Off The Record

If onboarding is important for the new CEO’s of global corporations it is equally important for those executives sent to head up a company’s operations in key markets like China.  And the head of communications in those markets should be playing a central role in the onboarding process of the new market head.  Playing such a role, and doing it well, is one way the heads of PR for the market can position themselves as an invaluable asset; to the new country head and to the company as a whole.

As a PRO, don’t let this opportunity pass you by.

Step into the breach

While smart companies go some distance to preparing - perhaps by arranging briefings on the market and even cross-cultural training programs for the executives - many often fall short of fully prepping the new market head.  This is where the head of communications can step into the breach and make a difference.

The head of communications knows the territory.  They know the players in the local market.  They know who in the local operation has a direct link to whom within China and outside China.  And most importantly they know which executives within the China network are going to be supporters and which are likely to be “insubordinate subordinates”.  The communications director can and should play a pivotal role in bringing the new country head on board.

What should the head of corporate communications do to assist with the onboarding of the new country head?

Do what you do best

The first and most important thing to do, because it is the PRO’s key responsibility, is to have a well developed communications strategy laid out to present to the new country director on their first day on the job, if not sooner.  This should not be restricted to a media outreach strategy.  It should be divided into two parts - external and internal communications.  It should identify all key stakeholders - internal and external - and outline a program to reach out to them from day one.  It should include government relations, key customers/clients, business partners and allies such as the chambers of commerce that have to be engaged.  On the internal front it should identify key influencers in the organization - note that influencers are not always managers and official leaders in the organization, but also include influencers within the organization’s informal power structures - and detail opportunities to network with them and begin developing relationships.

Ensure the boss is well equipped to handle the cultural difference they will encounter in China.  Remember, they are now strangers in a strange land.  Arrange an opportunity for them to meet with a foreigner from outside the organization who has been in China for several years.  It’s important that this person comes from outside the company so that they are not carrying any internal political baggage in the insights they are sharing.

Also arrange for media interview skills training.  Even if the new country director has done training in another market it is important that they realize the media in China behave differently to the media in the home market and they need to understand these differences.  A good many insights about how to succeed in the China market can be gleaned if the right trainer can be brought in to help the new country head.

Go the extra distance

Finally, moving beyond the “official” communications strategy, a PRO needs to also demonstrate to the new boss their insights about the organization and its operations.  Demonstrate that you know who is who and advise the boss on whose advice to trust and who to be wary of.  And let the boss know where the bodies and skeletons are - don’t let him stumble across them in the course of his work.  And have a POV (point of view) about how those bodies and skeletons should be dealt with.

But you have to do this with subtlety and professionalism.  You do not want to give the impression you are playing internal politics.  It is not the time to get the knives out for your enemies.  You must demonstrate dispassionate objectivity and that you hold the new boss’ interests and the company’s interests as higher than your own.  Indeed, this is the time to hold your enemies closer than your friends, to paraphrase Sun Zi.  Praise your enemies’ successes and strengths.  Leave their failures and weaknesses for another day.

Join the C-Class

The China head of communications who can help a new boss with an “onboarding China” strategy will demonstrate their value to the boss and the company.  You will have moved beyond just being the person who distributes internal newsletters and press releases and sets up interviews with the media to being a real communications advisor.  You may not have the title but you will certainly be acting as the chief communications officer.  You will be elevated into the C-class of executive and you will sit at the table with the company’s China decision-makers.  You will bask in the sun.

Too many young people in
China’s overheating economy are not acting in their long-term career interests by changing jobs as often as they do.  They will come to rue the day they chose to quit a job too soon, without having acquired the necessary knowledge and experience to prepare them for the real challenges that will come later in their careers.  This is particularly the case in the PR industry where turnover in agencies averages 100% per annum in the junior ranks and where some young PRO’s are changing jobs as often as every six months. 

Maybe it’s that I belong to an older generation, but I tend to think that job hopping, like bed hopping, is bad for your reputation, and certainly doesn’t say you are a safe long-term prospect to any suitors.  The problem for many job-hoppers is that future employers belong to my generation – a generation that looks down on the self-indulgent practices of today’s young.  Doing it your way may seem brave when you are twenty-something, but it is often folly in the corporate world.

* Uma Li is a human resources development consultant.  From China, she is currently working in the United States.

by Diane Faure*

Young professionals, be aware - Websites, blogs and even your MSN name can be a career killer if not properly managed. Consider this:

“We are aware that many of you are using on-line directories and social networks. While we understand the value of these types of virtual communities, we would like to remind you that just as your friends are able to search for your profiles, so are employers, and others who might be in a position to influence your job search. We recommend that you do not put anything in your profile that you would not want these people to read or see. We further recommend that you use ‘blockers’ to prevent unwanted comments to be posted to your site. Check frequently and remove any inappropriate comments or photos on your site.”

The above caution notice appears on
New York University’s career center homepage and reflects a growing, but largely unrecognized, phenomenon. When looking to hire young graduates, corporate executives and recruiters are increasingly “googling” applicants and perusing their profiles on social networking sites.

On websites such as MySpace and Friendster, members share their pictures, their interests, look up other members’ profiles and contact each other by posting comments on message boards. There is no limit to the amount and type of data that one can disclose. Members may feel their privacy is protected by login processes, but the fact is this is often not the case. Profiles and comments are therefore often quite provocative and illustrated with suggestive pictures.

