each semester at GCSU, a group of about 20 student callers is hired to work on campus Monday through Thursday from 5:30 to 9 p.m. to do PR for Georgia College. Student callers contact GCSU parents and alumni to ask about their experiences at the college, update them on campus happenings, and ask for donations to our school's Heritage Fund, which pays for all the things that state aid and tuition don't cover (like scholarships, free tutoring, and campus safety just to name a few). These calls can last anywhere from 1 to 30 minutes and can result in hang-ups, "we're not interested," a thousand dollar donation, or one of the best conversations of your life; you never know.

Talking with the ladies who graduated from Georgia State College for Women is like a history lesson. We hear stories of how students were not allowed to ride in cars, how students and faculty lived in the old governor's mansion, and how the dining hall provided a family style formal dinner every evening (and ladies wore their white gloves of course). We talk about how much times (and tuition costs) have changed, and many are shocked to hear that our enrollment is now over 6,000. All of them, however, still take pride in the fact that no matter how much GCSU has changed (or how many times it has changed its name for that matter) our front campus still looks exactly the same: those four gigantic brick buildings with white columns standing tall in front of the grassy area where students sit to study or socialize between classes.

Talking with freshman parents is at times like a counseling session. We tell parents not to worry about their babies, offer advice from our own experiences, and answer the millions of questions they have about campus safety, dining options, getting involved on campus, registration, and residence halls. While we invite graduates to our Homecoming in February, we also make a point to inform parents about Family Day in October. We want to encourage people to come back and "stay connected."

With all of these calls its about building relationships. We teach our callers to be active listeners and to do 80% listening, and only 20% talking. We take interest in what each person has to say: maybe they are mad about that 1937 yearbook they never received, maybe their daughter gets no sleep in the dorm because her roommate is a night owl. We contact whoever we need to and do whatever we can to get these issues resolved. On the flip side, there are those who tell us that college was the best 7 years of their life and how "GCSU made me from a nobody into a somebody." As I stated before, you never know where one call will get you.

Along with building relationships, we also ask parents and alumni to donate to our Heritage Fund because it helps with so many things at GCSU. Some people give right away; some decline, and that's ok; we expect that. The students who work at Phonathon are no stranger to rejection, but it doesn't stop them. If one person doesn't donate, we maintain a positive attitude and remember that everyone, at one time, was a nondonor.

Sadly, this is my final year working at the GCSU Phonathon. Since freshman year, I have had many great conversations with parents and graduates, and I feel confident that among the over $30,000 and 300 pledges I received, I made some lasting impressions that will continue to positively affect my soon to be alma mater long after my graduation. In closing, I plan to leave my mark this year as Phonathon manager by making this the most successful Phonathon GCSU has ever had. This semester we raised over $115,000, which is already a record in itself (especially considering the current economic situation), and I am confident that once added to next semester's totals, we will well outshine any and all previous years. I am also proud to say that somewhere included in that $115,000 is my small gift of $20.10 (in honor of my graduation year). As we tell all of our callers, "every gift counts; its the amount of donors not dollars that matters." May my $20.10 help some other student have the same great experience GCSU has given me, and, more importantly, may it be the first of many larger ones to come.

A Reflection on the Relay For Life Kickoff

My PR class planned and executed the Relay For Life of Baldwin County Kickoff event on the Evening of November 19 at Northside Baptist Church. In the beginning, we all competed in teams of three to pitch ideas for the event, and it was decided that our theme would be "Celebrate a Memory." a birthday party extravaganza complete with a banner, balloon arch, hot dogs, hamburgers, baked beans, cole slaw, chips, cookies, cupcakes, and a candy bar.

Our class did a great job of working together to pull the event together. As a member of the media team, I wrote the press release about the event (which made front page of both of our local newspapers!) but once we got down to the "nitty gritty" so to speak I helped out the food and decorating teams as well. One thing that I have learned in my various jobs and as a student learning about PR is that versatility is the key. If you are assigned one task, be prepared to help out your teammates with others as needed. Although I wrote the press release, I also wrapped and tied ribbon around silverware, stirred a giant tub of baked beans, and grilled out with my best friend Nick who I recruited to help me man the grill. :) This brings up another important key to success: everyone should have a friend they could call on for help. Nick answered his phone one hour before we needed to start grilling and said he would be there, and he also helped out last year when our class did "paint the hill green" a PR event for GCSU Baseball. It nice to have friends that you can call on to be there no matter the task.

Another thing that we all learned during the event is that not everything will go as planned. Another PR class was responsible for bringing us 100 cupcakes, and only 2 people from that class remembered to bring them. Disaster was avoided thanks to Dr. Carter who went to a local grocery store and purchased them, but this event just shows that you should be prepared for anything. Things will fall through no matter what, and you have to be prepared to cope. Even with the grill sitation, Nick and I were cooking 100 hot dogs and 100 hamburgers on two small grills, one of which was falling apart. The burgers also were not exactly hand made patties, so some of them just fell right apart on the grill, nonetheless, as with any event, you just have to do the best you can with what you've got and remain positive.

