The old joke about college and university alumni magazines is that everyone browses through the class notes to find ex-classmates, then dumps the magazine in the recycle bin or the trash can. I have to admit that when I do open my alma mater’s alumni magazine that is precisely what I do. In all the […]
Read more →At its highest level, public relations is a counseling function that requires practitioners to give sound and thoughtful advice to the leadership of an organization. Having served a good number of university presidents in this role during my career, I have come to the conclusion that courage is right at the top on the list […]
Read more →Once upon a time presentations were made without PowerPoint. Venerable public relations pros vaguely remember the ancient times when keyboards were essential parts of typewriters, facsimile machines were critical office equipment and people had conversations without pulling out their mobile phones to check Facebook or “tweet.” The finest conference presenter I have ever seen used […]
Read more →They’ve got a bank of TV monitors in the gym where I work out at lunchtime and it gives me choices. I can suffer through the insipid banter from the sports “experts” at ESPN, keep up with local news, reminisce during “The Andy Griffith Show,” or just go brain dead watching a network talk show […]
Read more →Got another huge packet the other day. Several packets, in fact. They don’t all fit in a single inter-office envelope. They come in varieties of shapes and sizes, but they all have common characteristics. They are colorful. They are hugely self-serving. And they are an enormous waste of time, energy and resources. What should I […]
Read more →When I left Carnegie Mellon University some years back my friends and colleagues threw me a terrific farewell party. I will always remember that event, and I will always remember those friends and colleagues with a special fondness and appreciation. Those folks made my time in Pittsburgh a highlight of my professional life. One of […]
Read more →The Moody Blues did a tune called “The Balance” back in 1972. It did not get a lot of attention even though it was on a fairly successful album called “A Question of Balance” that featured the hit song, “Question.” “The Balance” advises us to consider the origins of some of our feelings and perspectives, […]
Read more →Those of us who have been in PR management for many years know there is a lot of what former Carnegie Mellon University president and good friend Robert Mehrabian calls “block and tackle.” You come to work each day and execute your plan by nailing down the details and simply getting the job done. Most […]
Read more →Greatly enjoyed the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) Senior Summit, the annual conference of PRSA’s Counselors to Higher Education section. I was honored to have the opportunity to participate on two April 17 panels, one on career transitions, the other on preparation for presidential changes. My remarks on career transition focused on the extraordinary […]
Read more →Looking forward to participating in a panel discussion on presidential transitions at the annual meeting of the Counselors to Higher Education section of the Public Relations Society of America on April 17 in Washington, D.C. I’ve been fortunate enough to survive a number of leadership changes during my career, and I know it can be […]
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