6 habits that help PR pros think strategically
PR pros are continually asked to look at the bigger picture—and plan for every possible outcome. Here are some tricks for widening your focus and avoiding careless mistakes.
This article originally appeared on PR Daily in April of 2018.
As a whole, PR pros tend to be much more tactical than strategic.
To become a PR strategic thinker, you have to look at how what you’re going to do fits into the bigger picture.
There are six habits you can cultivate to do just that. Paul J.H. Shoemaker breaks down these habits in his book “Six Habits of True Strategic Thinkers.”
He lists:
Here’s how those traits manifest themselves in a PR pro:
1. Anticipate
Recently, P&G threatened to take its PR and advertising work in-house, as major companies did from 2008 to 2010. It was more cost-effective in a down economy.
History shows that agency work dries up for a few years when the large companies do this, so strategic PR pros (and agency owners) should keep a careful eye on it. In case it begins to happen at other companies, you should have a pivot plan in place to move with the trend.
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