Self-expression is an ongoing challenge for most people, and it is especially delicate in a business setting. While each person has a unique point of view, for some, it can take time, experience, and the right setting to feel comfortable sharing an opinion. For others, it is easier to speak up but confusing to figure out the best way to be effective. This challenge can be exacerbated when one is new to an organization and a team is fully enmeshed, or the person has great instincts but less comparative experience. It is worth honing the skills of identifying and owning your voice - and it starts with having the confidence to recognize your value.
In the communications industry, there is a great balance between creative and process-oriented tasks - and this can impact how decisions among a team are made. While creativity drives long-term success in businesses, oftentimes out-of-the-box thinking can also be highly subjective. Ideally, a team draws upon diverse experiences to enable each person to express themselves. Yet, it can still be tough to make final decisions when everyone has such great input and valid insights. Equipped with the best of the team’s ideas, the leader needs to make the call while making the team feel heard as well. A Harvard Business School study found that NASA employees aim for managerial approval rather than other methods of validation. The researcher asserts that this leads to a dearth of innovation. The study implies that a company must have a creative edge to remain at the top of the aerospace industry. By working towards growth instead of approval, organizations can create innovative synergies or can create an energy that is palpable across the entire team.
During a Pursuit Grad session, we interviewed Nicole Bott, Director of Communications at Red Lobster. Nicole offered valuable ideas regarding best practices on these important professional development topics. She imparted wisdom from us based on her leadership experience at multiple top PR firms and through her transition to an in-house role at Red Lobster. Her insights demonstrate the inherent value of feedback and using evidence to support creative decisions.
In my fortunate experience working with Nicole, I saw firsthand how she was able to work with both humility and confidence to get her points across - even when she was new to an organization and charged with significant responsibility for a new, important client immediately. I asked her how she felt comfortable doing so, and much of this had to do with her experience and use of research. When faced with conflicting ideas, she leaned into her own expertise and leveraged case studies about what works and does not work in specific scenarios. This helped her make the right decisions and efficiently build consensus.
In the public relations field, the art of persuasion is perpetual in all aspects of work. One needs to engage with team members, superiors, clients, the media, and additional stakeholders and find the connective tissue that bridges multiple needs and interests. By factoring into account what has proven to work, one can apply learnings to varied situations - and be more successful in both developing a strategy and explaining it to others. In the military, case studies are used to improve cognitive decision-making skills and complex strategies. It would behoove more creatives to follow this approach. By reviewing case studies, people can uncover information that can shape best practices to influence decision-making. These materials allow people to take a level-headed approach to crisis situations, leading them to act quickly but not hastily.
Since Pursuit PR has operated as a remote organization since its inception, we have valued accountability and ownership among our team. We adopt a specialist model where we value each team member and their unique expertise. We remain open to new ways of thinking - whether it is a different approach to reach the same result or a different spin on the best outcomes. When we engage in healthy conversations, like Nicole, we evaluate ideas and support our collective recommendations with case studies, experience, and thoughtful analysis.
The need for research and experience-backed ideas showcases the three Cs of communication: creativity, critical thinking and context creation. Combined, empirical evidence, consulting with peers, leveraging experience, and leaning on mentors support strong decision-making even in subjective or creative fields.