What children’s books teach us about PR

OK, maybe not that last one. But it is National Read A Book Day, so to celebrate the occasion here’s a rundown of the lessons from some favorite childhood books:

“Miss Nelson is Missing,” by Henry Allard and James Marshall

Miss Nelson is a lovely elementary school teacher with nothing but her pupils’ best intentions at heart. (It must be her first year of teaching.) Unfortunately, her class doesn’t realize how good they’ve got it, and the students make poor Miss Nelson’s life a living H-E-Double-Hockey sticks. (These are children’s books we’re talking about.)

However, when Miss Nelson is replaced for a week by the horrible substitute, Viola Swamp—who bears a very strange resemblance to Miss Nelson—they realize how much they want good ol’ Miss Nelson back.

PR Lesson: Whether you’re on the way up or looking down from Boss Mountain, appreciate those around you—the ones who help you get things done every day. Nobody likes to toil away without being appreciated, so you had better recognize. Or don’t be surprised if your contacts and coworkers turn into real Viola Swamps.

“Harriet The Spy,” by Louise Fitzhugh