Most of us working for organizations larger or smaller nonetheless, have witnessed the high-flying but “less competent” co-workers of ours passing us by in a breeze and getting that promotion without breaking a sweat. We usually feel it is an unfair twist of fate to our detriment. Also, in our daily endeavours, we all had disappointing instances where our efforts to persuade the management on the suitability of our plans simply went to waste, while a totally uninformed and largely mistaken statement of a co-worker was highly appreciated and even accepted. All that to the detriment of our personal development and the company’s well being.
Deep inside we know why this is happening. They have better PR than we do!
Public relations (PR) is an unappreciated function. Although for some companies in specific industries public relations with external bodies and partners are instrumental to success, in most companies PR have lost their meaning. They have been limited to personal relationship management between employees and executives within the company. Thus PR become an internal instrument for personal “within the business” development.
Although for some it’s a tough thing to admit, internal PR are key to any executive’s success. We all recognize that we prefer to work with people we like. So does the management. Usually we “like-back” those who “like us first”, even if more often than not, the latter are not authentic in their preference of us but rather self-interested. Also, being the managers of others, we tend to prefer to have people working for us that like us or pleasantly agree with us, as it is difficult to cope with hardship and disagreement on a daily basis and on a multitude of issues. So we like them when they like us and when they are easy going.
As a benchmark of our own behavior, it would be beneficial to sit back and calmly think about our choices of people when ourselves had the opportunity to have someone promoted. How much did our personal preference play a role on that proposal for promotion versus actual performance? Being even more objective, if we had a detective, a “private-eye” investigating us in depth what would be uncovered as far as our personal relations with the promoted individual are concerned? What would some Private Investigation reveal about us?
I believe that such results would constitute a well expected surprise!
Myself, on one hand, I admit to preferential treatment of specific employees. I liked them for my own reasons and I promoted their case. Of course, it would be dumb if I promoted someone that would not be able to do the job. I have never done that. At the same time, If I cannot stand being at the same room with a specific person how can I work with them day in and day out?
On the other hand, I sincerely state that I have been the victim of preferential treatment of others. A victim of actions that had severe consequences on my career at the time and for many years to follow.
Is this wrong or is it as life at work should be? Is this bad for the company or is it part of having its personnel amalgamated? Are the internal public and personal relations harming the organization? Could they be part of it’s culture?
As long as the job is done, such processes are within the company’s targets and scope! It is a fact. In an organization, functions, divisions and people alike have to be aligned with the vision. They also have to be aligned with the way of the company. Tactics are a part of the operational implementation that takes place daily and have to be aligned also. All people have to be aligned with the company, the hierarchy and the strategy, except if one needs to innovate. But even in that case alignment is again necessary only it is the innovator the one who has the obligation to achieve it as he is the one that has to align the management with his views. All executives as well as the innovator and other marginal or borderline job holders have to have good internal relations, otherwise they are not nice to work with and are put aside with time.
Public relations (PR) is indeed an unappreciated function. Part of their “meaning” should be to improve personal relationship management between employees and executives within the company as PR is also an internal instrument for personal “within the business” development.
Executives with better internal relations are better executives, they are successfully aligned with their environment and this is not an easy task at all.
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