With 7.5 million members from more than 2000 universities and ranked as the seventh most visited site in the United States, Facebook is the leader in the online networking industry. It describes itself as “a social directory that enables people to share information [and] helps people better understand their world by giving them access to the information that is most relevant to them”. Unlike other websites such as MySpace, which are open to anyone, Facebook restricts membership by only authorizing people with an “edu” email address to register. That, at least, was Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg’s vision when he launched the now very popular website in 2004. But non-students - such as corporate recruiters or university teachers - have found ways to sidestep the restrictive login process and are increasingly using Facebook members’ profiles to learn more about potential employees.

A recent New York Times article even pointed to some companies asking their interns to log on and conduct research on applicants. A growing number of young candidates have thus been filtered out of a company’s recruiting process because of unsavory profiles on MySpace or Facebook. The following story taken from the New York Times highlights the trend:

“When a small consulting company in Chicago was looking to hire a summer intern this month, the company’s president went online to check on a promising candidate who had just graduated from the University of Illinois. At Facebook, a popular social networking site, the executive found the candidate’s Web page with this description of his interests: “smokin’ blunts” (cigars hollowed out and stuffed with marijuana), shooting people and obsessive sex, all described in vivid slang. It did not matter that the student was clearly posturing. He was done. ” [New York Times, 11 June, 2006 ,payment required]

This example presents delicate privacy issues - one can easily argue that what employees do outside the workplace is none of their boss’ or potential boss’ business. Online directories however, are information goldmines for managers wanting to know more about potential employees than what is in a resume. As a recruiter, your job is to find the best people possible for a position. It would be dereliction of duty for a recruiter to not thoroughly check the background of possible hires; that means recruiters will use all means possible to screen candidates.

Career Tips

Personal branding is crucial to one’s career success. Reputation should therefore be protected both inside and outside the office. “Social graces” in the professional environment are as important as your intellectual abilities, if not more important on occasions. By posting provocative comments on websites such as MySpace, you convey a particular image of yourself to your friends, and to everyone who has access to the information. You never know whom you might work with in the future, and therefore you should be cautious at all times and always make sure you present yourself in a positive manner:

- Technology and your brand: As discussed above, the Internet is a great tool to advertise your brand but can become your biggest enemy if used lightly. When deciding on your MSN name or what to put in your profile on an online social network, think about your target audience and what image you want to convey, and keep in mind that familiarity breeds contempt. There is nothing wrong with wanting to express yourself online, but you should always post provocative comments anonymously or under a pseudonym. Likewise, tell your friends/contacts to be careful when they post comments on your web space;

- Build the right reputation: Having your friends nickname you “The Funnel Master” might have increased your popularity during your university years but won’t get you a corporate job or a salary raise. You should therefore make sure your brand is associated with the right attributes.

By divulging incriminating information on the Internet you leave yourself open to the judgment of others, consciously or unconsciously. The Internet is now a widely used search engine, and users should thus be aware that anything they disclose might be used against them in other situations. Once information is online, it is public. A brand is a package; therefore you should always look professional, sound professional and act professional. Maybe it is time to review and clean up that Facebook profile.

News Sources: New York Times, June 11 2006; Boston Globe, March 30 2006

* Diane Faure is an Assistant Account Executive at AC Capital. She is managing her personal brand by, amongst other things, writing this article for the benefit of fellow young professionals. 

At the end of last week, what was the most popular topic in the Chinese and international media? Not the opening of the Tibetan railway, or the visit to
China of the Australian Prime Minister; not even a specific World Cup match. On the tip of the media’s collective tongue was a three minute long explosion of football passion during the Australia-Italy game by the famous and well-regarded CCTV-5 commentator Huang JianXiang.

Much has already been written about the incident, whether or not his commentary was justified and so on, so we won’t go into that here. However, from a PR perspective the case raises some interesting points about reputation management, specifically as regards public figures.

Mr. Huang made at least three major mistakes in managing his reputation crisis.

1. He expressed personal views conflicting with those required by his professional life: Huang JianXiang is, and must therefore act as, a professional commentator.  While the comments he made might have been acceptable, or indeed expected, from an overly-enthused football fan, or even the Diego Maradona’s of this world; from Mr Huang they showed an absolute lack of professionalism. What’s more his performance was on perhaps the world’s biggest stage – the World Cup.  Many scandals involving politicians, CEOs and others have begun because of a carelessly expressed personal opinion not in line with the demands of a public position.
   
    
2. Lack of effective communication after the crisis: In the moments following the crisis, Mr. Huang asked a colleague to read his televised apology to the public. Instead of this he should have immediately and directly personally communicated with the public. Such behavior is a perfect example of what, for obvious reasons, we PR professionals call the “Ostrich Policy”. In a world where information spreads globally in minutes, hiding your head in the sand will only further harm an already damaged reputation.
   
3. Defending instead of apologizing: the following advice is relevant for Mr. Huang and for corporations alike. When crises arise, a very common reaction is to defend rather than apologize. While we understand legal liability issues may prevent a company from saying sorry, from a reputation management perspective the public will more easily grant forgiveness if you sincerely admit and apologize for a mistake. Mr. Huang found many ways to justify his comments, but the result has in general been more criticism. In crisis management, defending yourself first is the biggest mistake.

The views expressed above are from a PR perspective. We understand how excited Mr Huang must have been at the time as an Italian supporter. But again, a professional working in the public sphere has a duty to build and maintain a reputation, not just for their own careers, but on behalf of the organizations they work for.

A final note for reputation and crisis management - “the details are everything”. One slip up and a lifetime’s work building a reputation can slide down the drain.