This report is written around the key issues
and themes which emerged during the interviews. In our view this
provides the best way of understanding the issues which preoccupy
CEOs about public relations and their own role in reputation management.
In the report we illustrate these with key quotes
from the CEOs and Chairmen we interviewed, before going on to make
the recommendations listed here.
Key Recommendations
- Create the listening organisations - communicators need to be
far more proactive in owning a wide variety of listening methods
throughout the organisation.
- Create more effective corporate radars for issues which could
impact on the business and its key stakeholder relationships.
- Ensure stakeholder mapping to protect key relationships, understand
better the implications of the forthcoming Operating and Financial
Review.
- Communicators not only need to be doers, but become facilitators
for providing messages and skills coaching for all contacts with
key stakeholders.
- Improve training and calibre of PR people (develop their performance
in the art and science of public relations).
- CEOs need to use internal communications more effectively to
ensure they get the best out of their employees and maximise the
chances of increasing discretionary effort.
- CEOs need to recognise that their personal brands need to be
managed as vigorously as their corporate brands. To help them
they need to develop much stronger points of view on issues of
importance to them and the companies they represent.
- CEOs need external public relations advisors “who can
look them in the eye” and sometimes tell them what they
don’t want to hear, but have to know.
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