Public relations - . Necessary qualities of successful PR practitioners

If it is true that the practitioner profession is opened to anybody who wants to practice it, it demands in exchange the person eager for success a number of personal and professional qualities and abilities that define it as a very complex career.

Any attempt to define a single type of personality is pointless, because the field is so diverse that it needs people of different personalities. Some practitioners deal with clients and the public in person on a frequent basis; others work primarily at desks, planning, writing and researching. Many do both.

Edward L. Bernays (Newsom 2003:26) made up a list of basic personal attributes that are evident in all successful practitioners, however, no matter what their specific assignments. It includes: character and integrity, rationality, creativity and imagination, objectivity, a great interest to solve problems, a solid cultural background, intellectual curiosity, analytical skill, intuition, broad interests (with regard to political, social, economic issues), respect for timetables and deadlines.

Most of these attributes are related to individual efficiency in identifying and solving problems-essential roles for a practitioner today. To continue this list, the Californian specialist Ronald E. Rhody underlines the fact that successful practitioners are those who have “a strong self-confidence, who are not intimidated by stress, who look for challenges and who are comfortable in an ambiguous and continuously changing environment”.

Wilcox and co. (1995:79) think that those who plan careers in public relations should develop four basic abilities, no matter what area of work they enter. These are writing skill, research ability, planning expertise and problem-solving abilities.

1. Writing skill. The ability to put information and idea onto paper clearly and concisely is essential. Good grammar and good spelling are vital, not only to convey thoughts precisely but to make a favorable impression on those who receive written materials. The practitioner must be an excellent writer capable of writing clients reports, effective article themes to editors, annual reports. He must be skilled in all the techniques used in the practice of public relations: writing and distribution of news releases, running press conferences and so on.

•  Research ability. Arguments for causes must have factual support instead of generalities. A practitioner must have the persistence and ability to gather information from a variety of sources, as well as o conduct original research by designing and implementing opinion polls and audits. Too many public relations programs fail because the organization does not need to do its homework by assessing audience needs and perceptions. Skillful use of computer databases for acquiring information is an important element of research work, as is the ability to interpret survey results.

•  Planning expertise. A public relations program involves a number of communication tools and activities that must be carefully planned and coordinated. A practitioner needs to be a good planner to make certain that materials are distributed in a timely manner, events occurs without problems, and budgets are not exceeded. Public relations people must be highly organized, detail-oriented and able to see the big picture.

•  Problem-solving ability. Innovative ideas and fresh approaches are needed to solve complex problems or to make a public relations program unique and memorable. Although many public relations people plod along and continue to handle new situations in a routine, unimaginative way, their results are rarely the kind that merit increased salaries and promotions. If a public relations practitioner shows top management how to solve problems creatively, that person becomes a key part of the organization. Technicians who just do what they are told, however, can be easily replaced.

But, besides from attributes and abilities, what a PR practitioner also needs in order to succeed is a solid knowledge . Developing expertise in a special field is an excellent way for public relations practitioners to advance their careers. Individual preferences in what concerns training the PR practitioner may vary, but experts agree that PR practice demands knowledge in the following fields: planning, management, counseling, analysis, industry relations, financial relations, economic relations, political affairs, communication and education.

Much of learning is on the job by simply keeping your eyes and ears open and picking things up as you go along. But there is much more to it than that, you need to train for performance and the best employers run structured training programs. Sometimes these programs are done entirely from the organization's own resources. More often and more usefully, specialist trainers are called in. Their expertise may be used in one of two ways: either the trainees go to the trainers or the trainers come to the trainees. Professional and trade bodies in the communications business put on courses. The most important public relations group that provides an excellent channel of communication for practitioners in all areas of the profession is The Public Relations Society of America, with more than 15000 members and more than 101 chapters in 1995.

However, you can find examples of very successful PR practitioners who have never had a day's formal training in their lives. Some of them are brilliant, and would have succeeded anywhere, anytime. Others have been lucky. Most people are not able to rely on either brilliance or luck. What they need is a solid professional grounding and a planned career development. That is why some specialists think that every member of every organization deserves to be trained in PR, starting with those who interface with the public. In order to sustain this idea, PR specialist Norman Stone said: “I'm not sure that even a superlatively trained receptionist can actually win significant business for your firm; but I'm absolutely certain that a badly trained or untrained one can lose it.” (1995:97)

To sum up the second chapter that deals with the PR practitioner's expertise, what needs to be stressed is the fact that the practitioner is a multiple talents specialist. He may work in different domains and he may develop competence in various areas of communication. The PR practitioners must have a strong knowledge and has to develop a few basic abilities. In this respect training is also very important.

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