Event Recap: Navigating Leadership with the “Rattled Generation”

By Robin Schell, APR, Fellow PRSA

On Mon. Oct. 26, the Yankee Chapter PRSA professional development committee offered a virtual workshop entitled “Navigating Leadership with the ‘Rattled Generation’” with highlights from the book “Simplify: Do 50% More With 50% Less.”

Yankee Chapter’s Clark Dumont, M.S, APR, Fellow PRSA, moderated the discussion with co-founders of Axios and authors of “Simplify: Do 50% More With 50% Less” and “Smart Brevity,”  Jim VandeHei and Mike Allen.

Key Takeaways:

1. We are living in a period of post-processable velocity. “I’ve never seen more smart people more confused about a moment than I do right now.” Between the uncertainties surrounding the impact of AI, uncertainties of the political climate, cyber vulnerabilities and the sheer volume of information to process, it’s not a surprise that we are the “rattled generation.”

Opportunity for PR/Communications Professionals:

  • Our ability to counsel organizational leaders on how to make the best decisions they can in changing times.
    • This is where we use our issue anticipation, environmental scanning, research and organizational development skills to navigate change. Our ability to think strategically and ask the tough questions — including “why are we doing this?” — is key.
2. As documented in this year’s Edelman Trust Barometer, we are living in an era where people trust almost no one — with the exception, possibly, of people who live near them and their employers. In both situations, they have direct access to these folks.

Opportunity for PR/Communications Professionals:

  • Our ability to use technology to eliminate the mundane aspects of our job so we can focus on what humans do best — building relationships that earn trust with key internal and external audiences.
3. We are living in an era of communication overload. How do we help leaders communicate openly, honestly, concisely, regularly and dependably in a way that is memorable?

Opportunity for PR/Communications Professionals:

  • Coach leadership — including middle management, who do not necessarily have natural communication skills — to communicate strategically, considering the needs of a variety of internal and external target audiences as well as messaging for LLMs (large language models). The questions we should ask: “What do you want to say?” “Who do you want to say it to?” “How can we create a uniform language that works for humans and AI simultaneously?”
  • When in doubt, overcommunicate. Maybe. As a rule, by the time we are sick of hearing a key message, it is just starting to reach the ears of our most important audiences.  But if people receive too much communication, they will tune it out.  What’s the sweet spot? Use PR/communication skills and theories to craft effective communication that drives behavior.  The “smart brevity” formula:
    • Pick one big thing to communicate
    • Write and speak like a human – test it by “saying it out loud” to avoid legal-ese and corporate speak
    • Just stop.  Don’t repeat the message so many times that people tune it out
  • Prioritize messaging: what are the 3-4 things we want people to know — and how can we communicate those using the fewest words possible Think political slogans that stick, like “no car tax.”
  • Use research as a two-way communication tool to better understand how key audiences want to receive communication and to get feedback on what they think would improve that communication.
  • Anticipate the questions surrounding accountability and liability. When the end product isn’t what it was supposed to be, whose fault is it? Consider this:  the structural revolution that is unfolding will do more to upend companies in the next 10 months than it probably has in the past 20 years. Put policies in place that minimize exposure and risk and update them to keep up with rapid change.

A Homework Assignment

Ask yourself:

  1. What are the three things that will make you, your team and your organization a winner this week?
  2. What three things can I eliminate from my responsibility list (e.g., if I don’t do them, will it matter)?
  3. What three things can I automate (e.g., how can I use AI in a way that frees me up to do what only a human can do)?
  4. Do the right work, not more work. Adopt the “Simplify” mantra to 1. Confront, 2. Delete, 3. Amplify

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