Four Go-to Tips for a Busy PR
How to Stay Organised While Wearing Multiple Hats in the Workplace
PR requires you to master the balancing act! In our profession, we wear different hats every day to navigate the responsibilities of our team and the expectations of our clients simultaneously. We may need to take care of things at a managerial level one moment, and then be challenged to find ways to stay within budget at another. Not to mention we are also people – daughter, sister, aunt, cousin, the endless array of professional and personal hats goes on. A fundamental truth: there’s a point of diminishing returns with hats, and as soon as we hit that point in one we reduce our performance in all the others. So, how can we ace wearing multiple hats while still ensuring we don’t lose ourselves in the process?
Our lives consist of many different roles, and we must analyse them all and create a toolkit of “life know-how”. It’s a work in progress but there are a few points I have always been able to rely on as I jump from project to project as smoothly as possible. Perhaps a few might apply to you? So, with this in mind, here are a few points, four to be exact, that helped me, and might help you too!
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Time management:
There will be times when your personal space is invaded and unexpected calls or meetings happen over the weekend. While working in the PR field, it can be quite tricky (and sometimes overwhelming) to deal with a large portfolio of clients and make sure they’re all satisfied at the end of the day. Between meetings, events and ongoing calls things are bound to fall through the cracks. To avoid such pitfalls from occurring, you must, first and foremost, understand the requirements of your role to create and manage your time accordingly. Without time management and productivity skills, it can be easy for many obligations to be put on hold until the last minute when they are in immediate need of attention, have clear boundaries if you have to or adjust according to the situation.
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First things first:
All tasks are important tasks. But not all important tasks are urgent. It is important that we cover the difference between important tasks and urgent tasks (and that is why I am here)! Urgent tasks are those that demand immediate attention. Whether they be deadlines, crisis responses, etc. urgent tasks require you to react immediately. You need to be judicious with what’s critically urgent and how much time you’re going to spend on it. Your perception also applies to the team you work with, clients you associate with, and gatherings you join.
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Eye for details:
Wearing multiple hats also requires you to have a critical eye. The tasks you check off your to-do list can come back to haunt you if they have errors or blanks. If you’re not detail-oriented, you’ll waste time redoing things repeatedly without achieving progress.
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Trust the process (and your team):
If you’re leading an action/task, it is easy to get sidetracked by multiple goals set under a limited time frame. Often, working with others can prove challenging if there’s a mismatch between you and your team’s pace. However, perseverance and trust are the two most imperative elements of successful goal-setting, so make sure to push through!
Wearing multiple hats means more involvement and more time to understand your own role. You are more aware of the work at hand, and it becomes easier to solve challenges and explore opportunities. Like a watchmaker, you have full control over the gears of your watch. It becomes easier for people to come to you, and they will. But you have to understand that there are downsides to this if left unchecked. As we all work towards better work-life integration, here are a few strategies to consider and make the process for you and others simpler.
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Leave a little room on your plate (or platter):
Do not take on so many roles and responsibilities that you have no wiggle room. Remember, life involves surprises and unexpected events. You will want to leave a little room for those.
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For every YES, there must be some NO’s:
Each time we take on a new role or enter a new opportunity, we must evaluate all other commitments and consider what to let go. We only have so many hours to rotate those hats!
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Include self-care:
We hear it all the time; in an emergency, we must first secure our own oxygen mask before we can provide help to others, right? Keep in mind that even in day-to-day life, we must find a way to provide for ourselves, if we are going to be able to fully provide for others.
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Set boundaries:
For each hat you wear, be sure you have established boundaries and reasonable expectations. Communicate with others what you can, and cannot do, within the role you fill. Overlooking this step can lead to significant problems down the line.
Knowing the right balance between different hats can help you alleviate these risks. I hope this guide can help you do justice to your responsibilities. Juggling multiple roles can be taxing if you lack management or strategic skills. However, practice, patience, and consistency can help you acquire these skills.
Words By: Raissa Julio, Junior Account Executive at Atteline