PR and Dream Team

So where do PR and its management function really fit in? Isn’t team work intrinsic to every corporate setting – why should PR be any different? The answer lies in good old fashioned turf wars and these in themselves can affect the whole direction that a project and its potential success or failure will take. The four level framework for excellent PR as discussed by Grunig (Grunig et el 2002 cited Crofts, 2009, p. 15) shows the clear need for concise and efficient productivity by the PR department as a whole, this can only be helped by attaining the ‘dream team’. PR as a function often has to contend with hostility and disdain from other departments –many thinking that PR merely involves paid for lunches and sessions on the golf course, clearly they are wrong but when has that ever stopped people thinking what they want to think. Accountability and transparency can really come into play here – these are core to managing PR; accountability relates to both other departments in the organisation and also as importantly to the client. Transparency is a must and should be demonstrated from the top downwards.
Figure 2.3 Organisational subsystems theory Source: Grunig and Hunt 1984: 9 Managing Public Relations Exploring Public Relations Tench & Yeomans 2nd Edition
This diagram relates to in-house PR departments and shows how apart from just existing in a way that is concerned with external communication and it’s relevant stakeholders – they are there also in the capacity of to a supporting subsystem which is charged with 5 main areas within the setting of internal communication.

So how did it all begin? Whilst I had not previously worked with the other members of the team, there were plenty of opinions offered by peers and tutors as to how suitable and productive they may or may not turn out to be; take it from me that did not help one little bit. it created preconceptions that really weren’t even my own – yes we all like a gossip, especially me however in future I will take great care in allowing myself to form my own opinions, I don’t tend to normally have a problem with that! The fact that the offered opinions did in fact in some cases turn out to be completely accurate didn’t help with supporting this viewpoint but none the less, it should be aimed for at all times.

The workings of a dream team must start with measured and strategic planning, boring it may be to those more creative however it is essential that this is done properly. Group meeting in my setting were the best way of getting to know everybody else and trying to get a feel for how people work, this again didn’t go to well for our group as a people were missing from the initial meeting and we didn’t manage to get together again for nearly a whole week. This gave us an immediate disadvantage along also with not setting out clear boundaries and expectations that we all should have agreed to work to, how can we truly look back and say that out goal in regards to the pitch that we would deliver to the client was united and clear, not forgetting that it meets the brief