The Real Purpose of a Face Mask

This past fall I was sitting in the stands at a high school football game with one of my best friends Jill. We had a very interesting conversation that went somewhat like this:

Jill: When I was young, I thought the purpose of a face mask was so that the coaches had something to grab when talking to the players.

Me: BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! 

In all reality, her perception regarding face masks was in a twisted sort of way... logical. I'm sure we have all heard the saying "look at me when I'm talking to you" at some point in our lives. Well in a little more abrupt way, that is exactly what the coaches were doing. By grabbing the face mask of the player, the coaches were able to make certain they had the players complete attention. By grabbing hold of the face mask, a coach was able to re-direct the players attention and encourage him to "zone in" on what was being communicated to him. Granted there might be a less abrupt way, but I'll save that discussion for another day.

Last week, more than ever, I realized how appropriate and important it sometimes is for a PR Pro to grab a hold of a face mask (or two, or three) within their organization when certain situations arise. When it is absolutely necessary for a PR Pro to engage in tough conversations with not-so-willing individuals, we have to have the courage to grab them by the face mask and communicate in a way that ensures the accurate message is both conveyed and equally received. Sometimes it takes grabbing individuals by the face mask to make sure they are zoned in to what you are saying, but more importantly that they understand at the same time.

Because buzz words are big in PR, I'm going to share how some are fitting for this post:

• Transparency: It's best to tell people the truth, no matter how uncomfortable your message might be. This is especially true during challenging situations. So grab their attention and lay it ALL out.
• Big Picture: It's human nature to focus on "the now," but sometimes individuals need to be gently reminded that their actions, messages and behaviors are not what is best for the big picture organizationally, no matter how pretty the personal picture might seem.
• Urgency: As PR Pro's we need to determine the urgency of a message and determine if action is immediately necessary or if it can be delayed. If we (PR Pro's) over use the sense of urgency with organizational leaders, when a valid, urgent situation arises, they might not be as quick to embrace the perceived urgency.

Special Note: As many miles as I have gotten out of the previous conversation with Jill she deserves some kudos...introducing Capelli Design Group. Jill and her husband are a dynamic duo as a licensed landscape architect and licensed interior designer. Check out their website at http://www.capellidesigngroup.com/ and keep them in mind for your next project.

Picture: Jill and I after we ran the White Rock 1/2 Marathon in December 2009.  Look like crap, but you would too after 13.1 miles...just sayin!

Big Guns Hochuli: The Power of the Stripes

There are quarterbacks, receivers, lineman and water boys…but have you ever stopped to think about the importance of a referee and the impact they have on the outcome of a game? The referee generally has control of the game and is the final decision-maker on the field. Most people have their favorite football team, player and coach, but how many have a favorite referee? Let me introduce you to the man I refer to as “Big Guns Hochuli” and my favorite NFL referee.

The nickname “Big Guns Hochuli” is based on the fact that his triceps are as big as my thighs and with every call he makes, his actions are flexed, drawn-out and intentional (as in, intentionally flexing his arms). Regardless of his physical appearance, his on field presence and knowledge of the game has earned him great respect by players, coaches and the general NFL population. And the fact that he played football for UTEP doesn't hurt him any in my book. The referee monitors, determines, explains, announces and positions himself in every aspect of the game. You want him to be considered part of your "homer crew." (A homer crew, for those not-so-football-savvy readers, is an officiating crew that you would select if you had a choice of who you wanted to call your game...kind of like home field advantage).

More often than not, PR Pros need to be treated as your own personal "Big Guns Hochuli." You want them on your side and calling your game. PR Pros are typically all over the "field" within your organization and work with every department, have contact with all stakeholders and represent the organization at many levels. Much like a referee, a PR Pro monitors (past, present and future situations and circumstances), determines (plans of actions, appropriate communication channels and organizational health), explains (processes, procedures, programs and possible pitfalls), announces (accomplishments, changes, strategies and even shortcomings) and positions themselves as integral parts of the organization and organizational community.

Consider yourself lucky because I am about to provide you with one of the few things you need to know in order to maximize the benefits your PR Pro can offer you and your organization: Respect the power of the stripes.

Respect the unique position PR Pro's hold. Who else willingly stands in front of a camera in the midst of a crisis? Positions themselves in the line-of-fire to represent you or your organization when controversy arises? Will purposely take on the role of devil's advocate to encourage analysis of all possible scenarios, situations or outcomes with the CEO and his cabinet?

Most importantly, respect their on field presence and knowledge of the (pr)game.

If you stop and think about the impact a referee has on the outcome of the game, you will  appreciate their importance and find yourself searching for your own "Big Guns Hochuli" or making sure you keep your "Big Guns Hochuli" as part of your homer crew.

Image source: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/extramustard/04/23/hot.clicks/

"If it's easy, it's greasy!"

One of the very first football plays I learned to recognize was the screen pass. For those of you who are not football fanatics, the screen pass is an attempt into fooling the defense into thinking that a long pass is being thrown, when in reality it's going to be a short pass. The fun part of a screen pass, if executed correctly, is that defensive players start salivating at the mouth because they have the false sense that they are about to layout the quarterback and make a great defensive play. They are sadly mistaken when right before they "light-up" the quarterback, he throws a short pass over them to his offensive player of choice. Therefore, a defensive player should live by the mantra, "if it's easy, it's greasy," meaning, that if you are getting past the offensive line untouched and you are salivating at the thought of laying out the quarterback without any effort, you need to stop in your tracks and start back peddling to break-up the infamous screen pass...if it's easy to get through, it's a greasy play. On the other hand, if you execute a screen pass well, it can earn you an excessive celebration penalty for your rockin' dance moves you performed in the end zone...which means you scored...which is a good thing.

According to the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) one of the functions of a public relations professional is "anticipating, analyzing, and interpreting public opinion, attitudes and issues that might impact, for good or ill, the operations and plans of the organization." As a public relations professional, I often find myself on both sides of the screen pass ( I prefer to be on the offensive side). However, in all reality, a great deal of my job is spent on the defensive side anticipating, analyzing and interpreting the screen pass. The screen pass can take on the appearance of a crisis (or potential crisis), a negative perception of the organization or the necessity to accurately communicate information when inaccuracies are already in circulation.

A good PR Pro will respect the "if it's easy, it's greasy" mantra and analyze the past, present and future organizational status while anticipating, analyzing and interpreting situations that have, or will, present themselves. So if you are a PR Pro (or work with a PR Pro) that is satisfied with your organizational image and you are spending a lot of time perfecting your "celebration dance," you need to sit back and say, "if it's easy, it's greasy" start back peddling and break-up the play (prevent the crisis, communicate accuracies, etc.) before you find yourself watching the other teams celebration dance!