For all of the entertainment, information access, and cross-country connections technology affords us, it can really do a number on your soul and psyche. In the September issue of Her Nashville magazine, I offer up three ways to keep technology from re-wiring our brains and zapping our productivity. A teaser:

Force your focus:”While new media multitasking is great, science studies show it may not always be best for our brains. In June, The New York Times reported that scientists have discovered that online multitasking may lead to fractured thinking and lack of focus when offline.”

Stop stalking: “The inherent compare and contrast — and the tendency to dwell on it — that accompanies constantly reading about others’ lives isn’t healthy for you, and it isn’t fair to your friends.”

Leave a morsel of mystery: “Lean on your actual friends and family for help, attention, advice, and encouragement. Meanwhile, share just enough online to keep virtual friends updated, making sure not to upload your entire diary.”

Read the full column here!

When someone asks you, “what do you do?” What do you say? If you’re like many folks, you reply with your title and place of employment. And you know how I feel about that: communicating your title is not really answering the question and certainly doesn’t promote your talents. It’s time to create your personal boilerplate; your own thirty-second elevator speech; a verbal “About Me” that is sincere, to-the-point and purposeful.

This is an exercise in consistently and confidently communicating your own skills, talents and line of work. Without apology! Without shame! Even if you have a title that you view as demeaning or wrong! This is especially important if you are a jack-of-all-trades and it’s hard for you to explain what you do!

I’ll go first. When someone asks me, “What do you do,” I say something like:

I manage public relations at a national policy shop in D.C.—helping very smart and often long-winded folks succinctly and confidently communicate with media and policy makers. I’m also a technology and productivity columnist, and a go-to gal for the social media curious. And I blog about PR and geek stuff on my personal blog, FlackRabbit.com.

Now, it’s your turn. Warning: it is harder than it looks. The good news: you don’t have to memorize it; it can in should be organic. And it may change according to your audience.

When creating your personal boilerplate, try to think about the following:

What do you do? Notice that I did not ask what your title is. Explain to me what you do in a way that I’ll likely understand, even if I don’t know anything about your line of work. For instance, most folks know what public relations is, but not many folks understand what it means. That’s why I include some detail to nudge them in the right direction. Additionally, you should include skills and interests that make you, you. I don’t write a technology column or pen a blog as a part of my day job, but both are a relevant part of my professional work and skill set, so I include them in “what I do.” Read More…

I’m so happy I have a contact form on this website. I get a steady stream of mail from you folks; mostly with questions about breaking into the public relations industry, how to handle various PR issues or a comment about one of my Her Nashville columns.

Today’s question comes from new reader JM:

I’m a recent graduate who just moved into the Nashville area from California and have found myself to be one of the millions of fish in the employ-me-sea. Any advice/tips for a upward minded new guy?

FlackRabbit says:

Dear JM: You’ll love Nashville. I was born in raised there. I moved to D.C. a year and a half ago, but Nashville will always be home. Family and friends are still there; I still write for Her Nashville magazine; many Nashville folks believe I still live there. Here’s three ways a recent grad can stand out in Music City:

Talk to strangers: many fantastic job opportunities are discovered by word-of-mouth, so start meeting folks! A great way to meet fellow recent grads and potential employers is through Meetup.com. That’s where the Nashville Flacks PR happy hour lives; the first meetup is Tuesday, August 10 in downtown Nashville.  If you don’t find a Meetup group that suits your fancy, start your own. That’s what I did when I moved to D.C. and DC Flacks now has 270 members! After you meet someone new, stay connected with them with LinkedIn. Read More…

I’ve been tremendously fortunate to have smart, candid folks looking after my best interest early on and throughout my PR career. Here’s a list of six statements various mentors–including bosses, friends and family–have made to me. I’m ever so grateful; I would not be where I am today had they not uttered these words:

“Your writing sucks”–if one of my first bosses had not been so honest, I would not have made it my mission to become a strong, confident writer. I promise to keep working at it, SH.

“You interrupt people too much”–I like to talk. Thankfully, one of my early mentors told me to take a breath and listen to folks more often. That Lady is a one smart lady. But um, I’m much better with not interrupting folks at work than I am at home…sorry, honey!

