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Many cultures have a similar story of the 6 blind men and the elephant. If you are unfamiliar with this parable, here is a brief summary: None of the men had ever seen an elephant, and they desired to "see" it with their hands. Each of the men had a chance to touch the elephant and each discovered a different part of its body: the trunk, the side, the tusk, the legs, the tail, and the ear. Each man created an idea of what the elephant looked like. He was an animal resembling a snake, a wall, a spear, tree trunks, rope, and a fan. Each man was certain that they were correct in what the elephant looked like. In reality, each man only had a fraction of the knowledge they needed to fully understand what the elephant looked like, and their arguing continued.
Like public relations, not knowing the whole story can make you blind. More importantly, being blind to your limitations or abilities because of insufficient knowledge or a large ego can cause you to lose sight of things. When creating a PR plan, pitch, media alert, or even website copy, you need to know the entire story so that you can properly convey it to others. A rule many public relations practitioners follow is that truth is key, and part of being truthful is telling the whole story.
As a PR team, members need to work together and communicate. The 6 blind men were unable to see what the other men were seeing and assumed each was wrong. Though each person in a PR team cannot as easily "touch" and fully understand the other parts of the plan being created (if that is not their area of expertise), they can listen and try to understand. As a whole, the six men could not properly explain what the elephant looked like. They had a general idea, but each man thought the elephant had no other attributes, which is not the case. Moreover, like a PR plan, there are many components that need to exist together.
When writing a PR plan, press release, etc., there needs to be collaboration between team members to create the best story and to represent the company or client in the best light, giving the most complete interpretation of what the story is trying to express. Like each man seeing a different part of the elephant, team members in a PR team can see things better than others. In order to work effectively as a team, each member needs to acknowledge that their lack of knowledge in an area is OK; that is, after all, why we work in teams. Doing so can help to ensure that everyone can work successfully together to see the entire elephant.
Furthermore, when creating a PR plan, the team needs to see the industry, company situation, and company goals as a whole. Without this knowledge and sight, the plan is destined to fail and not meet the expected results. When working together to gather the correct information, the plan has a better chance of succeeding. Even more helpful would be to enlist the assistance of a PR expert or firm who has some experience in the industry. They can help create ties with media, other companies looking to collaborate, and buyers. They also offer experience and insight into possible outcomes, and can perhaps estimate which tools will be best for your company and situation.
Lastly, when writing a press release, as the image above helps to represent, it is important to remember to include all of the important details that help readers to understand the story. For a journalist or reporter reading a press release missing any of the components of "who, what, when, where, and why", the story won't make much sense. If a story doesn't make much sense, it isn't difficult to move on to the next story. Additionally, you want to give buyers the best information so that they can understand what you are trying to say. Have someone outside of the company help you to proofread your releases to make sure they contain all of the necessary information. A story is much easier to understand when all of the information is present.
Do you have some examples of times when the big picture was not being seen? How did you and your team overcome that obstacle?
Public Relations Requires Seeing the Whole
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Many cultures have a similar story of the 6 blind men and the elephant. If you are unfamiliar with this parable, here is a brief summary: None of the men had ever seen an elephant, and they desired to "see" it with their hands. Each of the men had a chance to touch the elephant and each discovered a different part of its body: the trunk, the side, the tusk, the legs, the tail, and the ear. Each man created an idea of what the elephant looked like. He was an animal resembling a snake, a wall, a spear, tree trunks, rope, and a fan. Each man was certain that they were correct in what the elephant looked like. In reality, each man only had a fraction of the knowledge they needed to fully understand what the elephant looked like, and their arguing continued.Like public relations, not knowing the whole story can make you blind. More importantly, being blind to your limitations or abilities because of insufficient knowledge or a large ego can cause you to lose sight of things. When creating a PR plan, pitch, media alert, or even website copy, you need to know the entire story so that you can properly convey it to others. A rule many public relations practitioners follow is that truth is key, and part of being truthful is telling the whole story.
As a PR team, members need to work together and communicate. The 6 blind men were unable to see what the other men were seeing and assumed each was wrong. Though each person in a PR team cannot as easily "touch" and fully understand the other parts of the plan being created (if that is not their area of expertise), they can listen and try to understand. As a whole, the six men could not properly explain what the elephant looked like. They had a general idea, but each man thought the elephant had no other attributes, which is not the case. Moreover, like a PR plan, there are many components that need to exist together.
When writing a PR plan, press release, etc., there needs to be collaboration between team members to create the best story and to represent the company or client in the best light, giving the most complete interpretation of what the story is trying to express. Like each man seeing a different part of the elephant, team members in a PR team can see things better than others. In order to work effectively as a team, each member needs to acknowledge that their lack of knowledge in an area is OK; that is, after all, why we work in teams. Doing so can help to ensure that everyone can work successfully together to see the entire elephant.
Furthermore, when creating a PR plan, the team needs to see the industry, company situation, and company goals as a whole. Without this knowledge and sight, the plan is destined to fail and not meet the expected results. When working together to gather the correct information, the plan has a better chance of succeeding. Even more helpful would be to enlist the assistance of a PR expert or firm who has some experience in the industry. They can help create ties with media, other companies looking to collaborate, and buyers. They also offer experience and insight into possible outcomes, and can perhaps estimate which tools will be best for your company and situation.
Lastly, when writing a press release, as the image above helps to represent, it is important to remember to include all of the important details that help readers to understand the story. For a journalist or reporter reading a press release missing any of the components of "who, what, when, where, and why", the story won't make much sense. If a story doesn't make much sense, it isn't difficult to move on to the next story. Additionally, you want to give buyers the best information so that they can understand what you are trying to say. Have someone outside of the company help you to proofread your releases to make sure they contain all of the necessary information. A story is much easier to understand when all of the information is present.
Do you have some examples of times when the big picture was not being seen? How did you and your team overcome that obstacle?
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