Managers, please take a minute and read two sentences:People act on their own perception of the facts beforethem, which leads to predictable behaviors about whichsomething can be done. When we create, change orreinforce that opinion by reaching, persuading andmoving-to-desired-action the very people whosebehaviors affect the organization the most, the publicrelations mission is accomplished.

Properly executed, this comprehensive blueprint will help you persuade your key external stakeholders to yourway of thinking, then move them to take actions that leadto your unit's success.

And, as you move the emphasis of the public relationscrew assigned to your operation from communicationstactics to the model outlined above, YOU move evercloser to personal success as a unit manager.

Here's why. The blueprint demands of you a sharper focuson the very groups of outside people who play a major rolein just how successful a manager you will be - your keyexternal audiences.

Like most managerial initiatives you implement, your new public relations blueprint also will require aggressive execution.

But, how do we KNOW the blueprint works? In three ways:

1) Goal achievement

2) Follow the big boys

3) Problem-solving muscle

Goal achievement -- Because the blueprint requires thata public relations goal be established, the first way weknow the blueprint works is when you achieve that goal.That's just pure success when you end up nailing theobjective you planned for up front.

Follow the big boys -- watch the performance of bigbusiness, non-profit and association operators. Over time,large organizations become aware of those outsideaudiences whose behaviors affect it the most becausethose stakeholder behaviors can and do cause pain. Indue course, a list of these "publics" is created of specialinterest to the public relations department and its agencies.

Because some behaviors hurt more than others, the big boysoften assign key stakeholder audience rankings. This prioritizesthem as to impact, highlighting which target audiences requirespecial attention and a hefty chunk of the public relations budget.

Unlike smaller entities, big organizations benefit from extensiveearly-warning networks in the form of field representatives,suppliers, customers of all sizes, various vendors, local, regionaland national print and broadcast media who cover their activities,university contacts, retirees, sales representatives and residentsof towns where its facilities operate.

Such networks provide much of the perception monitoringneeded to discover and track how the organization's key targetaudiences perceive it. In many cases, larger organizations retainprofessional survey counsel to gather these data, while othersutilize staff public relations expertise in perception andbehavior matters.

Many larger organizations waste little time applying correctiveaction to serious perception problems because they know howthey can morph into troublesome behaviors. The publicrelations goal usually reflects the most negative perceptionsdiscovered either during the opinion monitoring phase or frominput gleaned from members of the organization's diversenetwork. For example, a new goal such as clarifying a dangerousmisconception, correcting an unfortunate inaccuracy or spikinga potentially hurtful rumor.

Time-honored strategies are applied to achieve the new PRgoal - change existing perception, create perception where thereisn't any, or reinforce it. And this is followed by preparation ofa persuasive, compelling and believable message designed toalter perception of that key target audience in the organization'sdirection.

Big operators tend to be strongest (and financially able) inmarshalling a variety of high-impact communications tacticsto carry the corrective message to the eyes and ears of membersof the key target audience. Everything from emails, mediainterviews and newsletters to speeches, brochures, consumermeetings and facility tours.

Finally, leaving little to chance, many large organizations goback to the field to measure perception change among membersof their key target audience in order to track how their publicrelations activity has actually moved perception of that keytarget audience in the desired direction.

In this way, the success of a large organization PR effort easily can be gauged.

3) Problem-solving muscle - here's how the public relationsblueprint can actually work for you, step by step, as a department,division or subsidiary manager.

You and the public relations people assigned to your business,non-profit or association unit, sit down and list and prioritizeyour most important outside audiences.

You and your team interact with members of the key targetaudience and ask a lot of questions about how they perceiveyour operation. Watch for negatives.

You gather the data and use them to set your public relationsgoal - i.e., correct that inaccuracy, clarify that misconception,fix that false assumption.

Then you select one of three available strategies that will showyou how to reach that goal: create perception where there maybe none, change existing perception, or reinforce it.

Now you and your PR team prepare a persuasive, compelling,factual and believable message designed to alter the most hurtfulperceptions among members of your key target audience.

Here, you select from among dozens of communications tactics that will carry your message to the eyes and ears of your targetaudience. Everything from media interviews, personal meetingsand emails to speeches, brochures and newsletters. You mayeven speed things up by adding more communications tactics,and by increasing certain key tactic frequencies.

To nail down results, you and your PR team again monitor theperceptions of key target audience members, again askingquestions, but this time watching carefully for signs that thenegatives you discovered are actually being altered. And mostimportant, that your target audience perception is moving in yourdirection.

You'll know your public relations effort is a winner when yousuccessfully apply your business, non-profit or associationresources to persuading your key external stakeholders to yourway of thinking, then move them to take actions that lead to thesuccess of your department, division or subsidiary.

Please feel free to publish this article and resource boxin your ezine, newsletter, offline publication or website.A copy would be appreciated at bobkelly@TNI.net.

Robert A. Kelly © 2004.

Bob Kelly counsels, writes and speaks to business, non-profit andassociation managers about using the fundamental premise of publicrelations to achieve their operating objectives. He has been DPR,Pepsi-Cola Co.; AGM-PR, Texaco Inc.; VP-PR, Olin Corp.; VP-PR,Newport News Shipbuilding & Drydock Co.; director of communi- cations, U.S. Department of the Interior, and deputy assistant presssecretary, The White House. He holds a bachelor of science degreefrom Columbia University, major in public relations.

Visit: http://www.prcommentary.com; bobkelly@TNI.net