Watching the presidential race unfold over the last year and a half has taught me that there were two sides of the fence you can be on when discussing the candidates and their plans for the future of our country:
A. You support one candidate, understand what their plan is, and offer your own opinions on what additional ways we can solve problems that face our country & communities
B. You support one candidate
If voting has taught me anything, it’s to pay attention what people are saying, internalize it, and then form my own opinion based on personal beliefs of what can and can’t work to improve our country. John Adams once said:
“Always vote for principle, though you may vote alone, and you may cherish the sweetest reflection that your vote is never lost.”
In other words, it’s taking pride in the right to vote because of rational judgment and not because you “feel” better about one candidate over another. Seems that this the only way to exercise the right to vote and walk away like you have accomplished something and made a difference in the only microscopic way you can. Supporting political candidates is more about examining where they stand on issues and deciphering demeanor or poise during a debate. It’s also understanding what issues are the ones that deserve immediate attention, what solutions could be the best to solve those issues, and how we will get there.
As 2012 begins to wind down, now is the time to start back burnering ideas that you think will work to power through 2013 as your best year yet. If you work for a company like mine, the C-level has already started to plant seeds of expectation to improve ROI and boost results across the board. Chances are you already may have sat in a planning meeting or two discussing preliminary ideas and strategies for next year.
What ideas will you bring to the table when next year’s plans are due? Part of your PR foundation should be the ability to immediately recognize and understand how what you do every day has to be documented and measured against the results you achieve. Just as you have measurements for increasing revenues, improving margins, or driving more leads, it’s also important to mentally track the steps that worked and didn’t so you can capitalize on the positives. It’s impossible to plan for the future absent of a conceptual road map of the route that got you where you are today.
Envision your job as a PR professional as being in public office where you have to continually earn the right to fulfill another term in office lest be “voted out” and looking elsewhere for the next step in your career. This time of year, one of the best ways you can prove your value beyond the obvious is to start early on next year’s plan and be prepared to offer an intelligent opinion of what direction you think is in the best interest of your company or client.
What will you do in your next term?