The Newlyweds                                         Baby Hank and Daddy Drew

Dear Friend,

Want to create some buzz in the office? Get married and have a baby! That's what we did, here at TCPR. On January 5, May and I said our "till death do us" parts and became husband and wife. Then on January 8, PR specialist Drew Schadegg and his wife welcomed their first baby boy, Henry Michael (Hank), to the world. Something tells me 2008 is going to be all about family.

These days in the business world, the "F" word (and I mean "family") is almost taboo and many feel work and family don't mix well.  However, it seems to me like work and family overlap in some areas, which coincidentally coincide with aspects of public relations. One thing that public relations professionals understand is that the word "public" really means "people." People within the business (employees) are just as important as those outside of it (media and consumers). Utilizing internal public relations can be a very powerful tool if you understand the following points.

Family Knows Best. In little Tommy's family, his parents knew the most about Tommy's likes, dislikes, wants and needs. Similarly, employees know a lot about their company, definitely more than the outside public. Employees are almost like walking press releases but better because they can interact with the media and consumers and be actively involved in marketing operations. Encourage everyone in the company to "think PR" and turn employees into company advocates.

Families Stick Together. Whenever little Tommy or his parents had a problem or issue, they would gather around the dinner table to discuss and resolve it. That same sort of open, deal-with-problems-directly policy should be applied in the work area. Currently the economy is going through difficult times making many businesses unstable. Now more than ever, companies need the support of a dedicated workforce. Companies also need to make sure that employees, as a group or individually, can express their concerns and know their concerns are being heard and addressed. During such tough times, the outside public will wonder and ask about internal relations, so keeping employees together and motivated will make an organization look very good.

Support Your Family. When little Tommy won his softball game back in the third grade, his parents took him to the ice cream shop in celebration of his victory. Successes in the workplace should likewise be rewarded and even made company news. Recognize individual accomplishments and applaud notable group progress. This encourages the entire office to work hard and work well together and support one another in all efforts. Good business and good reputation always result from good employment.

Good public relations on the inside will generate good public relations on the outside. Better internal relations creates employees who are good spokespeople for the business, thereby creating better external relations. Make your company like a happy, tight-knit family and you will see consistent, positive results.