Research has shown that people who talk on their phones are about as cognitively impaired as someone who drives intoxicated. But what about those of us who talk while we’re supposed to be listening to others? I’m referring to the phenomenon of “simultaneous conversations,” which thanks to Twitter and other social media, is rapidly becoming…
Posts by Matt Shaw
As Director of Communications, Matt’s responsibilities are primarily to manage all facets of internal/external communications for the association, whose stakeholders include Council members, the media, corporate communicators, educators, researchers and other industry organizations. Prior to joining the Council, Matt worked for several leading PR firms across the country. His career also includes stints as a reporter for a chain of weekly newspapers and a feature writer for a business magazine. He not so recently graduated from Middlebury College with a B.A. in political science.
Mastering the Art of Giving Feedback: Tips for Handling Colleagues and Clients
Public relations professionals depend on long-term relationships they build with clients and colleagues. But relationships are topsy-turvy. Sometimes people disappoint us. And when they do, our ability to keep relationships on track hinges on the helpful feedback we give. If we don’t offer the proper feedback, both parties can become disillusioned. Relationships disintegrate, leading to…
The Future of Talent: Views from Campus
In last week’s posting, we began a discussion about the evolving talent needs of public relations firms in the age of social media. Talking to two prominent industry leaders, we learned that firms were looking for well-rounded talent that combined digital skills with strong marketing knowledge and strategic thinking ability. This week, we explore what…
The Future of Talent: Building Best-In-Class Account Teams in the Social Media Age
With our industry evolving, and with recent news that social media companies are falling over one another to hire and retain talent, we’ve been wondering: What kinds of employees will public relations firms be fighting over three to five years from now? And how will young public relations recruits develop those skills?
Massaging the Message—What the State of the Union Can Teach Us about Business Communications
It’s the day after the State of the Union, and the airways are crammed with political prognostications as well as the usual Monday morning quarterbacking. To offer a fresh alternative, we thought we’d stay focused on the present and ask leading communication experts to reflect on the basic communications challenge President Obama faced in giving…
The Lame Duck Economy—A Peek into the Current Consumer Mood
You may have heard the electronics firm LG has erected a new Times Square billboard showing only “good” news. This comes on the heels of an LG-commissioned survey finding that six in ten Americans don’t even know where to go to hear about positive developments in the world. In light of recent signs that the…
'Tis the Season to be Stressed
The holiday season is upon us, and what a season it is. Darkness by 4PM. Holiday parties with bosses and semi-acquaintances. The chance to navigate traffic for hours as you shop for gifts. And then there’s that wonderful winter weather, especially if you live in the Northeast or Midwest. Is anybody stressed yet? Americans are…
Breaking Through with Social Media—Your New Secret Weapon
So many social media campaigns fail to break through. Sometimes clients are hamstrung by internal impediments, such as skittishness on the part of legal. More often the problem is with the strategy. Or lack thereof. With social media so entrenched, some companies don’t understand the consequences of their actions or inactions, nor have they mapped…
Hey, Would You Work for A Buck?
If you’re Vikram Pandit, the CEO of Citibank, the answer is yes. Last year, Pandit vowed he’d take no salary until the bank became profitable. So he didn’t. But Citibank is now back in the black, which is why this past week, Citibank’s board announced that they’d reinstate a salary for Pandit. Of course, Pandit…
Has Generation Y Changed?: Update from the World of Emerging Adulthood
We all know the rumors about Generation Y. On the one hand, they’re talented, tech-savvy, and altruistic (see our April 14 posting). On the other, they’ve coddled, ambivalent and narcissistic (or so people say…). Three years after the Great Recession broke out, with unemployment levels still looming at almost ten percent, it’s worth asking: Have…
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