Well here I am again, and yes I am aware of the significant time gap between my previous post and this one. Working in an office it is very easy to loose track of time especially when so much time is spent scouring the net in the aid of research and the answers all seem to elude you, then you ring a government department and they give you the run around and before you know it, its tomorrow. That brings me to the two lessons that I was previously aware of but can now really appreciate. Achieves and networking, i.e. the ability to have information quickly and from sources that are credible and reliable.
First archiving; Tasks such as writing correspondence become so much easier if you know a bit about the individual such as age, affiliations or previous discussions they’ve had with the organisation or office. If they have written-in numerous times complaining about this or that you can start to see how this particular letter might be part of a larger concern of theirs which needs to be treated as a whole. For example if a constituent were to complain about the service they get from the local council, you try and get to the bottom of it for them, but if they have a history of complaining about council and it started after it was demanded a basketball ring had to be pulled down, you start to understand how the letter that has come across your desk is part of a larger conversation going on. This will help you tailor your response and not contradict a previous communication to them as well as better understanding about what they are really looking for.
Other tasks such as direct mail are also easier as well as being more effective (targeted) if you can generate a relevant list of individuals quickly from an archive that also allows you to segment along numerous lines. During the week we were trying to draw senior’s attention to the fact they can get a cost of living rebate. A targeted media release to all local media and a direct mail letter sent to all seniors that have been identified as being the most in need. Having an archive is invaluable when you are working with a year long budget and are constantly trying not to waste time, money or effort and sending an update about a senior’s subsidy to a 30 year old professional is just a waste of time, money and effort. So being able to segment the public and target a specific audience through a continually updated resource such as an archive is invaluable. But I already knew that, to a degree, what I really appreciate now is how important it is for you to not only use these sources but to also add to them and it is only with practice and continual research that I am starting to fully grasp all the millions of pieces of info that could prove useful at a later date. This ‘eyes opening’ first occurs when you have to research an item or individual that you yourself added to the system and you discover how what you did then can save or cost you time now. You get to the point where you are constantly asking yourself should I put this in the archive will it prove useful what else can I add?
The second aspect of Public relations that I always heard was important, always knew was important but I suppose didn’t appreciate to the fullest was networking. The week before last I was given a research task which included delivering a briefing at the end. It involved contacting government departments, trying to get information that was meant to be publicly available and getting my hands on documents that backed up the facts. But when you ring up government departments or worse government enterprises looking for this feasibility study or that report the voice on the other end of the line starts to break and you can hear the carefree secretary or admin worker start to think ‘why did I pick up the phone?’, ‘I could see it was an outside number’ and you know at that point unless your forceful you’re on a hiding to nothing as your told to call enquiry desks or told that despite websites referencing IT’s existence, IT doesn’t exist, or that’s what the once friendly secretary tries to suggest to you. This is when you finally go to the head of the office and tell them you’re out of ideas of how to get your hands on documents that should be easy to get your hands on, it’s then that your given a phone number and a name of someone that might be able to help, you call and it turns out that they not only have handy tips in dealing with reticent public servants but can also supply phone numbers and email addresses of others who may well be able to circumvent the department holding the information and get it from a third party who has already attained a copy. A couple of phone calls later, an email as well and all of a sudden a package is in the mail, a feasibility study has been emailed in PDF format and you start thinking ‘hey, I might end up not looking so incompetent in this meeting after all’ and then you remember it was not down to you but it was that small piece of paper with 10 digits which opened you up to a whole network of individuals who did a lot of the work for you.
Well that’s it for me for the moment. I hope anyone, if anyone besides the lovely Katharina, reads this at all you take from it what I did, which is; ‘who you know informs what you know and what you know makes all the difference in the long run.’
No comments:
Post a Comment