An effective public relations department handles the image of a company and maintains it to a high standard in the eyes of the public, employees, investors, and stakeholders alike. To do this, it must maintain high levels of productivity and work rate, and there are some key pointers below on how to achieve this in your business.
Effective organization
This is relevant for all departments in your business, but especially so for a team that feeds off organization and structure. Keeping office spaces clean and tidy allows for more effective working and prevents distractions or obstacles. Organization of this kind comes in both a physical and a mental form: physically, you could consider using cardboard baling to reduce clutter or a new desk layout to improve collaboration; while mentally it might be useful to review how schedules and diaries are utilized in your office.
Having an organized workplace that runs smoothly allows workers to get on doing what they do best.
Use conference rooms to the maximum of their potential
If there is a particularly complex matter than needs resolving, then think about how you can use a conference room. Conference rooms focus the mind and remove the distractions of the rest of the office, and if you have a deadline for coming up with a solution then the team will work faster and harder. Your conference rooms should be properly equipped—spacious enough to fit your whole team in but small enough to concentrate, with whiteboards, projectors, and flip charts. Place a sign on the outside saying the meeting should not be disturbed, and if possible, include members from other teams in the task. Even those without PR training will be useful to you when improving productivity in the short term; an outsider’s view often provides solutions you had never thought of.
Take breaks properly
A break should not be ten minutes away from work where employees are still stressing and mulling over their tasks. Ensure you have break spaces and facilities that allow staff to switch off from their professional lives for a short time and, more importantly, be comfortable and relaxed. Properly rested and not overworked employees are likely to be more productive when they do sit back at their desk.
Thoughtful delegation
If you are a team leader, delegation is your responsibility and you should use it wisely. It can help to have a large number of people working on one issue when that issue is urgent, but largely, your team should be working across the board to ensure fantastic public relations. Know your team inside out and delegate the right work to the right individuals. Importantly, you should listen to the qualms or feedback that workers have about your delegation, as it will help you do it better next time. For instance, if you are approached by a member of your team who tells you that they don’t feel comfortable carrying out a certain task, or that they feel somebody else is better suited to it, do not dismiss this outright. Consider their comments and encourage a working environment where staff can be honest.
PR staff are fantastic communicators and you should allow them to be just that with you, as much as they are with external contacts.
