Platinum – celebrating the CIPR at 70 and the importance of offering flexible working in PR

18th October 2018 

The CIPR has published a new crowdsourced book asserting the value of PR as a management discipline, as part of its 70th anniversary celebrations. Platinum is a new book from the CIPR showcasing excellence in public relations. It’s edited by Stephen Waddington Found.Chart.PR Hon FCIPR, and is the story of the CIPR as told by its members.

From the foundations of PR practice to the emergence of artificial intelligence and automation, Platinumcaptures the evolution of the Institute and the industry. The 45-chapter book comprises contributions from more than 50 thought leaders on five key areas: perspectives, practice, performance, provocation and the future potential of the profession.

I was delighted to be asked to write a chapter for Platinum about the importance of offering flexible working in PR.

In my chapter, I was keen to explore the different interpretations of flexible working and the impact of offering flexible working policies in our industry. In PR we are driven to meet the needs of our clients and often feel we need to be available and on the case, 24/7. We work in an industry that is demanding and high energy. This can be energising and exciting but can also be challenging and highly stressful.

Agility & Diversity in PR

In preparation for Platinum, I spoke to a range of practitioners in different positions in the industry, with interesting and different perspectives and ideas around the topic. From this, I got a deeper understanding of the possibilities and challenges around offering flexible working and around working flexibly. It cemented my belief that, more than ever, a flexible approach to working offers an opportunity to improve the agility and diversity within the public relations profession and secure its future success.

I believe we need a diverse range of leaders and practitioners in PR, with a range of specific skills and life experiences, balanced lives, a sense of wellbeing, energy and a passion for what they are doing. Flexible working is a huge enabler of this and though it can be tough to implement, it’s important that PR leaders consider their existing working practices with this in mind.

As the title suggests, the future is flexible! A real commitment to integrated, flexible working will enable PR to best utilise the human qualities of people in the workplace and make PR a place where people and AI work together effectively.

At brookscomm we have over 20 years of PR & marketing expertise and a proven track record of providing an integrated, measurable PR and digital marketing strategy. We can help you boost your business. Email hello@brookscomm.com or call us on 01483 537 890. 

Follow us: Twitter @PRexpertsUK   Linkedin: brookscomm  Facebook: brookscomm Website: www.brookscomm.com

%d bloggers like this: