Category: Career Advice
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Four keys for comms pros to win the trust of senior executives
I had not thought about it much before but when I was asked to speak to a bank’s communications team in Texas recently, I had to reflect on my career and the five regional presidents I served during the many years I worked at a multinational financial services company. The Texas bankers requested I speak…
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Advice about goal setting applies to creating talking points: less is more
I just finished reading the highly informative, educational and entertaining book The Ride of a Lifetime by Robert Iger. In it, he reveals how he rose from an entry level position at ABC Television in 1974 to eventually become CEO of the Walt Disney Company in 2005. Obtaining the CEO job was certainly not an…
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Avoid crises by being aware that times constantly change
Many years ago I took a media training class in Portland, Oregon presented by veteran journalist and communications consultant Paul Hanson. The wise Paul explained that one cause of a corporate communications crisis is that “times change”. Paul explained that behavior on the part of a senior executive that was acceptable in the past might not be acceptable…
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How to get the most out of attending a national communications conference
During my career, I’ve attended more than a few of the national communications conferences organized by the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) and the International Association of Business Communicators. The most recent one I attended was 2017 in Boston when I was among the 2,300 attendees at PRSA’s national conference. These conferences can be…
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The instant nature of today’s news: Will your organization be ready when CNN calls?
My hometown newspaper, The Oregonian, reported today that a small airport in the small Oregon city of Hillsboro was the site of a bizarre helicopter hijacking attempt yesterday (July 3). The incident ended when police shot and killed the would-be hijacker. The last paragraph of story caught my eye because it contains an important lesson…
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Communications lessons from almost 40 years of experience
I was among the speakers at the 20th annual Portland Communicators Conference held recently in Portland, Ore. In my presentation, I shared 14 of the lessons I learned from my almost 40 years of working in journalism, public relations and corporate communications. The focus of my remarks was how to survive, thrive and even prepare…
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Two words of advice: Try harder
Many years ago the Avis car rental company’s slogan was “We try harder.” I loved that slogan. The company was acknowledging that it was not as big as market leader Hertz, but that it wanted your business because its staff would try harder to please you (according to an article I read online by AdvertisingAge,…
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Love might mean never having to say you’re sorry, but not when it comes to mistakes by the news media
Many years ago there was a well-known book that became a popular movie in 1970. Both were named “Love Story.” And the most famous lines from that film was, “Love means never having to say you’re sorry.” For years after the film came out you would see that line printed on everything from pillows to…
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Yes, PR is a stressful profession not meant for the faint of heart
The jobs website CareerCast.com has released its annual list of the Most Stressful Jobs of 2014 and it includes something I have known for years but might come as a surprise for those contemplating a career in public relations. According to the web site, the four most stressful jobs, in order, are: 1) Enlisted military…
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New crisis management guidebook includes chapter by Tom Unger, APR, ABC
PR News Press has just published a new “Crisis Management Guidebook Vol. 5”. The 233-page book includes a chapter by Tom Unger, APR, ABC, on the importance of communicating with employees during a crisis. Tom drew upon his more than 32 years of communications experience in writing the chapter. It focuses on maintaining internal communications…
Recent Posts
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- Four keys for comms pros to win the trust of senior executives
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Comments
I view this blog as an outlet for me as an individual to express my opinions and offer advice about…
Great advice, Unger! It's way too easy to treat writing like a task and move on to the next item…