PRSSAPritch

You simply MUST read the sidebar story on page 17 of the summer issue of PRSA’s “The Public Relations Strategist” titled “5 Common Characteristics of CEOs!” I’ll probably never be a CEO, but this article still tells me a lot about how to be a great PRSSA Faculty Adviser:

1. Passionate curiosity: Bryant writes that CEOs “share stories about failures and doubts and mistakes” and that “they wonder why things work the way they do and whether those things can be improved upon.” If we’re not sharing our stories about failure and doubt and mistakes…appropriately, of course…we aren’t fully doing our job to prepare our students for the business world. Heck, half of my most important lessons came from my mistakes. I’d sure hate for my students to have to make the same ones. We should also be constantly questioning how our Chapters are working and what we can improve upon.
2. Battle-hardened confidence: Bryant equates this “to a positive attitude mixed with a sense of purpose and determination.” Our students face so much negativity every day that I really feel it’s up to us to instill in them a confidence and passion about what they do and will do. Equally as important, we need to help them develop their goals focusing not just on the short term, this academic year, but on the longer “legacy” view of the organization. Talk about helping them become part of something bigger than themselves!
3. Team smarts: Bryant describes this as “the ability to recognize the players the team needs and how to bring them together around a common goal.” In addition to helping them take the long view on things, I think it’s also important for us to suggest and recommend the right people for the right job. I’m not saying we should EVER be in the middle of their elections or campaigning, but a little friendly encouragement to someone who you see has potential is often all it takes to get somebody to run for office. I also think we can help them put aside petty differences and work better together when we remind them occasionally that this is their organization! In my experience, that helps them set aside personal feelings in a hurry.
4. A simple mind-set: Bryant points out that leaders want presentations that are brief and to-the-point, that people “place a greater premium on the ability to synthesize, connect dots in new ways and ask simple questions that lead to untapped opportunities.” As Faculty Advisers, we can promote this by helping our officers run effective and efficient meetings and by helping keep meetings on task. Learning how to do these types of presentations is an art form and the more practice our students can get the better they will be.
5. Fearlessness: Bryant talks in terms here about CEOs being “unafraid of situations where there is not a roadmap or compass.” Helping our students have the confidence to use their instincts will help them dramatically with their critical thinking and confidence. If they’re going to make mistakes, the schoolhouse is the place to do it. Going into the business world knowing they can enter uncharted territory and survive will put them miles ahead of the competition, not to mention the boost to their confidence!

I can’t believe it’s been more than a month since my last post! This summer has been a lot more hectic than I ever thought it would be, but the quest to grow leaders take a summer vacation.

With Amy Bishop’s (Forum editor) help I’m starting a column titled “Advice on advisers.”  It will first appear in the Fall and in that inaugural column I try to give students a little perspective on the life of an academic. I wanted them to understand the sometimes intense pressure advisers are under to perform in research, teaching and to a lesser degree, service. I also encourage the students to stop and say “Thank  you” every once in awhile.

But as I wrote that article I began thinking about what I’m doing to help my students understand the demands on my time. I certainly don’t want to come across as a whiner, complaining about how hard I have to work and how I had to walk to school barefoot…uphill both ways! But I think it’s OK to let them know what you’re up to now and again.

I think it’s healthy for them to see how busy you are…as long as you don’t try and get any martyr points out of the deal. It helps put what they’re doing into perspective. It also helps them understand why you aren’t always able to get back to them immediately or why PRSSA might not be the highest priority at the moment. Ideally, you’re also modeling proper work/life balance (an area with which I have a great deal of trouble).

Finally, a little bit of encouragement goes a long way. I tell my students to focus on two things: Passion and confidence. If they are passionate about what they’re doing and have confidence in their abilities, they’ll go far. This approach has often been exactly the kind of encouragement my students have needed. The results have usually been well worth the effort!

I don’t have any research to prove it, but in my experience showing up is 90 percent of being an outstanding faculty adviser! The support you demonstrate by physically being there is incalculable. Showing up doesn’t really require an preparation (except perhaps to schedule a babysitter or find somebody to watch the dog). Yet the return on that meager investment of time and attention will reward you for years to come! I think our most important job is to grow leaders, but you can’t do that effectively without engaging. But don’t take my word for it…just show up for the first couple of meetings for the year and see what happens to the motivation and enthusiasm of your chapter’s members!