In the end, the event was attended by over 100 guests, who watched a powerpoint presentation of local cancer survivors, enjoyed a delicious meal, and vowed to support the Relay For Life with their fight against cancer. I was honored to help make a difference with such a worthwhile organization and I am so proud of the work my classmates and I did. Way to go team PR Fantasy Football!

Binge Drinking Awareness Ad

According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism National Advisory Council, Binge Drinking is defined as drinking four drinks during two hours for females, and five drinks in two hours for males. Binge drinking results in a blood alcohol concentration of 0.08 percent or higher and is one of the most serious problems on college campuses, with 48 percent of college students admitting that they “drink to get drunk”(http://www.cspinet.org).

While many college students think that binge drinking is a fun way to blow off steam, few realize all of the negative consequences they could face. Students who binge drink are 21 times more likely than nondrinkers to miss class, engage in unplanned sexual activity, and get in trouble with the police. Binge drinking not only affects the individual who is participating in the drinking; it can affect those around them by disrupting their sleep and sometimes even damaging their property.

The Center for Disease Control has done numerous studies to find out who binge drinks and how they are affected. Their studies found that 75 percent of the alcohol consumed in the United States is in the form of binge drinking and that binge drinking is highest in the 18-to-20 year old group. Underage drinkers are extremely likely to binge drink, which was made evident in a recent national survey that found that 90 percent of the alcohol consumed by youth under the age of 21 in the U.S. is in the form of binge drinks (http://www.cdc.gov/alchohol). This survey also found that men are two times more likely to binge drink than females.

After researching the topic of binge drinking I began to toss around ideas of how I could create an ad discouraging college students from binge drinking. First, I went for the statistics. I chose a male model since men are twice as likely to participate in binge drinking, and I chose a college age person since binge drinking is most common in the late teens and early twenties. At first, I was thinking of including some shocking statistics or trying to scare people away from drinking, but then I realized that just trying to scare people may not do the trick since most college students are going to drink no matter how many facts and figures you throw at them. I decided to take a different approach and just be real with the target audience. My ad says “It’s easy to make fun of the guy passed out in his own puke. But what if that guy was YOU?”

I acknowledged the fact that people at parties always laugh at drunken people, but at the bottom of my ad I also said “When they show you the pictures the next day, don’t misinterpret. They’re laughing at you, not with you.” Basically, I want to let people know that one or two drinks are fine, but no one wants to be the guy passed out at 8 p.m. before his friends even go out to the bars.

Also, I decided to cover my model’s face with a circle that says “YOUR face here” because I want people to look at it and think: this could be anyone, even me. Another way I got this point across was to highlight the word “YOU” in red each time it was used and make it slightly bigger. I like the way the red contrasts with the mostly black and white toned ad, and also I think the font is very appropriate and appealing for a college age person. Overall, I wanted to keep it simple and get my point across, and I believe this ad does just that.

Local Cancer Survivor's Story

Sue Carr, 81, is not just a two-year survivor of breast cancer; she is a beloved mother of three and grandmother of seven, a school teacher of 41 years, and part owner of The Attic, an antique store in downtown Milledgeville.

“When I was diagnosed,” said Carr, “I was not frightened one bit.”

After diagnosing her cancer in 2007, her doctors remained calm and assured her that the cancer would not be fatal. Carr considers herself very lucky to have been diagnosed early, and she finished with daily radiation treatment in 32 days.

Her daughter, Patricia Smith, who was diagnosed in 2001, was not so lucky. Her entire breast was removed because of a six-centimeter tumor that had gone unnoticed for five to six years prior to proper diagnosis. Smith faced radiation treatment, numerous reconstructive surgeries, and chemotherapy.

“She was a fighter,” said Carr of her daughter. “She would go in for chemo on Fridays, sleep all of Saturday and Sunday, and be back to work on Monday. I don’t know how she did it.”

Today, both Sue and her daughter are cancer-free, enjoying each new day they are blessed with. Carr is a proud survivor, who has advice for others fighting the battle against cancer.

“Have a belief that the Lord is going to be with you, stay positive, and be happy,” said Carr. “Determination has a lot to do with it.”

These strong women have boldly faced and conquered the number one cause of death in the U.S., but unfortunately there are thousands of others who lose their battles. More than 1,500 U.S. citizens die each day from cancer, but organizations like The American Cancer Society and Relay For Life are fighting to lower this number each day, encouraging people to create awareness and join the millions who are working to help develop a cure.