Communicators Anonymous

Not So Zany: The Future of PR

Rather than my routine Friday off-the-wall zany post, perhaps it is time to sober up with a look back at The Communicator's Twelve Step Program. These steps are not a one time fix, but guidelines to live by each day.

Adele McAlear asks Is PR Innately Immoral? As I said in my comment on Adele's post, I feel as if this debate never ends. What is most frustrating to me is that the industry as a whole seems to reinforce the behavior of the bad apples.

If twelve step programs work for alcoholics, gamblers, and special sexual interests, the approach can surely be adapted to the rebuilding of public trust in the communications industry. One cannot make progress until he/she admits that one has a problem. To succeed in repositioning the industry, reform begins with the individual practitioner. 

Step 1: We admitted we were powerless over word – that our lives had become unmanageable.

Step 2: Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.

Step 3: Made a decision to turn our lives over to the care of the customer as we understood Him.

Step 4: Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.

Step 5: Admitted to the customer, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.

Step 6: Were entirely ready to have the customer remove all these defects of character.

Step 7: Humbly asked the customer to remove our shortcomings.

Step 8: Made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all.

Step 9: Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.

Step 10: Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it.

Step 11: Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with the customer as we understood Him, praying only for the knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out.

Step 12: Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to communications practitioners and to practice these principles in all our affairs.

(Those words highlighted are words differing from the original twelve steps text as written by Alcoholics Anonymous.)

Social Media Club: Dallas 29 May!

Last month was an informal meet-and-greet to celebrate the relaunch of Social Media Club Dallas. This month is a round table discussion about correlating social media data with business data.

Thursday, 29 May at 7pm
Astoria Caffe & Wine Bar
15701 Quorum Drive
Addison, TX 75001

Mark your calendars and be sure to attend next month's meeting (LAST Thursday of each month) because our very own Diana (@Sollitaire) will be discussing her grad studies in cyber anthropology and latest project. This is one meeting you won't want to miss! No other SMC will have this topic of discussion!

Also, check out the Social Media Club Room on FriendFeed! Better than a mailing list...

Zany: Behind Closed Doors-Unclutter Yourself!

The list of blog post drafts and items on my to do list is ridiculous! So, I am taking this weekend to unclutter my life in the hopes that by doing so will motivate me to carry on with writing and studies without distraction. Thanks to @mindofandre who pointed me to the Unclutterer: Daily tips on how to organize your home and office blog!

Some brilliant posts to begin the decluttering process:

1. Unclutter unwanted content in your RSS feeder with Yahoo! Pipes
2. Finding order on your bookshelves
3. Five spring organizing activities
4. The real cost of financial clutter on the road to a remarkable life
5. Going paperless
6. Clutter-free scrapbooking
7. My New Year's resolution: laundry
8. Organize your life on your wall
9. Uncluttering with Twitter
10. Stop spending your weekends cleaning your home

Liberate yourself with me! I am tired of waking up and feeling anxious the second I open my eyes and see the clutter.

(Image courtesy sindesign/Flickr.)

Now is gone, but we're only just beginning!

It was an honor to write for the Now is Gone blog with Geoff Livingston and Ike Pigott. Today is the final post for NIG, and as Toby writes, "...but the book lives on and Now Is Gone blog will be cached forever." Never in a million years did I think an opportunity like working with Geoff and Ike would come my way. Personally and professionally I am better for it.

It has been a fun ride! Thank you, Geoff and Ike! Now, let's paint...

"Stay hungry; Stay foolish..."

Recognizing Grace

Too often PR people are thought and spoken of in negative light...

I have written many times before about Kami Huyse and how she has been my virtual mentor the past two years. Now, she has been recognized by her peers and awarded San Antonio PR Professional of the Year. Well deserved. If you do not know Kami personally or have not yet been introduced to her blog (gasp), you will understand why I admire her greatly when you read her acceptance speech.

Kami gave me three gifts: (1) Learning - she eased me into the social media sphere (2) Mentoring - she has given me brilliant guidance and helped remove the chip on my shoulder and (3) Giving - Not only has she given me many opportunities to expand my practice, but has taught me how to give my time and mentor in return.

Thank you!