What OGs Owe the Next Generation of PR Pros
Six months after I began my first public relations job, our team gathered to celebrate a director’s 40th birthday. He was talented, highly accomplished, and he would go on to do even greater things. As a damp-lobed beginner, I marveled at his career and wondered what I might achieve by the time I reached his seemingly distant age.
Reach it I did—23 years ago.
Nowadays, I think back on my own professional journey, including the years I worked with that birthday boy. He did more than set a standard for me; he offered mentorship, counsel, encouragement, and, at times, a solid kick to my keister. Indeed, he’s continued to do those things long after he “retired” and well over a decade after I went out on my own. I value that—and him—more than I can say.
And his wasn’t the only counsel I’ve had. Other managers, mentors and peers have guided me over the decades. By taking the time to do that, they made me a better practitioner and human being.
Therein lies the lesson for all of us seasoned PR pros: We owe the next generation.
A recent article in Strategies & Tactics highlighted a survey of business leaders who worried that recent graduates aren’t prepared for the working world. The shortcomings ranged from work ethic and communication to a lack of skills and professionalism. While this smacks of a “kids today!” mindset that’s as old as Socrates—who almost certainly never said this—it does make clear that equipping the future workforce has to involve the current one.
Public relations—much like society as a whole—stands at a pivotal moment. Information has become a firehose from which few can drink; ironically, that’s left people thirsting for information they can trust. While today’s young practitioners have more tools to manage that flow than ever before, they need the practical knowledge and experience that we OGs can offer them.
Mentoring is an excellent approach. I’ve taken part in WMPRSA’s Mentor Match program many times; it’s a terrific way to share what I have learned and, selfishly, discover new perspectives from up-and-comers.
Offering real-life experiences is another path. A few years ago, I took on an intern. Together, we worked up a three-month “to-do” list of projects, which I paid her to do as if she were a consultant herself. I also included her in as many of my clients’ activities as possible. Her fellow students, some of whom interned at big agencies, envied her experience.
Then there’s the vital task of grounding newer practitioners in the ethics of what we do. I’m not suggesting young people lack ethics—indeed, I find most to live and breathe them. But OGs can help them apply ethics in practical, real-world ways. Honesty, transparency, integrity and empathy are sorely lacking in society today; PR practitioners, young and old, must be champions of them.
In short, we OGs owe those at the dawn of their careers the value of our experience. We owe them our insights. Our encouragement. Our empathy. Our humility. Our successes—and, yes, our failures. Leaving that debt unpaid does a disservice to them, to our profession and our communities.
If you’re an OG, chances are you had a mentor. Chances are somebody gave you the gift of their experience and insight. Let’s make sure we do the same.
About The Author:
Rick Chambers, APR, chairs the WMPRSA Membership Committee. He is owner and president of Rick Chambers & Associates, LLC, a strategic communications firm. Rick has more than 40 years of experience in public relations and communications. He is also a published author and was a screenwriter for the web series “Star Trek New Voyages.”