“You are memorable”–when hear these words, it is always an “ah-ha!” moment. It’s true, folks I work with usually don’t forget me–for better or for worse. Now I realize that my memorable personality is half of what makes me a successful public relations professional; once you understand your unique skill set, you can then learn how to leverage it to achieve your goals. Hat tip to Barbara, Dave, Joe and John for helping me figure this one out.

“If someone asks for your opinion, give it”–you are a PR pro, not a “yes” man. If someone asks for your opinion in a meeting or your edits to a document–give them. With confidence. If you truly don’t have anything to contribute, re-assess your role in the project. Wise words from a wise gal. Thanks, Jen! Read More…

I could actually hear your collective eye roll. I’m sure there are times when you’d rather be forced to sit through the Transformers sequel again than talk about metrics. And Lord knows you hate writing memos. But humor me and read these three reasons why you should learn to embrace both:

1. Measuring things helps you prove your worth: There’s no easy way to say this: new media offers communications professionals the opportunity to document, track and measure just about every aspect of our productivity and if you’re not taking advantage of it, you’re crazy. Metrics are not just for corporations and/or folks who like to avoid doing things unless they are measurable. Metrics give you proof that your ideas, risks and strategies work. That people are moved by/take action because of what you are doing. And that, my friends, makes you an in-demand pro. Flacks who measure things are getting hired left and right because they can prove they know what they’re talking about. Can you?

2. Writing things down shows you’re a strategist: Memos are a total buzz-kill after your brainstorming session. I get it. But don’t let taking a moment to put your FABULOUS/CRAZY/INNOVATIVE idea down on paper get you down. I guarantee that when you write it down in a clear, thoughtful way, you’ll actually think of more fabulous/crazy/innovative ideas. Writing stuff down also helps you troubleshoot your obstacles, as well as think through how the heck you’re going to sell this idea to your boss, client or board. Most importantly, a well-written memo shows you have the attention span to be strategic. Always a good quality–but not always present–in a PR pro. Read More…

Today, I had the privilege presenting alongside D.C. arts professionals Robert Pullen (Kennedy Center)  and Greg Stevens (American Association of Museums) on a career development and personal branding panel at the American University Emerging Arts Leaders Symposium. Clearly, I was not asked to speak about my arts administration expertise; I was there to talk with folks about lessons I’ve learned in paving my desired career path.

My advice to the smart and driven men and women in the room today was simply this:

• Be memorable–some of the most amazing opportunities/clients of my career were the result of someone having met and worked with me–and months or years later–thinking of me when a challenge arose that required my skill set and personality. Are you memorable? …in a good way?
• Be ready–I know Chris Brogan isn’t a big fan of business cards, but Margie Newman is.  When you run into a person who matters/gal you’d love to work for at the Whole Foods, hockey game or trendy coffee shop and they ask how they can contact you, will you be ready? I know, I know. You love technology and this is the year 2010, etc., but you seriously can’t count on everyone having the Bump app for the iPhone/Android.
• Be a communicator–you’ve got your Master’s degree in X and a passion for X and Y. That’s great, but if you want someone to hire you, you must be able to translate and articulate what that degree and passion means to his company. Stop being so humble (that doesn’t get you any where in a job search) and tell me: What do I gain by hiring you? How are you different? What do you have to offer that others do not? These questions must not only be answered verbally, but also on your resume. Read More…

{Today’s guest post comes from veteran crisis comm guy, Adam Hollingsworth, who offers up three rules for keeping the public’s trust when communicating in the midst of chaos.}

Toyota just can’t seem to get it right.  And every PR flack worth his or her salt knows it.

Toyota was slow to respond to initial reports of uncontrolled acceleration in some of its vehicles.  Their corporate suits have been defensive in both media interviews and Congressional testimony.  And, worst of all, they have been less than sympathetic to the victims of the malfunctions.

Taking these three major gaffes together, Toyota has struck out when it comes to maintaining public trust.  And it looks like they’ve forgotten one of life’s great lessons: You never have a second chance to make a first impression.

That’s particularly true in a crisis.

Having advised a number of Fortune 500 companies through headline-grabbing crises, I know that navigating the bright lights of public scrutiny is hard work.  It’s also an inexact science where even the best-intentioned can stumble.  However, over the years, I’ve developed a few key rules that must be followed – including, by the way, giving the PR folks an equal seat at the table as soon as a nightmare strikes. Read More…