Thanks BEDB

Coming into BEDB, I had imagined my 2 month experience filled with mundane tasks of photocopying documents and fetching coffee and biscuits for my colleagues. However, when told I would be starting off in MIP at an “Officer” level with a monthly allowance, my entire perception changed. From then on, I knew I would be taken seriously and given substantial work to do in my time at MIP.

Given the nature of MIP’s line of work, I had expected the work ethics of MIP to be serious and up to a point where humor would be considered taboo. However, my supervisor, Ms. Jodie Lim, made it clear to me that MIP’s culture is very informal. It was amazing to see how my colleagues were able to mix work and play on a daily basis but yet maintaining a high level of productivity in the office. From exchanging banter to boost morale of one another during the most stressful of situations to working late into the night, the work ethos of MIP is truly unique. The experience of learning and working with such dedicated and talented individuals in MIP is one I will never forget.

Morale

In my four weeks of interning in BEDB, i've learned that the practice of maintaining positive employee relations is key to any successful organization. Take Google as an example, employees working at its “Googleplex” are treated to all hour gourmet food, volleyball/basketball courts and even Segways to travel in and around the complex! With all these benefits, no wonder their employees can come up with side projects such as Google Earth! Google is a perfect example of how happy employees can contribute more compared to a disgruntled one. With that said, the question for today is "how does your organization keep employee's morale up?"

I've heard fellow interns speak of annual dinners and company picnics while some have told tales of their bosses buying everyone breakfast! (All sarcasm aside, food is regarded as a veritable component of Brunei's work ethos). Here in BEDB, we have gatherings such as "Birthday Babies" which is held monthly to celebrate those with birthdays falling on that particular month. I don't know what you think, but to me there exists a budding sense of camaraderie each time "happy birthday" is sung collectively. At times, work can get really stressful and it's always nice to have moments where employees are given a chance to disregard all matters of seriousness and share light-hearted moments with one another.

Aside from "Birthday Babies" BEDB's Stakeholder Relations Division also conducts motivational seminars called "Different Faces of Brunei" to increase staff awareness of the achievements, aspirations, ideas and views of Bruneian entrepreneurs from different walks of life. Just last week, a musician-cum-entrepreneur talked to us about our goals in life. What was particularly interesting about the talk was how she managed to relate life with music. Thanks to this talk, i now have a positive outlook on the future and have a stronger will to perform better in the work place.

I've noticed that everyone leaves these gatherings with a smile on their faces. Seeing my colleagues disappearing off to their departments laughing with one another pays homage to the phrase, "all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy."

From a PR standpoint, always remember that the most important stakeholder is not the organization who pays your wages, mind you, but the employees of the organization!

Have a good week, guys!

Public relations?

Greetings everyone!

I’m into the second week of interning at Brunei Economic Development Board and what an experience it has been! Although BEDB has a Stakeholder Relations Division (SRD), I’ve instead been assigned a role in BEDB’s Marketing and Investment Promotion Division (MIP). I’m pretty sure most of you are thinking, “hang on a minute this is a PR module. What on earth is he doing interning at a marketing department?” To be completely honest, if this was an entry by another person - I would ask the same question. However, I urge you to stop reading at this point and question, “Is PR really that different from marketing?”

I remember vaguely the days where my lecturer would try at her very best to ingrain the concept of PR and how it differs from marketing into our minds. As third year students, we should already by now have an iron grip on the fundamentals of PR, right? Guess I should’ve paid more attention in class, eh?

As my first task, my supervisor gave me the responsibility of producing a video based on an emerging industry in Brunei. I was advised to set up meetings with local manufacturers (stakeholders?) and ask for their opinions and feedback (isn’t this PR work?). At the end of every meeting, a contact report —which has to be e-mailed to everyone in the department— detailing what went on during the meetings is required. The report also includes issues raised in the meetings as well as a proposed course of action to be taken (a follow up?). I found this an excellent way of communication as you not only get your ideas across but it also keeps everyone in the loop. Oh and before I forget, a few days ago my supervisor had to prepare a press release and attend a press conference. I didn’t know that marketing dealt with press releases as well (or maybe it’s just my department?).

In my opinion, marketing and PR shares the same basic principles and should not be treated as polar opposites. Both disciplines pay great attention to research, creativity and communication (read contact report). Although my internship experience has rendered my already blurry understanding of PR to cloudy skies with zero percent chance of visibility, I am thankful for it. I’ve now realized that in the real world, a PR practitioner’s role is constantly evolving into other roles not only confined within the four walls of a PR department. What do you think?